Book Review: Plotted – A Literary Atlas (Andrew DeGraff)
Nerd Alert
This book is chock full of ‘nerd’ love, in the literary world. Not so far into the full on nerdy realms of fantasy, sci-fi, etc, but this is still really right up a nerd alley here. Maybe its the nerd in me (or is it a geek in this case? Are the two interchangeable? When can I say nerd? When can I say geek? Is it politically correct to say either?) but I’ve always loved maps, and there is a certain kind of fun in drawing and looking at maps. To picture somewhere new or strange laid out in map form. Its not just so simple as looking at Google Maps, there is something in seeing a map of say Middle – Earth or Westeros or even a galactic map of the Star Wars galaxy for example; its much more thrilling and interesting, seeing this fictional world (or worlds) brought to life.
In all honesty, what fan of Game of Thrones doesn’t love the opening intro to each episode? Or looking at the map of Westeros and Essos and Southeros? Or what fan of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Middle – Earth doesn’t like looking to see what Frodo’s trek to throw the ring into Mount Doom looked like? Or what fan of Star Wars didn’t enjoy tracking the Yuuzhan Vong’s invasion into the Star Wars galaxy in the old Del Rey novels (Legends) New Jedi Order series?
Maps
The above image is one of numerous maps from the book; this one charting Odysseus’s journey in The Odyssey by Homer. As you can see each map is a beautiful full page (or usually two pages, sometimes even more) that shows the travels of a character (or characters) and the settings. The rendering from book to the computer doesn’t do it quite the justice it deserves, as these maps are brilliantly and beautifully drawn.
As the next map shows, from Watership Down:
This one depicts the various rabbits from Watership Down and their travels over the course of the novel. Whereas the one above showed the travels of Odysseus. Numerous other books are broken down into maps as well, depicting the travels of characters. Moby Dick, The Life of Frederick Douglas, A Wrinkle in Time, and much much more.
There is a brief bit about each book and the map and why the map is drawn the way it is that accompanies each map. The essays are written about the books, about the maps, and giving all kinds of little background information on the book in question (as well as the creation of this map).
Review
GoodReads blurb on Plotted:
This incredibly wide-ranging collection of maps – all inspired by literary classics – offers readers a new way of looking at their favorite fictional worlds. Andrew DeGraff’s stunningly detailed artwork takes readers deep into the landscapes from The Odyssey, Hamlet, Pride and Prejudice, Invisible Man, A Wrinkle in Time, Watership Down,A Christmas Carol, and more. Sure to reignite a love for old favorites and spark fresh interest in more recent works as well, Plotted provides a unique new way of appreciating the lands of the human imagination.
Plotted on GoodReads
Overall this is just a fun read. Each map is beautiful and well crafted. There’s a wide range of books that they picked from to cover, from beloved childhood books (Watership Down and Wrinkle in Time) to classics like Hamlet, Pride and Prejudice, and A Christmas Carol.
There is certainly something in this for anyone. For map lovers, for literary lovers, for essay lovers, etc. Its a relatively short read too but you’ll spend much more time devouring each map over and over and looking for little easter eggs and bits of info that you might have missed the first time.
My GoodReads Rating: ****
Global GoodReads Rating: 3.66 (as of 11.8.21)
My LibraryThings Rating: ****
Thanks For Reading
Thanks for reading everyone, and be sure to keep checking back daily for new updates her on The Beer Thrillers! November is still going strong with an article a day so be sure to check back often and regularly!
Cheers!
-B. Kline
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