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Follow This Thread: A Maze Book to Get Lost In
Take an immersive journey into the labyrinthine world of mazes
Labyrinths are as old as humanity, the proving grounds of heroes, the paths of pilgrims, symbols of spiritual rebirth and pleasure gardens for pure entertainment. Henry Eliot, co-author of the acclaimed Curiocity, leads us on a twisting journey through the world of mazes, real and imagined, unravelling our ancient, abiding relationship with them and exploring why they continue to fascinate us, from Kafka and Kubrick to the myth of the Minotaur and a quest to solve the disappearance of the legendary Maze King. Are you ready to step inside?
Labyrinths are as old as humanity, the proving grounds of heroes, the paths of pilgrims, symbols of spiritual rebirth and pleasure gardens for pure entertainment. Henry Eliot, co-author of the acclaimed Curiocity, leads us on a twisting journey through the world of mazes, real and imagined, unravelling our ancient, abiding relationship with them and exploring why they continue to fascinate us, from Kafka and Kubrick to the myth of the Minotaur and a quest to solve the disappearance of the legendary Maze King. Are you ready to step inside?
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2018
26 people are currently reading
735 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
April 17, 2018
Follow this thread is about labyrinths and mazes. Really can¡¯t put it differently. Mazes however, are fascinating. Throughout history they have played an important role in myths, legends, popular culture, and our landscapes. Eliot takes you on a (quite literal!) journey through history to explore where our fascination with mazes comes from and why this fascination is still ever so present.
The author of this book, Henry Eliot, is creative editor at Penguin Classics. Now, I have to be completely honest and admit that I have no clue what exactly it is that you do as creative editor, but it sounds impressive and from experience I know that Penguin in general produces the most beautiful editions that do justice to the books in question. So, from just reading this my expectations where already up high.
Now, by far the coolest thing about this book is that it has a red thread running through it, from the very first till the very last page. The red thread is not simply gliding form page to page, but it creates unique illustrations on the go. Every so often you realize that the thread took you to turn the book completely around, as the positioning of the text goes along with it. This makes the book unique and artistic.
I think that most people who are a bit interested in non-fiction would appreciate this book as it is just fascinating to read how mazes have captivated our minds, gardens, and culture for hundreds of years. What is more is that Follow This Thread offers some insight in the mythology surrounding mazes, which is in turn interesting because they so often appear in various forms of media (Like Madeleine Miller¡¯s new book Circe).
In the end I was very satisfied with this book. At first it seemed like it would be something I was tempted to skip over if I came across it in a bookstore, but it proofed to be so interesting! If you are looking for an extraordinary book and have an interest in mazes, history and mythology, Follow This Thread is the way to go. I rate this book with 4 out of 5 stars.
I received this book from Particular Books in exchange for an honest review.
The author of this book, Henry Eliot, is creative editor at Penguin Classics. Now, I have to be completely honest and admit that I have no clue what exactly it is that you do as creative editor, but it sounds impressive and from experience I know that Penguin in general produces the most beautiful editions that do justice to the books in question. So, from just reading this my expectations where already up high.
Now, by far the coolest thing about this book is that it has a red thread running through it, from the very first till the very last page. The red thread is not simply gliding form page to page, but it creates unique illustrations on the go. Every so often you realize that the thread took you to turn the book completely around, as the positioning of the text goes along with it. This makes the book unique and artistic.
I think that most people who are a bit interested in non-fiction would appreciate this book as it is just fascinating to read how mazes have captivated our minds, gardens, and culture for hundreds of years. What is more is that Follow This Thread offers some insight in the mythology surrounding mazes, which is in turn interesting because they so often appear in various forms of media (Like Madeleine Miller¡¯s new book Circe).
In the end I was very satisfied with this book. At first it seemed like it would be something I was tempted to skip over if I came across it in a bookstore, but it proofed to be so interesting! If you are looking for an extraordinary book and have an interest in mazes, history and mythology, Follow This Thread is the way to go. I rate this book with 4 out of 5 stars.
I received this book from Particular Books in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2018
This was a fun and interesting read, and I would definitely recommend it for its unique approach and thin thread of information that feels almost like you're being let in on a secret, however I do find the book's design (requiring you to constantly swivel the thing around to read each page) a bit grating. More so as the book goes on. I liked it at first though. It was exciting.
It's a bit daring, fosters a nice sense of getting lost, and has charming art and layout, as well as text that weaves back and forth through Greek myth and exploring the history of mazes. It's a lovely, strange, helpless thing somehow.
The hopping back and forth makes this book feel a bit confused about what it wants to do. It wants to be an art book, a poetic love letter to classics, and a non-fiction look at mazes all at once, and to my mind it doesn't achieve all of these things with enough density. It's more of the first two, I'd say, but I'd be interested to enter the parallel universe in which it was only meant to be those two things. It could make for a better book. Still, a strange, light read to make you feel a bit dizzy on the train, and I did enjoy reading it.
Also tbh the page featuring a red thread line art depiction of Lara Croft kinda made me laugh (I love Tomb Raider though, so I was glad to see it mentioned).
It's a bit daring, fosters a nice sense of getting lost, and has charming art and layout, as well as text that weaves back and forth through Greek myth and exploring the history of mazes. It's a lovely, strange, helpless thing somehow.
The hopping back and forth makes this book feel a bit confused about what it wants to do. It wants to be an art book, a poetic love letter to classics, and a non-fiction look at mazes all at once, and to my mind it doesn't achieve all of these things with enough density. It's more of the first two, I'd say, but I'd be interested to enter the parallel universe in which it was only meant to be those two things. It could make for a better book. Still, a strange, light read to make you feel a bit dizzy on the train, and I did enjoy reading it.
Also tbh the page featuring a red thread line art depiction of Lara Croft kinda made me laugh (I love Tomb Raider though, so I was glad to see it mentioned).
December 5, 2021
The thread to follow is thin, and it¡¯s easy to get lost trying to learn about the history of mazes as the philosophy and mythical nature of them are tossed in randomly throughout, creating a jilted reading experience.
The rotating book gimmick is fun to begin with, but when the subject matter continues to change direction more times than you rotate the book, it becomes dizzyingly frustrating.
A missed opportunity for something wonderful.
The rotating book gimmick is fun to begin with, but when the subject matter continues to change direction more times than you rotate the book, it becomes dizzyingly frustrating.
A missed opportunity for something wonderful.
February 2, 2024
picked it up from the library because the formatting intrigued me (there are pages that are turned upside down, to the side, etc, and this bright red thread leading through every page) and I didn't quite believe that it belonged in nonfiction. however, I now think that categorization was correct! I think I would have enjoyed an audiobook version of this, or a video version, far more than the book-ish edition, it's something, a topic, that I would've watched a video essay about (my obsession with hour+ youtube videos has re-surged) and felt more engaged with. But I felt in book form that the storyline was clunky, and it was difficult for me to go back and forth from general maze-talk to more mythology/Greek talk, with no real parameters. perhaps my rating was also affected by my current ability to focus, sinus pressure and multi-day migraines really do tear ya down, what can I say.
March 3, 2019
A unique book in substance and execution, Follow This Thread is an experience more than just a read.
I have always been interested in mazes¡ªthere is something a little dangerous about them. You never know what you are going to find, or if you¡¯ll make it out the other side.
Using the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur as a framing narrative, Eliot tracks our human fascination with getting lost in labyrinths and mazes throughout history and across popular culture. He interviews great maze-makers, looking into the different principles of mazes and why and how they work on our psyche. He follows the thread of mazes in movies like The Shining and Pan¡¯s Labyrinth and in books like Alice in Wonderland.
While this book is definitely informative, what makes it a special journey of its own is the interior design. With art from Quibe, an artist known for his one-line drawings, the reader follows a single line across every page of the book, line Theseus in the den of the Minotaur. The line traces images and gives visual representations of the mazes being discussed.
But that¡¯s not all! The text itself turns into a maze, twisting and turning across the page, making the reader turn the book every which direction to follow the thread. It is really an experience!
My thanks to Crown Publishing for my copy of this book to read and review.
I have always been interested in mazes¡ªthere is something a little dangerous about them. You never know what you are going to find, or if you¡¯ll make it out the other side.
Using the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur as a framing narrative, Eliot tracks our human fascination with getting lost in labyrinths and mazes throughout history and across popular culture. He interviews great maze-makers, looking into the different principles of mazes and why and how they work on our psyche. He follows the thread of mazes in movies like The Shining and Pan¡¯s Labyrinth and in books like Alice in Wonderland.
While this book is definitely informative, what makes it a special journey of its own is the interior design. With art from Quibe, an artist known for his one-line drawings, the reader follows a single line across every page of the book, line Theseus in the den of the Minotaur. The line traces images and gives visual representations of the mazes being discussed.
But that¡¯s not all! The text itself turns into a maze, twisting and turning across the page, making the reader turn the book every which direction to follow the thread. It is really an experience!
My thanks to Crown Publishing for my copy of this book to read and review.
March 22, 2019
Quick, interesting, and fun read that winds you through some history, mythology, philosophy, and tradition surrounding mazes and labyrinths. The format in which it was written is highly engaging; you follow a single red thread across the pages which has you rotating the book as you read through the narrative which jumps from one interwoven topic to the next and back again to explore several grand metaphors implicit to mazes.
August 17, 2019
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January 7, 2021
i¡¯m CRAZY
September 8, 2020
Fun, whimsical book that follows mazes in many different forms fictional and in real life. Pretty quick read. Font goes in all different directions so people will think you crazy when you are holding the book upside down.
November 19, 2020
I loved the one-line drawings - of mazes & labyrinths, of characters and creatures from myths. It was fun tracing my finger through the mazes to find the correct route and getting stuck and having to find an alternate route. But I wonder if what was fun on the page of a book would be as much fun when you are stuck in a real labyrinth and it's getting dark. The stories about the creators of present day mazes was interesting too, as also the different things used to make them. I knew the Greek Myths about the Minotaur, Ariadne, Theseus, Daedalus but somehow had never connected all the dots in their story. The response of modern sensibility to these ancient stories arrested my attention. Beautifully produced book.
September 10, 2020
Follow This Thread by Henry Eliot will teach you so much you never knew you didn¡¯t know about mazes. It blends mythology, history, psychology, and pop culture into an incredibly unique read. It is wonderfully offbeat.
I love that it plays with formatting, turning the book into a maze itself. It created a rich reading experience.
My main critique is that the narrative is just as disjointed as the physical text. It bounces around with choppy flow, but perhaps this is an intentional parallel to how mazes turn you around and have dead ends. For me, it took too much away from the flow and sometimes affected comprehension.
I would recommend this for anyone with an interest in mazes or enjoys fun formatting in books.
I love that it plays with formatting, turning the book into a maze itself. It created a rich reading experience.
My main critique is that the narrative is just as disjointed as the physical text. It bounces around with choppy flow, but perhaps this is an intentional parallel to how mazes turn you around and have dead ends. For me, it took too much away from the flow and sometimes affected comprehension.
I would recommend this for anyone with an interest in mazes or enjoys fun formatting in books.
April 4, 2023
A psychological, philosophical and historical analysis of mazes, interlaced with the story of Theseus and the Labyrinth, as well as the author's quest to find a man named Greg.
The layout is fittingly labyrinthian, with lines going round corners or looping in on themselves. A significant part of the book even has to be read upside down (be aware of this if you want to read it on the train like I did, people will look at you funny).
The writing style is engaging enough, and although not everything discussed is equally interesting, the same subject is never held for more than a couple pages.
The book is illustrated by french artist Quibe, in an interesting single-red-line style that connects through all the pages.
Mostly recommended if you have a fascination with either mazes or books with a unique layout.
The layout is fittingly labyrinthian, with lines going round corners or looping in on themselves. A significant part of the book even has to be read upside down (be aware of this if you want to read it on the train like I did, people will look at you funny).
The writing style is engaging enough, and although not everything discussed is equally interesting, the same subject is never held for more than a couple pages.
The book is illustrated by french artist Quibe, in an interesting single-red-line style that connects through all the pages.
Mostly recommended if you have a fascination with either mazes or books with a unique layout.
December 28, 2019
It is a book about labyrinths and mazes. The author weaves facts about them with stories about them, going back and forth between stories, doing his best to layer everything in an interesting way.
I would consider him mostly successful. I absolutely loved the illustrations. I enjoyed the uniqueness of needing to flip the book around to read passages...and a serious kudos to the publisher for doing that!
I can see how this book could be tedious to get through for some people. I don¡¯t know that I would recommend it to someone as a must read. I am not sorry I read it as I have with other books, but I¡¯m not effusing over it either.
I would consider it a nice casual book worth reading if you¡¯ve got some time to kill.
I would consider him mostly successful. I absolutely loved the illustrations. I enjoyed the uniqueness of needing to flip the book around to read passages...and a serious kudos to the publisher for doing that!
I can see how this book could be tedious to get through for some people. I don¡¯t know that I would recommend it to someone as a must read. I am not sorry I read it as I have with other books, but I¡¯m not effusing over it either.
I would consider it a nice casual book worth reading if you¡¯ve got some time to kill.
July 9, 2020
This book is really cool. It presents stories about the history, symbology, and mystique of mazes and labyrinths, using the myth of Theseus as a framing device. The text itself is laid out in a labyrinthine manner, requiring the reader to twist the book as it's being read, in order to follow a winding red thread throughout. Eliot covers the impact of the maze on cultures throughout history, and examines its myriad connotations in various mythologies, as well as its development and usage in the modern day. The book is written in a way to make the reader feel a bit disoriented, and some of the people written about in the book seem like they're a bit mad. It's made me appreciate mazes even more, and the list at the end offered a unique set of locations to add to my travel list!
March 13, 2021
Probably the most beautifully designed book I¡¯ve ever read. Absolutely gorgeous. The contents were awesome¡ªas a maze-doodler, I¡¯ve always been curious about the history of maze design but didn¡¯t know where to find that history (niche, I know!). Impressively researched! The only drawback was that the flow of the texts was quite meandering, sometimes jumping abruptly from one topic for another, and multiple times I found myself lost and needing to backtrack... it¡¯s possible that the author did this on purpose to add to the maze-like aesthetic, but as a reader, it was confusing at times.
Overall highly recommend picking up a physical copy.
Overall highly recommend picking up a physical copy.
December 28, 2021
I¡¯ll be honest, I think this book went a little over my head in its cleverness. It was a very quick read and it was full of interesting information, I just don¡¯t know if I ¡°got it¡±. That¡¯s the reason it has three stars.
It¡¯s beautiful and very fun to read, the page orientation changes throughout as you follow the text and the story, and I never thought I would be so interested in a book about mazes. I found myself thinking of ways you could turn the book into an honors course, and it would be so easy by just following the chapters in this book and building it out with a little more information.
A very interesting and pretty niche read.
It¡¯s beautiful and very fun to read, the page orientation changes throughout as you follow the text and the story, and I never thought I would be so interested in a book about mazes. I found myself thinking of ways you could turn the book into an honors course, and it would be so easy by just following the chapters in this book and building it out with a little more information.
A very interesting and pretty niche read.
January 21, 2024
This was a delight. The history of mazes could easily be dry, but here it is instead a launchpad for an exquisite experiment in book design. A single looping red thread traces across every page, outlining illustrations of labyrinths, mazes, and figures from Greek mythology and pop culture. The last sentence on most pages bends to a new orientation, which is the orientation of the text on the next page, so you end up spinning the book around as you read, page by page. It seems many have found this element off-putting, but if you're up for a unique experience, this is short enough to read in a day and full of fun twists and turns.
April 12, 2019
Literally, a book I got lost in. The maze thread that leads the reader throughout the book, turns and twists so that the book is sideways and upside down by turns; by the center of the book, I was looking at page numbers to see which way to turn the pages. I learned more about mazes than I knew possible, some of which I found engaging and some of which I didn't care about. This book is great for its inventiveness and history of mazes. I wanted a narrative, a story, that led me through with the thread, but I can't criticize this book for being excellently what it is.
July 23, 2019
I'm not really sure what I thought of this book. It was interesting, yet very weird. It is essentially the history of mazes and labyrinths. The author has researched mazes and labyrinths through the ages, along with the different thoughts and designs on mazes and labyrinths. The book I read did not have this cover. The cover, plus the book, followed a red thread from page to page, illustrating the designs that were mentioned, and consequently the pages were turned around, upside down, read in different designs.
December 12, 2020
I had such high expectation for this book before I read it. It's not bad but I cant' help being a little disappointed. The book design is certainly innovative (it's a maze in itself). However, the content quality does not hold a match to the design. I failed to see a central theme - my red thread through the maze of this book. The ideas are loosely held and the writer jumps around different cultural facts, historical narratives and personal journal. I thought I'd hold on to the physical copy as part of my book collection, but now I'm disappointed.
September 30, 2024
3.5 stars and rounding up for uniqueness. this book is more like an academic meditation on mazes and labyrinths. and like a labyrinth, it requires a lot of presence. you need to pay attention to the red line and the minimalist art, which way you're turning the book to follow the text and also focus on the meanderings which sometimes feel like a timeline in maze development or go deep into greek mythology and philosophy. i can see how it's not for everyone, but i really enjoyed the whole premise, particularly the main story around the minotaur.
July 22, 2019
This book is super cool. The winding text and flipped pages created a unique reading experience. I'm glad I picked it up.
I didn't quite like, however, the brevity (or lack of) context provided to introduce and guide the text. Lots of different people, places, and stories were threaded throughout, but it wasn't done cohesively (likely intentional) and I had a hard time following. That said, I learned a few new things so it's a net win.
I didn't quite like, however, the brevity (or lack of) context provided to introduce and guide the text. Lots of different people, places, and stories were threaded throughout, but it wasn't done cohesively (likely intentional) and I had a hard time following. That said, I learned a few new things so it's a net win.
December 30, 2022
(3.5 stars) This book is in a unique format where you follow the red thread, turning the orientation of the book as you go. Keep an eye on the page numbers in case you get lost. It focuses on mazes and labyrinths, discussing the history, myth, legend, and actual physical structures and their creators. It also covers the use of mazes and labyrinths in popular culture and literature. It contains line drawing artwork by the artist, Quib¨¦, which adds to the character of the book.
March 29, 2019
This little book is a maze of a book and a work of art. Henry Eliot leads the reader through a labyrinth of myth, religion, maze-makers, popular culture , and literature, giving the reader a brief history of mazes and labyrinths in a delightfully round-about way. And just for fun, read the book in public - folks will wonder why you keep reorienting the book as you read its pages.
January 4, 2024
Interesting history of mazes, with an underlying thread of the story of Theseus. The dynamic text and mazes are interesting at first, but then it becomes a little bit annoying to know which way to proceed, especially if you leave the text to do the mazes. I'm sure the disorientation is part of the point, but the novelty wears thin.
July 7, 2024
Visually pretty, easy read (by bo means a scholarly work, rather short stories, legends and encdotes) but I agree with some of the other comments that reading it was annoying because of the design, having to turn the book around and backwards constantly. I guess frustrating the reader was a whole point though
May 9, 2022
I think form and function mirror each other with this book. Definitely an interesting read - would read another like it. Probably 3 1/2 stars for me due to the thin nature of the information presented.
August 27, 2018
Your enjoyment of this may vary depending on the amount of patience you have for rotating the book every few pages; however it is very interesting, and beautifully designed.
January 10, 2019
Fascinating - love it when books mess around with form ???
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