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The Maze: A Labyrinthine Compendium
Mazes have been a part of civilization for at least 4,000 years, and there are more being built now than ever before. What is it about these magical life-size puzzles that continues to intrigue us?
The idea of the maze taps into so many subconscious the game, the quest, the spiritual journey. Perhaps this is the key to their enduring appeal.
This beautifully illustrated book will delight lovers of mazes, acting as a guide, directory, and puzzle book combined. Specially commissioned illustrations by Thibaud Hérem represent 60 real and imagined mazes from around the world, with a bird's eye view of each maze so that readers can make their own journey. Each maze is also accompanied by a fascinating and witty short history.
The idea of the maze taps into so many subconscious the game, the quest, the spiritual journey. Perhaps this is the key to their enduring appeal.
This beautifully illustrated book will delight lovers of mazes, acting as a guide, directory, and puzzle book combined. Specially commissioned illustrations by Thibaud Hérem represent 60 real and imagined mazes from around the world, with a bird's eye view of each maze so that readers can make their own journey. Each maze is also accompanied by a fascinating and witty short history.
144 pages, Hardcover
Published September 25, 2018
6 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Kendra Wilson
21 booksKendra Wilson has contributed recently to: The Sunday Times, Gardens Illustrated, Guardian Weekend, Garden Design Journal, RHS The Garden, Vogue .
She has access to some of the most remarkable gardens in England, while dissecting them for the online publication Gardenista.
She has access to some of the most remarkable gardens in England, while dissecting them for the online publication Gardenista.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 5, 2022
This is a really good book about mazes, extant and vanished. Beautifully designed, with two or three pages on each maze; a scale drawing (impossible to resist running your finger through to see if you can solve it), only one or two of which I had trouble deciphering, and a precis of the historical background and the philosophical or religious or personal reasons why it was built.
It's just enough information, and without laboring to instruct, nonetheless leaves you a little the wiser. For instance, the difference between a maze and a labyrinth? May not be what you think. After all, the labyrinth everyone thinks of is the Minotaur's. However, it turns out, that was actually a maze. You can't get lost in a labyrinth; it leads you to the center and then right back out. A maze is the one you get lost in.
I really like this book. Makes me want to build a labyrinth of my own. There's one at Winterthur, a very simple one, just a series of stones, inscribed with images of herbs and words from a Navajo Beauty way prayer. I've walked it and small as it is, it's meditative. I've also watched children flying around it. laughing as they swoop near each other on different paths but never quite meet.
I had no idea how rooted in history that deceptively complex shape is.
It's just enough information, and without laboring to instruct, nonetheless leaves you a little the wiser. For instance, the difference between a maze and a labyrinth? May not be what you think. After all, the labyrinth everyone thinks of is the Minotaur's. However, it turns out, that was actually a maze. You can't get lost in a labyrinth; it leads you to the center and then right back out. A maze is the one you get lost in.
I really like this book. Makes me want to build a labyrinth of my own. There's one at Winterthur, a very simple one, just a series of stones, inscribed with images of herbs and words from a Navajo Beauty way prayer. I've walked it and small as it is, it's meditative. I've also watched children flying around it. laughing as they swoop near each other on different paths but never quite meet.
I had no idea how rooted in history that deceptively complex shape is.
June 26, 2021
I learned a lot in a beautifully designed book. It is well illustrated and the very bright green and black design is a very good way to focus your attention on the content. Sometimes each maze/labyrinth location is full of anecdotes that could be shorter or more related to the main topic.
September 12, 2019
a unique and wonderful book
November 14, 2022
A quick, beautiful reference on mazes & labyrinths. I would keep a copy around for reference.
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August 4, 2024Aesthetically pleasing. Nice book to have in your collection if you are fascinated by mazes
October 11, 2024
《迷宫大全集》 因为看的是PDF扫描版所以文字不清晰 ，很可惜了。里面记载了世界各地各个时代很多迷宫历史，并附有平面图。很喜欢。
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews