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The Voynich Manuscript: The Complete Edition of the World's Most Mysterious and Esoteric Codex
The Voynich Manuscriptis an extensively illustrated codex featuring cosmological and astrological diagrams interwoven with detailed herbal illustration, relating both to the magical and alchemic view of the universe. It is written in a strangely beautiful cryptographic script.
289 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2017
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988 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Skinner
93 books129 followersDr. Stephen Skinner, Ph.D. (Classics, University of Newcastle, 2014) author, editor, publisher, and lecturer. He is known for authoring books on magic, feng shui, sacred geometry, and alchemy. He has published more than 46 books in more than 20 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 10, 2019
lövésem sincs mit írhatnék egy olyan könyv elolvasása után amit nem is lehet elolvasni igaz a bevezető tanulmányok* igyekeznek némi rálátást nyújtani a kéziratra de jelenleg nem több mint egy fakó színekkel bűvészkedő képeskönyv annak viszont nagyon szép és ha elfogadjuk tényként a keletkezési idejének megadott tizenötödik századot akkor ez az egy példányban létező kötet** fölöttébb szép iparos munka a pergamen kidolgozottsága a végig titkos kézzel írott oldalak és az a rengeteg ábra amely megfejtésre várakozik immár hatszáz éve
* a tanulmányok elég gyorsan végigfutnak a kézirat történetén említve egyes megoldási kísérleteket és az értelmezést elősegítő más könyvek ábráival történő összehasonlító felfedezéseket
** az alcím félrevezető hiszen az első teljes kiadás alapján készült ez a kiadás***
*** ez a kiadás tartalmazza mind a százkét fóliót segítőábrákkal a kötet felépítéséről recto és verso számozással a könnyebb azonosításhoz viszont az oldalak mérete valamivel kisebb mint a kézirat oldalai annak azért jobban örültem volna ha egy eredetibb kiadást tarthatok a kezemben a kihajtható ívekkel egyetemben de így is igazán különleges érzés egy könyvtörténeti jelentőségű művet kézben forgatni talán ezen kötet limitált kiadása is ezt próbálja érzékeltetni
* a tanulmányok elég gyorsan végigfutnak a kézirat történetén említve egyes megoldási kísérleteket és az értelmezést elősegítő más könyvek ábráival történő összehasonlító felfedezéseket
** az alcím félrevezető hiszen az első teljes kiadás alapján készült ez a kiadás***
*** ez a kiadás tartalmazza mind a százkét fóliót segítőábrákkal a kötet felépítéséről recto és verso számozással a könnyebb azonosításhoz viszont az oldalak mérete valamivel kisebb mint a kézirat oldalai annak azért jobban örültem volna ha egy eredetibb kiadást tarthatok a kezemben a kihajtható ívekkel egyetemben de így is igazán különleges érzés egy könyvtörténeti jelentőségű művet kézben forgatni talán ezen kötet limitált kiadása is ezt próbálja érzékeltetni
October 25, 2019
3 stars for the intro & foreword.
I wanted to read this for the introductory material to the manuscript, as I just wanted a general overview history at the moment, and it this definitely met the criteria! The foreword and introduction, all by scholars who have extensively studied the Voynich Manuscript, provide a succinct breakdown what the manuscript possibly is, its provenance and decipherment attempts, and prominent highlights of the manuscript's content.
The majority of the book, of course, consists of the photographs/scans of the entire manuscript itself. I did find the quality of these photos to be somewhat blurry; however, I'm not sure if this was due to this being an ARC, my screen resolution, the fact that the manuscript is quite old, or a mixture of the above. I do hope it's clearer in the print edition. This is also something that lends itself almost solely to a print edition, as a digital copy doesn't lend itself very well to casually flipping through it. I did love that each page was accompanied by a small diagram of the quarto that it's a part of. While these diagrams can get a bit confusing when it comes to the fold out pages, I still thought it was a nice touch. I do wish that there would have been annotations throughout--it would have made this a truly indispensable work then.
It's still an excellent introduction to the Voynich Manuscript for anyone is is interested in learning about the basics.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy to review!
(Cross posted on my blog.)
I wanted to read this for the introductory material to the manuscript, as I just wanted a general overview history at the moment, and it this definitely met the criteria! The foreword and introduction, all by scholars who have extensively studied the Voynich Manuscript, provide a succinct breakdown what the manuscript possibly is, its provenance and decipherment attempts, and prominent highlights of the manuscript's content.
The majority of the book, of course, consists of the photographs/scans of the entire manuscript itself. I did find the quality of these photos to be somewhat blurry; however, I'm not sure if this was due to this being an ARC, my screen resolution, the fact that the manuscript is quite old, or a mixture of the above. I do hope it's clearer in the print edition. This is also something that lends itself almost solely to a print edition, as a digital copy doesn't lend itself very well to casually flipping through it. I did love that each page was accompanied by a small diagram of the quarto that it's a part of. While these diagrams can get a bit confusing when it comes to the fold out pages, I still thought it was a nice touch. I do wish that there would have been annotations throughout--it would have made this a truly indispensable work then.
It's still an excellent introduction to the Voynich Manuscript for anyone is is interested in learning about the basics.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy to review!
(Cross posted on my blog.)
November 8, 2017
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.]
I discovered the Voynich Manuscript sometime last year, and since then have been intrigued by it, both its text and illustrations.
Most of the book is devoted to scans and photos of the manuscript’s pages. In that regard, while I got a PDF copy here, but I definitely recommend a paper one to fully appreciate those since the illustrations in the PDF were a little blurry, perhaps because it was an ARC and not the final, sold version (I’d get such a copy myself if I had enough space to keep physical books). A paper copy also lends itself more easily to going back and forth between photos and the introduction & commentary, at the beginning of the book, and I think being able to do that is a must-have here. Finally, for want of deciphering the Voynich, being able to admire and contemplate its content is part of the pleasure, after all—so, paper all the way. (I do hope it’s printed on some nifty glossy paper with a very nice smell; yes, I sniff books, I’m liable not to buy one if it literally stinks.)
Speaking of the introduction, I found it really interesting, regarding the manuscript’s history but also the many interpretations, and descriptions of specific illustrations and why exactly they’re puzzling (such as the one with women bathing in an intestine-like shape—I learnt something new about what that may represent, and further than that, if it’s the right interpretation, what it reveals about the manuscript’s author).
The manuscript itself... Fascinating ‘gibberish’, I wish I had more abilities in deciphering, for I would fail for sure, but at least I might have more of an insight about where to possibly start? It doesn’t seem based on a European language, at least not an alphabetic one, and is thought to rely on a syllabic system. Was it an entirely created language?
I do hope someone will one day fully decrypt it. Preferably while I’m still alive to see it.
Conclusion: 4 stars (well, 3 for an ebook version because you can’t leaf through as easily, but I’m nitpicking).
I discovered the Voynich Manuscript sometime last year, and since then have been intrigued by it, both its text and illustrations.
Most of the book is devoted to scans and photos of the manuscript’s pages. In that regard, while I got a PDF copy here, but I definitely recommend a paper one to fully appreciate those since the illustrations in the PDF were a little blurry, perhaps because it was an ARC and not the final, sold version (I’d get such a copy myself if I had enough space to keep physical books). A paper copy also lends itself more easily to going back and forth between photos and the introduction & commentary, at the beginning of the book, and I think being able to do that is a must-have here. Finally, for want of deciphering the Voynich, being able to admire and contemplate its content is part of the pleasure, after all—so, paper all the way. (I do hope it’s printed on some nifty glossy paper with a very nice smell; yes, I sniff books, I’m liable not to buy one if it literally stinks.)
Speaking of the introduction, I found it really interesting, regarding the manuscript’s history but also the many interpretations, and descriptions of specific illustrations and why exactly they’re puzzling (such as the one with women bathing in an intestine-like shape—I learnt something new about what that may represent, and further than that, if it’s the right interpretation, what it reveals about the manuscript’s author).
The manuscript itself... Fascinating ‘gibberish’, I wish I had more abilities in deciphering, for I would fail for sure, but at least I might have more of an insight about where to possibly start? It doesn’t seem based on a European language, at least not an alphabetic one, and is thought to rely on a syllabic system. Was it an entirely created language?
I do hope someone will one day fully decrypt it. Preferably while I’m still alive to see it.
Conclusion: 4 stars (well, 3 for an ebook version because you can’t leaf through as easily, but I’m nitpicking).
July 31, 2017
This was so interesting! I'd heard of the Voynich manuscript briefly before, but I had no idea of its history, or how beautiful it was. This is a really high quality scan of the entire codex, including the beautiful illustrations and code. I'm absolutely fascinated, and it's killing me that we might never know what it says.
I'm especially intrigued that it seems to be a botanical guide, but we can't identify what the plants are - which implies that plants have adapted and evolved so much since this was written in the 15th century that the drawings are now unrecognisable. Incredible.
I'm especially intrigued that it seems to be a botanical guide, but we can't identify what the plants are - which implies that plants have adapted and evolved so much since this was written in the 15th century that the drawings are now unrecognisable. Incredible.
October 7, 2019
The manuscript itself is fascinating. The rating is for the front matter, which I found disappointing: it was so short that the Wikipedia article is more informative and illuminating. I suppose that wasn't the main point of this publication, but I expected more.
June 29, 2017
I've always wanted to see the whole of the Voynich manuscript collected into one book. I've seen some of the manuscript on online pictures. But it is always much better to see something so unique collected into one book. The foreword and introduction are really good. I especially like that the introduction is so thorough, but at the same time short enough that it is esay to remember while looking and trying to decipher the manuscript itself.
I was fortunate enough that the publisher let me read an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was fortunate enough that the publisher let me read an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2017
The manuscript itself is fascinating. The foreword is interesting and concise, albeit non-sufficient for the truly curious.
Long story short: circa 15th century; Germanic origin (Austria or northern Italy); later on, it was studied by Jesuit priests and scholars in Prague; bought by a Polish antiquarian Voynich around WWI; the language is not similar to any living language, except maybe for monosyllabic languages of East Asia and no computer specialized for ciphers was able to crack it thus far.
Long story short: circa 15th century; Germanic origin (Austria or northern Italy); later on, it was studied by Jesuit priests and scholars in Prague; bought by a Polish antiquarian Voynich around WWI; the language is not similar to any living language, except maybe for monosyllabic languages of East Asia and no computer specialized for ciphers was able to crack it thus far.
June 27, 2017
Having heard of this manuscript some time ago, I was keen to see it for myself. This edition offers an interesting Foreword by Dr. Skinner and an excellent Introduction by Dr Prinke and Dr Zandbergen. Both of these are vital since they illuminate what is known about the text and, more importantly, what isn't. Without reading these first, you would have no idea what you were looking at when you turn to the manuscript itself. As for the latter, it is obviously unreadable, but it is fascinating to flick through the pages and view the illustrations and text. I recommend this to readers interested in historic documents and those fascinated by cryptography.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley.
June 23, 2017
A high-quality reproduction of the Voynich Manuscript, that mysterious and still to this day undeciphered 15th or 16th century manuscript that has so fascinated its readers for so long. And I too am now fascinated by it! These new photographs of the original have been beautifully and clearly reproduced so that the book is a joy to “read”. I received the e-book version from NetGalley, but it’s very much a book I would love to have in hard-copy. The introductory information is informative and very useful, and the whole publication is a delight.
January 3, 2019
Si tratta di un'edizione di gran pregio e di gran formato, contenente le foto di ogni pagina del codice MS 408, risalente ai primi del '400...
http://www.piegodilibri.it/libri-disp...
http://www.piegodilibri.it/libri-disp...
December 29, 2020
Il Manoscritto Voynich è un mistero, un enigma che nessuno è riuscito davvero a risolvere.
Si sono fatte le più svariate ipotesi, sulla base dei disegni, dei materiali, dell'analisi degli inchiostri, della scrittura.
Ma il contenuto resta oscuro. Ha sfidato lettori, studiosi, esoteristi, appassionati e curiosi attraverso i secoli e li sfida ancora di più oggi.
Nemmeno sofisticati programmi informatici, crittologli e crittografi di tutto il mondo ne vengono a capo.
Qualcosa, però si intuisce o
si sa, con un certo grado di precisione.
I contenuti: una parte potrebbe essere un erbario, un'altra di astronomia , e l'ultima - che termina con una preghiera o un incantesimo (suggestivo, vero?) - resta più oscura.
Ignoto l'autore: Leonardo da Vinci? Extraterrestri? Un pazzo? Un uomo di origine ebrea del nord Italia? Nessuno lo sa.
I caratteri sono in una lingua sconosciuta, pertanto la grande domanda è : di cosa parla questo testo? È stato scritto con un codice cifrato e quindi, anche riuscendo a tradurlo, impossibile da capire?
Addirittura c'è chi, come Terence McKenna, solleva un interessante quesito : e se non si riuscisse a comprendere perché contiene elementi che le nostre menti moderne non sono più in grado di vedere?
Questi 116 folii, a cui mancano alcune pagine (perché? Chi le ha tolte?.. Domande su domande!!), scritti probabilmente nel XV secolo e conservati a Yale, sono stupendi. E Bompiani offre una loro scansione a colori, come se stessimo leggendo l'originale (ma da bibliofila quale sono, nessuna scansione sarà come l'originale, anche se apprezzo tanto questo volume).
È straordinario. E stuzzica la curiosità, sollecita la fantasia.
Ha viaggiato di mano in mano, attraverso il tempo e lo spazio, per finire a Yale e senza dirci niente.
E come non pensare all' Adelina creata dalla penna di Desy Icardi?Lei, e solo lei, per ora saprebbe svelar l'arcano.
Per ora possiamo accontentarci delle scoperte fatte, approfondire gli studi e consultare il sito www.voiynich.nu
A me, però, piace pensare che, grazie al suo alone di mistero, possiamo anche continuare a sognare e volare con la fantasia.
Ed è questo il bello!
Sia che siate esperti studiosi del libro, bibliofili o semplici curiosi: buona lettura!
4 stelle e alla prossima!!
Si sono fatte le più svariate ipotesi, sulla base dei disegni, dei materiali, dell'analisi degli inchiostri, della scrittura.
Ma il contenuto resta oscuro. Ha sfidato lettori, studiosi, esoteristi, appassionati e curiosi attraverso i secoli e li sfida ancora di più oggi.
Nemmeno sofisticati programmi informatici, crittologli e crittografi di tutto il mondo ne vengono a capo.
Qualcosa, però si intuisce o
si sa, con un certo grado di precisione.
I contenuti: una parte potrebbe essere un erbario, un'altra di astronomia , e l'ultima - che termina con una preghiera o un incantesimo (suggestivo, vero?) - resta più oscura.
Ignoto l'autore: Leonardo da Vinci? Extraterrestri? Un pazzo? Un uomo di origine ebrea del nord Italia? Nessuno lo sa.
I caratteri sono in una lingua sconosciuta, pertanto la grande domanda è : di cosa parla questo testo? È stato scritto con un codice cifrato e quindi, anche riuscendo a tradurlo, impossibile da capire?
Addirittura c'è chi, come Terence McKenna, solleva un interessante quesito : e se non si riuscisse a comprendere perché contiene elementi che le nostre menti moderne non sono più in grado di vedere?
Questi 116 folii, a cui mancano alcune pagine (perché? Chi le ha tolte?.. Domande su domande!!), scritti probabilmente nel XV secolo e conservati a Yale, sono stupendi. E Bompiani offre una loro scansione a colori, come se stessimo leggendo l'originale (ma da bibliofila quale sono, nessuna scansione sarà come l'originale, anche se apprezzo tanto questo volume).
È straordinario. E stuzzica la curiosità, sollecita la fantasia.
Ha viaggiato di mano in mano, attraverso il tempo e lo spazio, per finire a Yale e senza dirci niente.
E come non pensare all' Adelina creata dalla penna di Desy Icardi?Lei, e solo lei, per ora saprebbe svelar l'arcano.
Per ora possiamo accontentarci delle scoperte fatte, approfondire gli studi e consultare il sito www.voiynich.nu
A me, però, piace pensare che, grazie al suo alone di mistero, possiamo anche continuare a sognare e volare con la fantasia.
Ed è questo il bello!
Sia che siate esperti studiosi del libro, bibliofili o semplici curiosi: buona lettura!
4 stelle e alla prossima!!
August 17, 2017
Well, that was a bit of an anti-climax, although I'm not quite sure what I was expecting -- a sudden, complete translation, that I'd look at it and my background in mathematics and cryptography would just reveal everything to me, even though clever mathematicians and cryptographers than myself have tried? I guess, yes, a little. In any case, my copy from Netgalley was fairly pixelated and impossible to make out the individual "letters", so even if I'd been visited by an expected bit of genius, it wouldn't have mattered much. So yeah, I did not crack the code.
There's an intro and historical overview, not going as in depth into the math and statistical analysis as I would have liked. It was interesting, but didn't tell me much more than I already knew. The pictograms on the bottoms of the pages in the actual manuscript, telling you where in each folio each page went, or how it was laid out on the fold-out pages, was helpful. But, in the end, like in my last book review, I wanted this to be a coffee-table book, not a blurry collection of squiggles on my ipad.
The Voynich Manuscript by ? went on sale August 15, 2017.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
(I have put that I want to connect with the author on Netgalley, who has yet to set up any seances for me with regards to dead authors.)
There's an intro and historical overview, not going as in depth into the math and statistical analysis as I would have liked. It was interesting, but didn't tell me much more than I already knew. The pictograms on the bottoms of the pages in the actual manuscript, telling you where in each folio each page went, or how it was laid out on the fold-out pages, was helpful. But, in the end, like in my last book review, I wanted this to be a coffee-table book, not a blurry collection of squiggles on my ipad.
The Voynich Manuscript by ? went on sale August 15, 2017.
I received a copy free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
(I have put that I want to connect with the author on Netgalley, who has yet to set up any seances for me with regards to dead authors.)
September 14, 2017
Not sure how to classify "reading" this as most of it is pictoral but it's on my read shelf anyways. 40 pages of clear introduction/explanation. Not as in depth as I would have liked, seems to presume some level of knowledge on readers part rather than going in blind. Having said that a quick google could clear things up and it does have a wonderful bibliography inclung websites fo further reading.
Points out some areas of interest with page references to enable flipping back and forth (I could not have read as an Ebook and would not recommend it in that format) . Wouls have liked the scanned pages to have annotations and highlights next to them. Would really have appreciated some pointing out on pages of "Key areas". Also could have benefited from possible and supposed ideas on the pages (E.g. it has been suggested that this plant could be a ...)
Book is beautifully bound the cover draws attention the way a coffee table/art book should. Great for a conversation starter.
Some illustrations that leapt out at me or intrigued me-
The little dragon/lizard creature eating the leaf on f.25.v
The unhappy faces on the root system of f.33.r
The four unidentifiable (to me) animals drinking the ladies/mermaids water(?) f.79.v
I am in no way shape or form a Biologist, Cryptogropher, English scholar or Astronomer but I found this book to be very thought provoking. The Zodiac pages were the ones that I would most love to be deciphered.
I recieved this book as a give away but this is my freely given opinion and was in no way effected.
(If I made any spelling, grammatical or terminological mistakes please forgive me I am just a book lover reviewing for fun)
Points out some areas of interest with page references to enable flipping back and forth (I could not have read as an Ebook and would not recommend it in that format) . Wouls have liked the scanned pages to have annotations and highlights next to them. Would really have appreciated some pointing out on pages of "Key areas". Also could have benefited from possible and supposed ideas on the pages (E.g. it has been suggested that this plant could be a ...)
Book is beautifully bound the cover draws attention the way a coffee table/art book should. Great for a conversation starter.
Some illustrations that leapt out at me or intrigued me-
The little dragon/lizard creature eating the leaf on f.25.v
The unhappy faces on the root system of f.33.r
The four unidentifiable (to me) animals drinking the ladies/mermaids water(?) f.79.v
I am in no way shape or form a Biologist, Cryptogropher, English scholar or Astronomer but I found this book to be very thought provoking. The Zodiac pages were the ones that I would most love to be deciphered.
I recieved this book as a give away but this is my freely given opinion and was in no way effected.
(If I made any spelling, grammatical or terminological mistakes please forgive me I am just a book lover reviewing for fun)
July 29, 2017
The Voynich Manuscript is one of the world's biggest-known mysteries - a medieval text that remains to this day very hard to understand, however close it sticks to the herbalist books, guides to the stars and almanacs of its day. The coloured artworks of the flowers look alien and incorrect, and the script is something nobody can successfully claim to have deciphered.
I was really happy to at last see the full Manuscript as an ebook, and not a website - although I will have to let you down, I couldn't work it out. Not one jot of it. Certainly the book itself would seem to be in rather poor condition, with chunks out of some pages, and blowing up the script on netgalley didn't make it terribly clear, even if one were ever able to read it. The introduction contains just as much as we know (or don't) about it that the common reader would be interested in, although the reverse chronology of its ownership was perhaps a little too scholarly. and awkward. And while there is a place in the market for an annotated volume, so much of that would be down to the editor's own guesswork, so perhaps the plain representation as seen here is the best option. Certainly my eyes were opened by the multi-page spreads, and I don't think I've ever seen any of the bathing(?) pages before. Seeing it all goes nowhere towards diluting the mystery, so I'd recommend everyone peruse this enigma before it's solved.
I was really happy to at last see the full Manuscript as an ebook, and not a website - although I will have to let you down, I couldn't work it out. Not one jot of it. Certainly the book itself would seem to be in rather poor condition, with chunks out of some pages, and blowing up the script on netgalley didn't make it terribly clear, even if one were ever able to read it. The introduction contains just as much as we know (or don't) about it that the common reader would be interested in, although the reverse chronology of its ownership was perhaps a little too scholarly. and awkward. And while there is a place in the market for an annotated volume, so much of that would be down to the editor's own guesswork, so perhaps the plain representation as seen here is the best option. Certainly my eyes were opened by the multi-page spreads, and I don't think I've ever seen any of the bathing(?) pages before. Seeing it all goes nowhere towards diluting the mystery, so I'd recommend everyone peruse this enigma before it's solved.
January 20, 2023
Much of the foreword and the information written in the book (that's modern print) I already knew. I wouldn't have picked this up if I didn't know what it was. But it does go through the history of the manuscript, majority of ideas and attempts at decoding it, including failures and fantasies, and gives a good description of what the manuscript consists of. That's about one eighth of the volume, the rest are high quality scans of the manuscript pages with a guide on how it was put together - with special notes on the fold out pages.
It's frankly fantastic to be able to look at it even in reproduction and I'm grateful and happy to see a thing like this in print. The cosmological drawings, the botany, circles within circles illustrating astronomy and the mix of science and magic that was the philosopher's lot of the 15th century.
It's frankly fantastic to be able to look at it even in reproduction and I'm grateful and happy to see a thing like this in print. The cosmological drawings, the botany, circles within circles illustrating astronomy and the mix of science and magic that was the philosopher's lot of the 15th century.
November 13, 2017
I received this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I actually expected more attempts at offering translations for the codex. Skinner, Prinke and Zandbergen do offer a brief summarized analysis of the leading theories surrounding the Voynich Manuscript, but they do not delve any further than that. I did like the fact that they included the full manuscript for readers to get a glimpse of this linguistic conundrum however the images are still unclear and one cannot appreciate the writing or attempt to decipher them. If you want a brief introduction as to what the Voynich Manuscript then this book is perfect; however, if you are searching for a deeper analysis to aid you on your quest to decipherment then this is not the book for you.
I actually expected more attempts at offering translations for the codex. Skinner, Prinke and Zandbergen do offer a brief summarized analysis of the leading theories surrounding the Voynich Manuscript, but they do not delve any further than that. I did like the fact that they included the full manuscript for readers to get a glimpse of this linguistic conundrum however the images are still unclear and one cannot appreciate the writing or attempt to decipher them. If you want a brief introduction as to what the Voynich Manuscript then this book is perfect; however, if you are searching for a deeper analysis to aid you on your quest to decipherment then this is not the book for you.
June 3, 2023
Dura da circa 600 anni questo mistero: la lingua (o le lingue o i dialetti) in cui è scritto questo manoscritto del XV secolo è ancora oggi indecifrabile, nonostante ci abbiano profusamente provato decrittatori, filologi, linguisti, glottologi, esperti di linguaggi di programmazione ecc. Insomma, probabilmente il suo autore (tralasciando le ipotesi fantasiose che vorrebbero che fosse Bacon o Leonardo) era un italiano (forse di origine ebraica) del XV secolo, esperto di erboristeria, medicina, astronomia, alchimia, che stese un breviario a suo uso e consumo.
L'edizione Bompiani è eccellente: riproduce fotograficamente ogni pagina della pergamena originale in folio, comprese le pagine doppie o quadruple presenti nell'originale.
L'edizione Bompiani è eccellente: riproduce fotograficamente ogni pagina della pergamena originale in folio, comprese le pagine doppie o quadruple presenti nell'originale.
June 3, 2018
I received a PDF version of this via NetGalley and it was something I was really looking forward to. First, I had problems getting it to even open. When I finally was able to get into it, I found it to be filled with blurry images. I hope the actual book has better quality but I wouldn't purchase it without knowing for sure. I did find the additional information included by Dr. Skinner to be very interesting and I found it rather frustrating, feeling as though I wasn't able to appreciate the book as it was intended. If you are a fan of cryptology or the occult, I think it would be well worth your time to read it.
September 19, 2022
The Voynich Manuscript (named for the bookseller who rediscovered it and made it famous) is a mysterious codex presumably from 15th Century Germany or Northern Italy. It's made up of mostly botanical and astrological/astromical illustration accompanied by text in an unknown language/code/script. This book (which based on other comments is better in print than digitally) contains a basic overview of the book's history and attempts to decode the book. Then, it presents the book in its existing entirety with full-color scans of each page. A great introduction to the mysterious codex and a great potential conversation piece.
March 24, 2019
Excellent, if frustrating.
The Voynich Manuscript is an illustrated mediaeval text. Written in a unique alphabet in an unknown language, many attempts have been made to translate it, but nobody has succeeded. So reading the text of the manuscript itself is impossible. However, the 30 page introduction gives an interesting history of the manuscript and theories about who made it and what it says. The illustrations have been criticised for being clumsy but I though they were rather beautiful. A really good acquisition for anyone interested in mediaeval art and mysteries.
The Voynich Manuscript is an illustrated mediaeval text. Written in a unique alphabet in an unknown language, many attempts have been made to translate it, but nobody has succeeded. So reading the text of the manuscript itself is impossible. However, the 30 page introduction gives an interesting history of the manuscript and theories about who made it and what it says. The illustrations have been criticised for being clumsy but I though they were rather beautiful. A really good acquisition for anyone interested in mediaeval art and mysteries.
October 16, 2025
This was so interesting! I'd heard of the Voynich manuscript briefly before, but I had no idea of its history, or how beautiful it was. This is a really high quality scan of the entire codex, including the beautiful illustrations and code. I'm absolutely fascinated, and it's killing me that we might never know what it says.
I'm especially intrigued that it seems to be a botanical guide, but we can't identify what the plants are - which implies that plants have adapted and evolved so much since this was written in the 15th century that the drawings are now unrecognisable. Incredible.
I'm especially intrigued that it seems to be a botanical guide, but we can't identify what the plants are - which implies that plants have adapted and evolved so much since this was written in the 15th century that the drawings are now unrecognisable. Incredible.
June 15, 2018
This is what I get when I pick a book on a whim. It was literally a ~20 page introduction, and then a copy of the entire manuscript. If you're unfamiliar with the manuscript it would probably be a lot more interesting, but I already had seen a lot of the pages. The introduction however was quite good, the exact kind of non fiction writing I like. Maybe it would make a good coffee table book? I don't know.
January 12, 2021
3.5
Ok, dopo aver letto l’analisi ho dovuto ricredermi: non si tratta di un testo deturpato da qualche bambino incline a colorare. Ma ne ho elaborata un’altra, forse più realistica.
Immaginate se questo manoscritto è stato stilato da uno studente che non voleva condividere i propri appunti e quindi si è inventato un alfabeto tutto suo? Insomma, c’erano problemi di copyright anche a quei tempi, per cui non mi stupisco.
Comunque sia, rimane un manoscritto misterioso e affascinante.
Ok, dopo aver letto l’analisi ho dovuto ricredermi: non si tratta di un testo deturpato da qualche bambino incline a colorare. Ma ne ho elaborata un’altra, forse più realistica.
Immaginate se questo manoscritto è stato stilato da uno studente che non voleva condividere i propri appunti e quindi si è inventato un alfabeto tutto suo? Insomma, c’erano problemi di copyright anche a quei tempi, per cui non mi stupisco.
Comunque sia, rimane un manoscritto misterioso e affascinante.
August 23, 2025
Per chi ama il mondo dei manoscritti e delle scoperte, per chi non si arrende dinanzi a ostacoli intellettivi e non accetta banali spiegazioni. Il libro più misterioso al mondo, ancora indecifrato e che pone a studiosi di diversi ambiti moltissimi quesiti e nessuna risposta certa, qualche supposizione e ancora nuove domande. Consigliato a tutte le persone curiose!
August 24, 2017
A very short introduction with some background history and theories accompanies a full color reproduction of the manuscript.
The manuscript itself is a strange, mysterious volume that feels like both magical fantasy and early science.
The manuscript itself is a strange, mysterious volume that feels like both magical fantasy and early science.
June 23, 2021
A very good book, trying to explain what can't be explained from this mystery manuscript.
Contains introductions from different experts, and then the complete thing on full colour pages.
Contains introductions from different experts, and then the complete thing on full colour pages.
October 19, 2024
no entendí niuna wea
August 1, 2025
I don’t know why people say they can’t understand this. Made perfect sense to me. Learned so much from this, would highly recommend.
August 23, 2017
I spent the last four years of my life studying medieval English literature so naturally I have a rather unhealthy appetite for and obsession with medieval manuscripts. Usually I tend to keep my eye out for books on Anglo-Saxon manuscripts specifically, but a few years ago I first read about The Voynich Manuscript and the utter mystery it still is, and how was I supposed to resist that? So when I saw Watkins Publishing had a new edition coming out I was thrilled. Thanks to Watkins Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Voynich Manuscript is split into, roughly, three sections. The first is a foreword by Dr. Stephen Skinner, where he briefly introduces the make up of the MS and how The Voynich Manuscript came about. The manuscript itself has 5 identified sections: a herbal section, a cosmological section (my favourite), a section showing women bathing (it's not quite as weird as it sounds actually), a pharmaceutical section, and a textual section.
This is followed by an introduction by Dr. Rafal T. Prinke and Dr. René Zandbergen, who dig more deeply into the Manuscript and its history itself, such as its unique alphabet, its different sections and its provenance. Since this is in my field of interest, I was fascinated to read about the history they attempt to establish for the manuscript, as well as the different studies and claims that have been made about the MS. Often with MSS like these, it is almost more important what definitely isn't true than what is. So that Leonardo da Vinci is not the author is a key finding, in a way. So in the case of The Voynich Manuscript, reading the Foreword and Introduction are a must. Not only are they interesting, they are also important to understanding and appreciating what you're about to see.
After tThe Foreword and Introduction comes the reproduction of the MS itself. I absolutely loved poring over these pages. Although the illustrations are, by medieval standards, relatively simply and even amateurish, they are still stunning and fascinating. I especially loved the cosmological section (see the image to the right below) with its star rosettas and much more. The section on women bathing was also really interesting and I would love to tell you what conclusion Skinner, Prinke and Zandbergen drew from this, but for that you should truly read The Voynich Manuscript yourself. Of course I also tried my hand at figuring out any of the writing but failed miserably at even the smallest "word". Not that I will give up, I will be pouring over The Voynich Manuscript for a very long time.
The Voynich Manuscript is an 'in between'-kind of book. On the one hand it is clearly academic in nature, a reproduction of an obscure medieval manuscript. On the other hand, Skinner, Prinke and Zandbergen seem to have done their best to make it accessible to every kind of audience. I have read student textbooks more obstinately confusing than The Voynich Book, whose Foreword and Introduction do its best to set up a novice reader with some of the knowledge and background they will need to truly enjoy the MS that follows. Their writing is clear and precise, to the point and not filled with academic jargon. This means that it is not just a special interest book, but is open to the wider public that may have an interest in history or manuscripts. Since Watkins Publishing was kind enough to send me a physical copy of the book I simply have to talk about the layout of the book for a second. The reproduction of the folios are very clear and you can really see detail on the page. Also, at the bottom of each page they show the reader where in the manuscript they are. A folio is one page of parchment, which is then marked either as r for recto (the front) or v for verso (the reverse). As the book reproduces the MS page by page, the different leaves are referred to as f1r, f1v, f2r, f2r, etc. They also show which quire you're on. A quire is four sheets, or bifolios, folded together which makes for 8 pages. The Voynich Manuscript treats its source material with care and clearly put a lot of effort into letting the reader get as close to the manuscript as possible.
I absolutely adore The Voynich Manuscript. It is a beautifully rendered reproduction of one of the most continuously puzzling manuscripts to have come out of Eastern Europe. Skinner, Prinke and Zandbergen treat the manuscript with respect and guide the novice reader into the MS's secrets as well as they can. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in manuscripts and medieval history.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2...
The Voynich Manuscript is split into, roughly, three sections. The first is a foreword by Dr. Stephen Skinner, where he briefly introduces the make up of the MS and how The Voynich Manuscript came about. The manuscript itself has 5 identified sections: a herbal section, a cosmological section (my favourite), a section showing women bathing (it's not quite as weird as it sounds actually), a pharmaceutical section, and a textual section.
This is followed by an introduction by Dr. Rafal T. Prinke and Dr. René Zandbergen, who dig more deeply into the Manuscript and its history itself, such as its unique alphabet, its different sections and its provenance. Since this is in my field of interest, I was fascinated to read about the history they attempt to establish for the manuscript, as well as the different studies and claims that have been made about the MS. Often with MSS like these, it is almost more important what definitely isn't true than what is. So that Leonardo da Vinci is not the author is a key finding, in a way. So in the case of The Voynich Manuscript, reading the Foreword and Introduction are a must. Not only are they interesting, they are also important to understanding and appreciating what you're about to see.
After tThe Foreword and Introduction comes the reproduction of the MS itself. I absolutely loved poring over these pages. Although the illustrations are, by medieval standards, relatively simply and even amateurish, they are still stunning and fascinating. I especially loved the cosmological section (see the image to the right below) with its star rosettas and much more. The section on women bathing was also really interesting and I would love to tell you what conclusion Skinner, Prinke and Zandbergen drew from this, but for that you should truly read The Voynich Manuscript yourself. Of course I also tried my hand at figuring out any of the writing but failed miserably at even the smallest "word". Not that I will give up, I will be pouring over The Voynich Manuscript for a very long time.
The Voynich Manuscript is an 'in between'-kind of book. On the one hand it is clearly academic in nature, a reproduction of an obscure medieval manuscript. On the other hand, Skinner, Prinke and Zandbergen seem to have done their best to make it accessible to every kind of audience. I have read student textbooks more obstinately confusing than The Voynich Book, whose Foreword and Introduction do its best to set up a novice reader with some of the knowledge and background they will need to truly enjoy the MS that follows. Their writing is clear and precise, to the point and not filled with academic jargon. This means that it is not just a special interest book, but is open to the wider public that may have an interest in history or manuscripts. Since Watkins Publishing was kind enough to send me a physical copy of the book I simply have to talk about the layout of the book for a second. The reproduction of the folios are very clear and you can really see detail on the page. Also, at the bottom of each page they show the reader where in the manuscript they are. A folio is one page of parchment, which is then marked either as r for recto (the front) or v for verso (the reverse). As the book reproduces the MS page by page, the different leaves are referred to as f1r, f1v, f2r, f2r, etc. They also show which quire you're on. A quire is four sheets, or bifolios, folded together which makes for 8 pages. The Voynich Manuscript treats its source material with care and clearly put a lot of effort into letting the reader get as close to the manuscript as possible.
I absolutely adore The Voynich Manuscript. It is a beautifully rendered reproduction of one of the most continuously puzzling manuscripts to have come out of Eastern Europe. Skinner, Prinke and Zandbergen treat the manuscript with respect and guide the novice reader into the MS's secrets as well as they can. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in manuscripts and medieval history.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2...
March 1, 2019
Bellissima raccolta di illustrazioni surreali di piante e animali. Ovviamente testo illeggibile.
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