Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders (B&N Exclusive Edition)
4.3
4
5
1
Hardcover(B&N Exclusive Edition)
USD
29.75
$29.75
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781523506811 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Workman Publishing Company, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 10/22/2018 |
| Edition description: | B&N Exclusive Edition |
| Pages: | 480 |
| Sales rank: | 3,390 |
| Product dimensions: | 7.20(w) x 10.20(h) x 1.40(d) |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders
4.3 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
4 reviews.
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First off, a confession. I didn't read the whole book. Normally I'd hold off on a review, but due to the unique structure of this book I feel comfortable giving my review without completing it.
Atlas Obscura is a guide to the stranger things in the world. Organized geographically, it traces historical artifacts, quirky art, and cultural remains. The goal is to expose a side of the world that is normally invisible to both tourists and locals alike. The resulting book is a bit of a geographic Wunderkammer.
As a reader, I found myself struggling often with this book. The writing is engaging and easy to follow, but for every fascinating entry that makes me want to learn more, there are a handful of entries that could not be less interesting. I realize that this is inevitable with a book fo this sort - everyone is fascinated by different things. But because the book is organized by the geographical location of entries rather than their content, it's hard to easily navigate to those items which are of greatest interest. For a reader attempting a cover-to-cover read, the effect is that you trudge through a lot of dull material to get to the good stuff. Perhaps more concerning, the accuracy of some entries is questionable. While some claims are presented with adequate skepticism (e.g., a rock which is supposedly home to fairies), other items are presented as wholesale truths despite considerable external discussion about their veracity (e.g., necropants).
I feel that ultimately this would make for a good coffee table book - something to pick up, flip to a random page, and start a conversation with. It's definitely not well suited for a "normal" read, nor as a travel atlas or an unusual encyclopedia. I've spent a fair amount of time on the Atlas Obscura website, and have greatly enjoyed appearances on podcasts and youtube channels, but the book just doesn't capture my curiosity in the same way.
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Great book! Perfect for reading and for coffee table or guest room placement. Chock full of short articles on every unusual location and subject under the sun. LOTS of pictures and illustrations!!
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First things first, I love the Atlas Obscura website. I've wanted a copy of the book for a while and I finally ordered it and I'm so happy!
A lot of people don't like the book because it's not organized in the same way the website is, but personally I don't really think it's meant to be a cover-to-cover read. It's organized geographically, so it's easy to find the interesting things in your home region, and it's also super helpful when you're looking at travelling somewhere, because you can quickly look up that area. In that sense, I think that as opposed to being meant to be a cover-to-cover read, it's organized more like a guide, which I think is great.
The only issue I have is that my copy came with a "Barnes and Noble exclusive" sticker on the dust jacket, and when I tried to remove that sticker, it ripped the dust jacket. That was super disappointing, as I didn't want a sticker on the book for display purposes and now I can't display it beautifully like I had intended because of the rip. I would suggest not putting stickers on dust jackets in the future.
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This is such a good book!! It's super interesting.
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