S.

This book/experience is one of the neatest experiences i have ever had. The finished product, in it's physical form, is amazing. It looks like a really old library book, down to almost every detail, inside and out. This is so much more well done than I could have imagined. The feel of reading the book is exactly what I wanted it to be. The actual story of the book is a very literature based one. It isn't immediately clear, even after finishing, the clear digression of the tale. The book requires analysis, thought, and consideration. The story itself has light-scifi/fantasy elements to it, though it is not overt through the book, and only when considered literally. Otherwise, it is a drama action tale, or maybe a tale of exploration, or maybe a spy thriller, or maybe something else entirely. The "Margin story" has elements of all of these as well, and would be much more clear and straightforward if it weren't for the method by which it is communicated. I want to be clear to define that the way I read the story was thus: I read the entire printed story straight through, including the footnotes, and I also read the pencil notes. I then went back and read the pen notes one "set" of colors at a time all the way through. I feel, for me, this is the superior method. My reasoning has to do with the Ship of Theseus itself. By reading it in this method, you take the "ship", in this case the book, and experience it 5 separate times. Each time you go through it, you experience different parts of it, even though it is the same book. When you get to the end of it the final time, you really can consider if it is the same book that it was when you started. I enjoyed reading it this way very much, and I think if I had tried any other method I would not have gotten the same experience. I like things linear though. Pros: This was a neat experience. The finished product is beautiful and amazing. The story is captivating and lovely. The inserts are interesting.This was a memorable experience I will remember for a long time. Cons: The inserts get really annoying on subsequent reads, falling out at bad times. There is a lot of this experience that can be found online, and for some this may make the book itself feel incomplete. The pen markings in the book are not chronological, so you might here about something that is happening "In real life" but not find out why for many chapters and then find something that comes before that event later in the book. Production con: Some of the pen mark in my book is faded in places. I honestly don't know if this was on purpose or a defect: perhaps it was indicating that actual pens do run out of ink? Overall, this was a great purchase, an interesting book to read, and something I may come back to in the future to try reading it again.

There is no easy way to describe S., the multilayered composite novel experience created by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, but it is undeniably brilliant and an absolute joy to explore. Like Mark Z. Danielewski’s brilliant House of Leaves, it is a book that refuses to be contained within the boundaries of its pages, with multiple levels of narrative that bleed into one another. Even more than House of Leaves, however, S. is a love letter to the physicality of real books as tangible objects, to be held and collected and admired and treasured- there is no way this book could work as an e-book, and that is not just snobbery. The reason for this is that S. is not just a book, but a multimedia artistic experience, a puzzle, and a layered narrative that the physical book itself is just one portion of. In fact, the book included in S. is not itself called S.; it is a book called Ship of Theseus by a man (or perhaps not a man) named V.M. Straka (except that may not be his real name). The book itself is weathered, and appears to have come from a public library, complete with a filing sticker on the spine and a stamped check out/return page in the back cover. From the “Translator’s Note and Forward” at beginning of the book we learn that Ship of Theseus was the final novel written by an enigmatic but prolific writer named V.M. Straka, whose true identity remained a mystery to all but a very few people- in this it seems Straka was at least partially based on B. Travens, author of Treasure of the Sierra Madre, whose true identity has never been uncovered. Straka was a literary genius, and his novels are full of symbolism and allusion that imbues his works with layers of meaning and opinion depending on the interpretation of the reader, much like Moby Dick. Luckily for us, the book is footnoted and annotated by the translator, F.X. Caldeira, which adds the second level to this metanarrative, as there is quite a bit of thoughtful interpretation and discourse by Caldeira, who appears to be nearly as enigmatic as Straka. Ship of Theseus, amazing enough, can stand on its own two feet even if it was the true story being told here. Someday I plan to read the novel by itself and ignore all of the other extraneous material and see what sort of literary takeaway I get. I will avoid spoilers, but at its barest essence, Ship of Theseus is about a man who is suffering from amnesia, who goes by the name of “S,” because when he woke up his only possession was a slip of paper with an ornate letter “S” written on it. He ends up shanghaied on the eponymous ship, whose terrifying and almost bestial crew seem to know something about him, and who often disappear below the decks to take part in some sort of secretive ritual. I won’t reveal any more of the plot, but it is very engaging and well written. In any event, this is the book you are reading, not S. This is because the physical book itself is only one part of the narrative. As previously mentioned, the annotations and footnotes by FXC make up another layer of the story, imposing a fictional literary universe that places the book in its conceptual parameters. The third layer is provided by handwritten notes in the margin in (at least) two different hands and five different colors of ink, in which two readers of the book are keeping up an ongoing correspondence. Eric is a disgraced university student who is obsessed with V.M. Straka and believes that clues to the author’s identity is hidden within Ship of Theseus- his original notes are written in pencil in the margins, and he has underlined certain passages. Since he is no longer a student at the college where the book was housed, he could not check it out anymore, but continues to study the book’s mysteries. Jen is a current student at the college who is also studying Ship of Theseus, and discovers Eric’s obsessive but brilliant notes. Realizing that they are ongoing, she “replies” to Eric’s notes, sparking an ongoing conversation between the two. Besides their different handwriting, Jen’s initial notes are in blue ink, Eric’s in black. Together they begin to try to tease out the book’s secrets. They make multiple passes through the book over the course of years, and the changing colors of ink mark the passage of time. In their second pass through the book, Jen writes in orange ink, Eric in green. Their third pass is marked by Jen writing in purple, Eric in red. Their final pass is the books “epilogue,” discussing strange events that have transpired for both of them, and both are written in black ink. And at certain times, notes are left by an unidentified third party who seems to be closely watching the pair and following their research. In addition to their notes, Jen and Eric are continuing their research in the “real world,” as represented by a number of very cool physical artifacts that are included in the book. These include computer printouts, personal letters written on university letterhead, postcards, newspaper clippings, notes written on napkins, handwritten letters, and even decryption wheel, to name but a few. These are part of the third level of the narrative between Jen and Eric, but add a level of physical reality and verisimilitude to the story. What it reminds me most of is the Griffin and Sabine “correspondences,” by Nick Bantock, a love story told entirely through handmade postcards, notes, and other creative physical notes and artifacts. But in S. these are more than just a nifty layer to the metanarrative. In many cases they are clues necessary to unravel the book’s many secrets. Because beyond the mystery of Straka’s identity and the relationship growing between Eric and Jen, there also seems to be a shadowy force that is watching the pair, and actively trying to keep them from unravelling the mystery, somehow tied to Straka, F.X. Caldiera, and the greater mystery of the enigma surrounding the author. The fourth and final layer of the narrative is the actual real world, for which you, the reader, are the cipher. You are not only reading Straka’s novel, FXC’s annotations and clues, and Jen and Eric’s attempts to unlock the puzzle posed by both, but are also being provided with clues that spill out into the real world, in particular the internet. There are names, companies, phone numbers, the names of cafés and other establishments mentioned by Jen and Eric, and so on that if searched for on the internet bring you to websites that provide you with further clues and take you deeper into the conspiracy. I must admit that while I find this both interesting and charming, I have not spent much time on this level of the narrative. While it is neat, and very much indicative of J.J. Abram’s influence on this level of the narrative, I just don’t have this kind of time to spend on a single novel, no matter how interesting it is. The nice thing is that even though this is a metanarrative on a number of levels, the whole thing is strong enough to stand on its own. Ship of Theseus stands on its own, but S. as a multimedia experience is the sum total of every level of the narrative. As of yet, I have only really experienced S. as contained within the physical boundaries of the book (which, by the way, comes within a slipcover that is sealed with a strip of paper, so that none of the materials inside can fall out, which is marked with J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst’s names, along with the picture of a capuchin monkey. Once you break that seal, the S. experience begins). Even without the viral marketing internet mystery level of the narrative, the first three layers of the metanarrative work perfectly well on their own- the fourth layer just makes the work open ended and tantalizingly ambiguous. I don’t think the ultimate “answer” to the enigma of S. is really out there on the internet, meaning it is a mystery without a solution and without an end. But that is okay, because in this case, the fun of the whole experience is in the journey, not the destination.

Reading The Ship of Theseus felt like embarking on a grand and mysterious adventure. I’ve already read it twice and I’m starting a third time, simply because of the multiple intertwined stories and the fascinating time jumps it contains. Each read reveals new insights that are truly incredible, making you feel like a detective piecing together hidden clues. It’s a book that challenges and rewards you, offering layers of meaning that keep drawing you back.

If you enjoy Secret History of Twin Peaks, the Pale King, Crying of Lot 49 you will love this, and if you love this definitely investigate those. Somewhere between Gravity's Rainbow and Invisible Man or Notes From the Underground, with mixed media components that rival anything I've witnessed assembled. The layered complexities of mystery and diversity of components and source material are reminiscent to classic visual novels series such as Higurashi or Umineko, also much in similar vein of the television series Strange Angel and the Lodge, innovative, unique and unforgettable, so glad a dear friend turned me on to this contemporary classic!

Well nothing much to say about this book that tiktok hasn’t covered already. I missed these books that comes with this little extra things to add to the story, and really made me feel as I was part of the history.

This may contain some spoilers of the book: just know you NEED to buy it if you are unsure. The inserts are much detailed and the notes on the edge resemble actual hand-writing, this is not a book but a literary masterpiece - regardless of its plot and/or style of the author, which one may or may not like. When I discovered this book I wasn't sure I was going to buy it because of its price, but then I just HAD to order it: I refused to settle for the e-book, for this is a book you need to have in your own hands. It requires a lot of concentration, because it has you connecting one story to another: while reading a sentence you are asked to stop and read the notes to it, then the notes to the notes, and then the related inserts, and so on. But it's totally worth it. At first I bought without even reading the plot: its format was unique and that was enough for me, but the more I read the more I loved it too. I liked how the book challenged me into understanding it, giving me hints, helpers, tools to solve the mystery it is. It's like you read Ship of Theseus and only once you've completed and understood it all - and the word around its author, you can say to have read S.

I sought out this book after learning that JJ Abrams was not only the creator of lost and EP of the latest Star Wars film, but also an author. Ok...so he's not exactly the author, but he is a critical and named part of the duo who conceived of and brought this marvel of a book to the masses. What's so great about it? Well, I'm only into the second chapter and am having a wonderful time. As a long, long, LONG time owner of a Kindle (2008), I have very limited contact with "BOOK" books anymore. This is the perfect antidote to the digital page and an ultimate reward for doing so. I remember falling in love with the "Griffin and Sabine" format 20 years ago, in which a story was meted out via simulated correspondence between the two lovers. The cool letters and pieces of paper were so tactile, so satisfying! So like snooping through old forgotten desk drawers and uncovering a hidden compartment. I also grew up under crystal clear governance about how to care for and respect a book: never write in it (except on the cover page to indicate ownership), never dog-ear the pages, don't get food smears on the pages, keep it out of the bath, etc.. So as a University student, I was even hesitant to highlight my textbooks or annotate in the margins. Now as an adult, I am thrilled to the core to hold this masterful, magical transport vehicle in my hands and struggle to read between the lines, to match the story that is happening in the margins with the story on the typeset page, to follow the mystery as it unfolds. Other reviewers have left tips within their reviews on how best to read and enjoy this creation. I will say that they are right and that I am following their advice. The wonderful, life-like clues and support resources that are folded within the pages of the books spill out (as such things do) and it's very convenient to devise a method to remove them while reading AND keep track of them in order. One reviewer suggested using page-numbered post-it notes to do so. I took that idea and am using post-it flags: remove item, affix numbered flag, add coloured flag to page in book, place item aside. Now I'm alerted by a flag while reading to unpack my stack of references and find the corresponding item. I then move the flag from the top of the book page to the side and know that I've passed it by. I have one clipped stack of used references and one of those I've yet to need. Another tip is to read the book in chunks, at first pass without trying to follow the footnotes and the annotations/references, then going back and reading the annotations. I agree with this and it has worked fantastically for me. I'm going chapter by chapter. SO. MUCH. FUN. I'm astonished at the creativity and intention that went into designing the book itself. From the library stamps on the cover and end leaves to the actual SMELL of the thing, it's a prop worthy of movies, films, and libraries. I love leaving it open on my bed or chair and seeing it there. It looks so loved, so intellectual, so old school. The clue/resources are varied and thoughtful. There is even a coffee /tea stain on a corner of one of the letters. If I were Abrams and Dorst, I would have cried tears of satisfaction and joy at seeing the first editions come off the presses. I may exaggerate, but it must be like the classical art forger (restorer?) who recreates a masterpiece down to the last authentic detail. Gift givers looking for something unusual and delightful to give book lovers and dedicated readers need look no further. I'm sure that with express shipping, you can still get this mind-blower of a present before Christmas. It's also available in a number of languages!

I haven't finished reading this book yet but wow what an amazing piece of art this is. It's so interactive and revolutionary. This novel has 3 stories within it (a story about the made up author who wrote the book, the actual story in the book, and a story about 2 people who communicate via writing inside of the book's margins). There are lots of "props" in the book like news paper articles, photographs, cards TONS! It's really super neat. Definitely recommend anyone picks this up. You will not regret it. I just wish there were more books like it out there as I am now addicted to these interactive novels lol.

Je ne vais pas critiquer le livre pour son contenu littéraire. Chacun peut se faire une idée en le lisant et personne n'a les mêmes appétences. La lecture est très différente (plus difficile?) d'un livre plus classique. Si vous commencer à lire les annotations et les cartes postales, coupures, etc... Vous cerrez que ça prend beaucoup de temps 😁 En revanche, l'objet qu'est ce livre le rends unique. Il y a plein de petites choses dans le livre, des annotations, des commentaires utiles ou pas. J'aime bien le feuilleter et voir des coupures de presse ou des lettres tomber d'entre ses pages. C'est un livre qui ne peut être apprécié que sous sa forme physique.