Top positive review
1,082 people found this helpful
5.0 out of 5 starsMy Review and a Guide to Reading the Book. ***UPDATED***
ByVeltscrollon November 6, 2013
I read a lot of books, and I often love what I read, but I literally (no pun intended) have not been this excited about reading a book since I was a kid. It's not just the story (or should I say stories), or all the ephemera and the clever, well-produced presentation. It's how it all combines to actually make you feel like you're in on it. That you're trying to figure it all out right along with Jen and Eric. Reading and re-reading The Ship of Theseus for clues and inferences to what's happening in the "real world". The whole time watching as J&E's relationship evolves. Then, if you're really adventurous, and you start tapping Google to expand your research, you'll find that the experience goes beyond the book. (Google: Eotvos Wheel) ***I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU DO THIS***
I'll admit: when I opened the book for the first time, the second thought that went through my mind (after "How frigging cool is this?") was, "How the heck am I gonna read this?"
So, for those of you asking that same question, let me tell you how I went about it:
As cool as all the inserts are, trying to keep them from falling out of the book as you're reading is a pain, so take them out and use post-it notes to mark what page they came from, then put them in an envelope that you can easily access.
Now, J&E's notes are not entirely in chronological order. You can generally go by the color of the ink between them to tell what phase of their story you're at.
First, there's Eric's pencil notes to himself about the actual book. Then, the convo between J&E begins when Jen picks up Eric's book and sees his notes and begins commenting on them in the margins. He sees this and writes back. Those early messages are Jen: Blue Ink - Eric: Black Ink
At some point after they go through the book a first time, they go through again. This time Jen: Orange Ink - Eric: Green Ink.
Then a third time Jen: Purple Ink - Eric: Red Ink
Finally, a fourth time (which seems to be after the denouement, in which they retrospectively discuss what has transpired). These are less frequent, and both Jen and Eric are in Black Ink.
***Read each chapter of the main text of SoT, ignoring all of Jen & Eric's notes. Upon finishing each chapter, you're going to want to go back and read only the blue/black notes and any referenced inserts. Then, move on to the next chapter. After you finish the whole book, go back and read only the orange/green notes and referenced inserts. Then purple/red, then black/black.***
However you choose to approach it, you're in for a treat. Even after finishing it, I'm still going back and looking for anything I may have missed. The journey was fantastic and the the destination was, well you'll see.
C.
I'll admit: when I opened the book for the first time, the second thought that went through my mind (after "How frigging cool is this?") was, "How the heck am I gonna read this?"
So, for those of you asking that same question, let me tell you how I went about it:
As cool as all the inserts are, trying to keep them from falling out of the book as you're reading is a pain, so take them out and use post-it notes to mark what page they came from, then put them in an envelope that you can easily access.
Now, J&E's notes are not entirely in chronological order. You can generally go by the color of the ink between them to tell what phase of their story you're at.
First, there's Eric's pencil notes to himself about the actual book. Then, the convo between J&E begins when Jen picks up Eric's book and sees his notes and begins commenting on them in the margins. He sees this and writes back. Those early messages are Jen: Blue Ink - Eric: Black Ink
At some point after they go through the book a first time, they go through again. This time Jen: Orange Ink - Eric: Green Ink.
Then a third time Jen: Purple Ink - Eric: Red Ink
Finally, a fourth time (which seems to be after the denouement, in which they retrospectively discuss what has transpired). These are less frequent, and both Jen and Eric are in Black Ink.
***Read each chapter of the main text of SoT, ignoring all of Jen & Eric's notes. Upon finishing each chapter, you're going to want to go back and read only the blue/black notes and any referenced inserts. Then, move on to the next chapter. After you finish the whole book, go back and read only the orange/green notes and referenced inserts. Then purple/red, then black/black.***
However you choose to approach it, you're in for a treat. Even after finishing it, I'm still going back and looking for anything I may have missed. The journey was fantastic and the the destination was, well you'll see.
C.
Top critical review
3 people found this helpful
3.0 out of 5 starsTypical story line as the series Lost
ByT M Milloton May 13, 2014
I was so thrilled when I saw J J Abrams on Stephen Colbert describing the book. I really think that the whole premise is so clever!
I am a HUGE fan of the series Lost. I had simply resigned myself to the fact that nothing was ever really going to be answered and went with it.
Well, this book is pretty much the same. I started reading it using the guidelines posted by another reviewer and found that the stories are similar to the Lost series in that no resolution is ever produced.
The story of the Ship of Theseus itself is gripping, but for me, as a reader, I do like more answers.
I even started taking notes using the clues provided in the footnotes, but was only able to figure out one thing (I don't want to give it away if you are reading the book) but it didn't really lead to any "aha" moments.
In all fairness, so far I have only read the story and the pencil written, red ink, and black ink notations in the margins.
I enjoyed the story, but I pretty much lost interest after that.
I will be giving it a second chance and will go back to the notations not read, but I have to admit that I was disappointed.
Perhaps I am just a terrible sleuth.
I'll try one more time!
I am a HUGE fan of the series Lost. I had simply resigned myself to the fact that nothing was ever really going to be answered and went with it.
Well, this book is pretty much the same. I started reading it using the guidelines posted by another reviewer and found that the stories are similar to the Lost series in that no resolution is ever produced.
The story of the Ship of Theseus itself is gripping, but for me, as a reader, I do like more answers.
I even started taking notes using the clues provided in the footnotes, but was only able to figure out one thing (I don't want to give it away if you are reading the book) but it didn't really lead to any "aha" moments.
In all fairness, so far I have only read the story and the pencil written, red ink, and black ink notations in the margins.
I enjoyed the story, but I pretty much lost interest after that.
I will be giving it a second chance and will go back to the notations not read, but I have to admit that I was disappointed.
Perhaps I am just a terrible sleuth.
I'll try one more time!
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ByVeltscrollon November 6, 2013
I read a lot of books, and I often love what I read, but I literally (no pun intended) have not been this excited about reading a book since I was a kid. It's not just the story (or should I say stories), or all the ephemera and the clever, well-produced presentation. It's how it all combines to actually make you feel like you're in on it. That you're trying to figure it all out right along with Jen and Eric. Reading and re-reading The Ship of Theseus for clues and inferences to what's happening in the "real world". The whole time watching as J&E's relationship evolves. Then, if you're really adventurous, and you start tapping Google to expand your research, you'll find that the experience goes beyond the book. (Google: Eotvos Wheel) ***I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU DO THIS***
I'll admit: when I opened the book for the first time, the second thought that went through my mind (after "How frigging cool is this?") was, "How the heck am I gonna read this?"
So, for those of you asking that same question, let me tell you how I went about it:
As cool as all the inserts are, trying to keep them from falling out of the book as you're reading is a pain, so take them out and use post-it notes to mark what page they came from, then put them in an envelope that you can easily access.
Now, J&E's notes are not entirely in chronological order. You can generally go by the color of the ink between them to tell what phase of their story you're at.
First, there's Eric's pencil notes to himself about the actual book. Then, the convo between J&E begins when Jen picks up Eric's book and sees his notes and begins commenting on them in the margins. He sees this and writes back. Those early messages are Jen: Blue Ink - Eric: Black Ink
At some point after they go through the book a first time, they go through again. This time Jen: Orange Ink - Eric: Green Ink.
Then a third time Jen: Purple Ink - Eric: Red Ink
Finally, a fourth time (which seems to be after the denouement, in which they retrospectively discuss what has transpired). These are less frequent, and both Jen and Eric are in Black Ink.
***Read each chapter of the main text of SoT, ignoring all of Jen & Eric's notes. Upon finishing each chapter, you're going to want to go back and read only the blue/black notes and any referenced inserts. Then, move on to the next chapter. After you finish the whole book, go back and read only the orange/green notes and referenced inserts. Then purple/red, then black/black.***
However you choose to approach it, you're in for a treat. Even after finishing it, I'm still going back and looking for anything I may have missed. The journey was fantastic and the the destination was, well you'll see.
C.
I'll admit: when I opened the book for the first time, the second thought that went through my mind (after "How frigging cool is this?") was, "How the heck am I gonna read this?"
So, for those of you asking that same question, let me tell you how I went about it:
As cool as all the inserts are, trying to keep them from falling out of the book as you're reading is a pain, so take them out and use post-it notes to mark what page they came from, then put them in an envelope that you can easily access.
Now, J&E's notes are not entirely in chronological order. You can generally go by the color of the ink between them to tell what phase of their story you're at.
First, there's Eric's pencil notes to himself about the actual book. Then, the convo between J&E begins when Jen picks up Eric's book and sees his notes and begins commenting on them in the margins. He sees this and writes back. Those early messages are Jen: Blue Ink - Eric: Black Ink
At some point after they go through the book a first time, they go through again. This time Jen: Orange Ink - Eric: Green Ink.
Then a third time Jen: Purple Ink - Eric: Red Ink
Finally, a fourth time (which seems to be after the denouement, in which they retrospectively discuss what has transpired). These are less frequent, and both Jen and Eric are in Black Ink.
***Read each chapter of the main text of SoT, ignoring all of Jen & Eric's notes. Upon finishing each chapter, you're going to want to go back and read only the blue/black notes and any referenced inserts. Then, move on to the next chapter. After you finish the whole book, go back and read only the orange/green notes and referenced inserts. Then purple/red, then black/black.***
However you choose to approach it, you're in for a treat. Even after finishing it, I'm still going back and looking for anything I may have missed. The journey was fantastic and the the destination was, well you'll see.
C.
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Just finished a very unique novel called S. by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst. This book is very meta, by which I mean there are 3 levels of story. The core story is the book itself, Ship of Theseus by V. M. Straka, published in 1949, which is a story about an amnesiac, known only as S., who's trying to figure out who he really is after waking up in a strange city. S. is then kidnapped and trapped on a mysterious boat and becomes involved in a conflict between a violent, oppressive industrialist and his rebellious workers.
The second level of story is about the author of this novel himself, V. M. Straka, a secretive anarchist who seems to have written this book as an allegory of a real conflict and assassination conspiracy of which he was a part. But who was Straka really? No one, it seems, ever truly met him or knows his true identity before he was (supposedly) killed. Ship of Theseus was published posthumously by a long-time editor, F. X. Caldeira, who writes an introduction and includes various footnotes throughout the book, footnotes which seem to contain coded messages in an attempt to contact Straka, if he's still alive.
The third level of story is set in the modern day. A grad student, Eric, has been working on his own theory of who Straka was and has written his notes in the book margins. An undergrad student, Jen, who works at the college library, discovers the book and writes responses to his margin notes, which starts a long conversation between the two as they trade the book back and forth with new notes. It's these margin notes that make the book especially interesting because, as the couple delve into different theories, their relationship develops and they begin to encounter some danger by people who don't want the truth to be known.
As you can see from the pics, this is no ordinary book, and it includes all kinds of inserts (photographs, letters, etc.) that the college students leave one another as they try to figure out the S./Straka mystery. There are various ways you can decide to read S. but to read it you will need a lot of patience. But it's well worth it.
If you like the "meta" idea of this book and are looking for something almost as creative, I would also recommend House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, a horror meta-novel.
The second level of story is about the author of this novel himself, V. M. Straka, a secretive anarchist who seems to have written this book as an allegory of a real conflict and assassination conspiracy of which he was a part. But who was Straka really? No one, it seems, ever truly met him or knows his true identity before he was (supposedly) killed. Ship of Theseus was published posthumously by a long-time editor, F. X. Caldeira, who writes an introduction and includes various footnotes throughout the book, footnotes which seem to contain coded messages in an attempt to contact Straka, if he's still alive.
The third level of story is set in the modern day. A grad student, Eric, has been working on his own theory of who Straka was and has written his notes in the book margins. An undergrad student, Jen, who works at the college library, discovers the book and writes responses to his margin notes, which starts a long conversation between the two as they trade the book back and forth with new notes. It's these margin notes that make the book especially interesting because, as the couple delve into different theories, their relationship develops and they begin to encounter some danger by people who don't want the truth to be known.
As you can see from the pics, this is no ordinary book, and it includes all kinds of inserts (photographs, letters, etc.) that the college students leave one another as they try to figure out the S./Straka mystery. There are various ways you can decide to read S. but to read it you will need a lot of patience. But it's well worth it.
If you like the "meta" idea of this book and are looking for something almost as creative, I would also recommend House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, a horror meta-novel.
ByJ.D. GRIMMon December 14, 2016
This book is one of the few that I have read multiple times and have discovered something new each time.
How dare J.J. Abrams team up with an author and effectively rob me of my free time. Now who will make hamburgers at McDonald's when all of my time is spent flipping back and forth in this book trying to discover every conspiracy.... I can't believe I even found time for this review.... I've gotta go... the book is calling me.
How dare J.J. Abrams team up with an author and effectively rob me of my free time. Now who will make hamburgers at McDonald's when all of my time is spent flipping back and forth in this book trying to discover every conspiracy.... I can't believe I even found time for this review.... I've gotta go... the book is calling me.
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat concept. Fun to read. Must have imagination and a curious mind to fully enjoy.
BySterling M. Smithon July 9, 2017
I've ordered three copies of this book in the last 2 years. They make a great gift for book-lovers. I've kept one for myself, given one as a gift, and bought another one for a future gift.
The book reminds me a little of the old Infocom computer adventure games. It's not as interactive as a computer text adventure, but it has the same "feel" to it. The closest Infocom game to this book is "A Mind Forever Voyaging" which puts you in the position as a protagonist in a very real way--as if you're not playing a game, but actually participating in the process as the story unfolds. This book is very similar, although you're not the protagonist(s), you are viewing them in a way that feels very real.
It's hard to describe how it works, but you can consider it something like what they call "breaking the fourth wall" in a play or movie. If you love those little moments, then you will probably like this book.
The main story, The Ship of Theseus is interesting in itself, although I don't think it delves into the actual philosophical questions that arise from the Ship of Theseus story. The better story is the relationship that builds slowly through the other two "protagonists" as they leave each other messages in the margins. If you can suspend disbelief of the obviously unwieldy method that these two use to communicate (as well as how long in actual time that it would take for them to communicate in such a way), then you will find yourself pulled into their story as they solve another story involving the author of the story. It has at least four layers of narrative running along (some might say two, but I count the story written by the author, the story *of* the author, and the two people communicating in the margins).
Could this book be better? Of course--the critiques of the other reviewers are valid. But, just imagine if this way of creative storytelling were done by <insert your favorite author here>. Even so, the author does a fair job given the stories that have to be woven together to make it interesting. This was not actually written by J.J. Abrams, by the way, but an author who J.J. Abrams collaborated with to create this book, but more people know Abrams, so that's why he's listed as author. That's forgivable if you consider that Tom Clancy is still turning out books long after his passing.
The book reminds me a little of the old Infocom computer adventure games. It's not as interactive as a computer text adventure, but it has the same "feel" to it. The closest Infocom game to this book is "A Mind Forever Voyaging" which puts you in the position as a protagonist in a very real way--as if you're not playing a game, but actually participating in the process as the story unfolds. This book is very similar, although you're not the protagonist(s), you are viewing them in a way that feels very real.
It's hard to describe how it works, but you can consider it something like what they call "breaking the fourth wall" in a play or movie. If you love those little moments, then you will probably like this book.
The main story, The Ship of Theseus is interesting in itself, although I don't think it delves into the actual philosophical questions that arise from the Ship of Theseus story. The better story is the relationship that builds slowly through the other two "protagonists" as they leave each other messages in the margins. If you can suspend disbelief of the obviously unwieldy method that these two use to communicate (as well as how long in actual time that it would take for them to communicate in such a way), then you will find yourself pulled into their story as they solve another story involving the author of the story. It has at least four layers of narrative running along (some might say two, but I count the story written by the author, the story *of* the author, and the two people communicating in the margins).
Could this book be better? Of course--the critiques of the other reviewers are valid. But, just imagine if this way of creative storytelling were done by <insert your favorite author here>. Even so, the author does a fair job given the stories that have to be woven together to make it interesting. This was not actually written by J.J. Abrams, by the way, but an author who J.J. Abrams collaborated with to create this book, but more people know Abrams, so that's why he's listed as author. That's forgivable if you consider that Tom Clancy is still turning out books long after his passing.
Bylisallyon March 28, 2014
This is probably the most unique reading experience I’ve had in a long time. Rather than a traditional novel, S. is presented as an old copy of the fictional book “Ship of Theseus” by “VM Straka” from 1949. The book has a period appropriate cover design, and is faux-aged to look like an old library book, complete with old stamps, yellowed pages, and even fake stains. The margins of the book are filled with the “handwritten” notes of two previous readers, Jen and Eric; the ink colors change with time, and there are even smudges and cross-outs. Tucked into the pages are various documents including photocopies, photos, letters, postcards, and (my personal favorite) an actual napkin with a “hand-drawn” map. The attention to detail is absolutely amazing, and the story is pretty good too.
“Ship of Theseus” itself is the meandering, surreal story of a man, “S”, who find himself washed up in an unnamed city with no memory or knowledge of his identity. He is soon shanghaied aboard a creepy ship with no apparent captain and a strange crew whose members have sewn their mouths shut. When S. tries to escape the ship, he is then caught up in a struggle against the corrupt Vevoda, a business magnate with an unstoppable weapon of mass destruction.
The margin notes tell the story of two readers trying to unravel the mystery surrounding the reclusive author VM Straka, and his apparent involvement in major historical events. Jen, a college senior, finds the copy of “Ship of Theseus” left behind in the college library by Eric, a disgraced graduate student. Seeking an escape from her impending graduation and recent breakup, Jen begins delving into the Straka mystery, corresponding with Eric in the margins of the book. As the two uncover more information about the mysterious Straka, they find themselves possibly drawn into a conflict decades and maybe even centuries old.
Jen and Eric’s story jumps around a bit, as the notes are not always in chronological order. Some details and events are also only alluded to, leaving the reader to fill in some of the gaps. There are, however, additional codes in the book to solve, and in-universe websites, so the story doesn’t necessarily end with what’s in the book.
The reading order is completely open, but I found it easiest to start by reading through “Ship of Theseus” on its own, then going back and reading the margin notes. The ink colors denote different time periods; Jen’s notes start out in blue ink, with Eric’s responses in black. The second set are in orange and green, the third in purple and red, and the most recent all in black. It’s probably best to read all the earlier, blue and black notes first, then going back and approaching each set in turn. The inserts are mentioned in text by Jen and Eric at their appropriate points in the story; it helped me to make a list of the insert locations beforehand, so I could easily find the appropriate document.
S. is just a lot of fun, and is a must read for anyone who likes unique, experimental reads.
“Ship of Theseus” itself is the meandering, surreal story of a man, “S”, who find himself washed up in an unnamed city with no memory or knowledge of his identity. He is soon shanghaied aboard a creepy ship with no apparent captain and a strange crew whose members have sewn their mouths shut. When S. tries to escape the ship, he is then caught up in a struggle against the corrupt Vevoda, a business magnate with an unstoppable weapon of mass destruction.
The margin notes tell the story of two readers trying to unravel the mystery surrounding the reclusive author VM Straka, and his apparent involvement in major historical events. Jen, a college senior, finds the copy of “Ship of Theseus” left behind in the college library by Eric, a disgraced graduate student. Seeking an escape from her impending graduation and recent breakup, Jen begins delving into the Straka mystery, corresponding with Eric in the margins of the book. As the two uncover more information about the mysterious Straka, they find themselves possibly drawn into a conflict decades and maybe even centuries old.
Jen and Eric’s story jumps around a bit, as the notes are not always in chronological order. Some details and events are also only alluded to, leaving the reader to fill in some of the gaps. There are, however, additional codes in the book to solve, and in-universe websites, so the story doesn’t necessarily end with what’s in the book.
The reading order is completely open, but I found it easiest to start by reading through “Ship of Theseus” on its own, then going back and reading the margin notes. The ink colors denote different time periods; Jen’s notes start out in blue ink, with Eric’s responses in black. The second set are in orange and green, the third in purple and red, and the most recent all in black. It’s probably best to read all the earlier, blue and black notes first, then going back and approaching each set in turn. The inserts are mentioned in text by Jen and Eric at their appropriate points in the story; it helped me to make a list of the insert locations beforehand, so I could easily find the appropriate document.
S. is just a lot of fun, and is a must read for anyone who likes unique, experimental reads.
ByMatthew Pratteron August 7, 2015
The narrative woven by Abrams' author does a brilliant job bringing many characters alive. Eric, and Jen are engaging and exciting, and reading their notes provides a fascinating, if slightly voyeuristic, look into their lives, and Ship of Thesis provides an even more impressive window into its fictional author Straka, no minor feat given our removal from the character.
The text is engaging and enjoyable, the notes are exciting and genuinely interesting. The artifacts are extremely convincing, and every time one is reached in reading, is a moment of great excitement and celebration. The fiction is convincing, the props are nearly perfect forgeries, and the over all experience is really something special.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is, without any doubt, my favorite book ever written in any language by any person at any time in human history. It filled me with fascination and dread, and is full of passages I would gladly have tattooed on my skin.
S is the closest any other work has come to impressing me so deeply. I'm fortunate I found S when I did, just when I discovered my disappointment in Danielewski's latest works.
The text is engaging and enjoyable, the notes are exciting and genuinely interesting. The artifacts are extremely convincing, and every time one is reached in reading, is a moment of great excitement and celebration. The fiction is convincing, the props are nearly perfect forgeries, and the over all experience is really something special.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is, without any doubt, my favorite book ever written in any language by any person at any time in human history. It filled me with fascination and dread, and is full of passages I would gladly have tattooed on my skin.
S is the closest any other work has come to impressing me so deeply. I'm fortunate I found S when I did, just when I discovered my disappointment in Danielewski's latest works.
ByMarshaon May 31, 2017
I haven't finished it because it's difficult to read. It's sort of a game with 2 novels going on at the same time. I will continue to work on reading it, because it's amazing with all the hints included... real items to go along with the plot inserted. Notes in the margins of different time periods also throw me off. Eventually I will conquer it!
I loved this book. It is really to be thought of more as an experience. I won't describe the actual book because others have done a thorough job already. I wanted to add that the experience of making the reader an active participant in the telling of the story reminds me of one of my favorite series of books The Griffin and Sabine books by Nik Bantock. Those books tell a story through correspondence. The act of punching through the page that divides the reader and the book, was what I loved about those books. This book has a similar experience to me, although this book is much more complex since the story is being told on many levels.
I highly recommend this book.
I highly recommend this book.
ByT M Milloton May 13, 2014
I was so thrilled when I saw J J Abrams on Stephen Colbert describing the book. I really think that the whole premise is so clever!
I am a HUGE fan of the series Lost. I had simply resigned myself to the fact that nothing was ever really going to be answered and went with it.
Well, this book is pretty much the same. I started reading it using the guidelines posted by another reviewer and found that the stories are similar to the Lost series in that no resolution is ever produced.
The story of the Ship of Theseus itself is gripping, but for me, as a reader, I do like more answers.
I even started taking notes using the clues provided in the footnotes, but was only able to figure out one thing (I don't want to give it away if you are reading the book) but it didn't really lead to any "aha" moments.
In all fairness, so far I have only read the story and the pencil written, red ink, and black ink notations in the margins.
I enjoyed the story, but I pretty much lost interest after that.
I will be giving it a second chance and will go back to the notations not read, but I have to admit that I was disappointed.
Perhaps I am just a terrible sleuth.
I'll try one more time!
I am a HUGE fan of the series Lost. I had simply resigned myself to the fact that nothing was ever really going to be answered and went with it.
Well, this book is pretty much the same. I started reading it using the guidelines posted by another reviewer and found that the stories are similar to the Lost series in that no resolution is ever produced.
The story of the Ship of Theseus itself is gripping, but for me, as a reader, I do like more answers.
I even started taking notes using the clues provided in the footnotes, but was only able to figure out one thing (I don't want to give it away if you are reading the book) but it didn't really lead to any "aha" moments.
In all fairness, so far I have only read the story and the pencil written, red ink, and black ink notations in the margins.
I enjoyed the story, but I pretty much lost interest after that.
I will be giving it a second chance and will go back to the notations not read, but I have to admit that I was disappointed.
Perhaps I am just a terrible sleuth.
I'll try one more time!
ByCaseyon December 3, 2013
This will not be a book that everyone will enjoy, but those that do I think will be completely enamored as I was. If I can compare this book to anything, it would be House of Leaves. I've always enjoyed non-linear and experimental narrative forms, and I would so much like to see MORE of books like this.
The way that this book is put together is so intricate and seamless that you don't even realize how extraordinary it is until you go back and look at it. But not only are the different stories nested (the novel, the mystery, the readers), but Jen and Eric's story is told in chronological layers as well. And somehow it was clear very quickly what these layers meant and how to read them.
I've seen suggestions to read the notes chronologically (i.e., the blue/black notes first, then the orange/green, then the red/purple, then the black/black), but I respectfully disagree. I read the entire book through page by page, and I THINK that this was probably as intended because of the suspense build. Having the foreshadowing of events to come was what made it a page-turner - I knew bits of what was coming, and had to know the journey to get there, and so I just couldn't put it down. I can, however, see the value in reading just Ship of Theseus first (or perhaps reading it first chapter by chapter). I admit I did not pay nearly so much attention to the novel as I did to the readers' interpretations of it.
I love that this novel is a love letter to the printed page - a piece of art that could never be well translated to an electronic version or to audio. I was totally giddy upon opening it up and seeing what was inside, how complete the illusion is. The experience of reading is completely immersive - you can imagine that you've found this book in library donation bin many years later. It makes YOU and your experience of reading it another character in the story.
Brilliant, brilliant job from Doug Dorst (and JJ Abrams for the story and conception). I hope that the success of this book (it is #1 on Amazon right now!) encourages other writers to experiment in the future.
The way that this book is put together is so intricate and seamless that you don't even realize how extraordinary it is until you go back and look at it. But not only are the different stories nested (the novel, the mystery, the readers), but Jen and Eric's story is told in chronological layers as well. And somehow it was clear very quickly what these layers meant and how to read them.
I've seen suggestions to read the notes chronologically (i.e., the blue/black notes first, then the orange/green, then the red/purple, then the black/black), but I respectfully disagree. I read the entire book through page by page, and I THINK that this was probably as intended because of the suspense build. Having the foreshadowing of events to come was what made it a page-turner - I knew bits of what was coming, and had to know the journey to get there, and so I just couldn't put it down. I can, however, see the value in reading just Ship of Theseus first (or perhaps reading it first chapter by chapter). I admit I did not pay nearly so much attention to the novel as I did to the readers' interpretations of it.
I love that this novel is a love letter to the printed page - a piece of art that could never be well translated to an electronic version or to audio. I was totally giddy upon opening it up and seeing what was inside, how complete the illusion is. The experience of reading is completely immersive - you can imagine that you've found this book in library donation bin many years later. It makes YOU and your experience of reading it another character in the story.
Brilliant, brilliant job from Doug Dorst (and JJ Abrams for the story and conception). I hope that the success of this book (it is #1 on Amazon right now!) encourages other writers to experiment in the future.
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