S.

When you pick up S. the first problem you have is how to read the thing! I believe the title page gives you the clue. Having read the initial correspondence between Jen and the stranger, I followed her route of discovery and read the V. M. Straka Ship of Theseus novel first ignoring all the notations. Early in their conversation, before any of their notes back and forth, Jen finishes the novel in one sitting "Thanks! Read the rest in one sitting - wow." The stranger then teases Jen implying she has not seen the real message in the book whereby Jen goes back doing more of an analysis and leaves the first run of commentary starting their dialogue. The only notes in the book when Jen reads it first are the translator’s footnotes and the stranger’s pencil notes. Firstly, the novel. Ship of Theseus. The story is a strange one and I’m not even sure what genre you would put it in... fiction certainly but adventure/horror/mystery/fantasy/supernatural... it has all these elements but none are defining. We first meet S., the title character, in a city by the sea. He is very wet, has no memory of how he got there or who he is. He wanders aimlessly for a time in a surreal atmosphere before entering a tavern. Here he meets a woman reading a book; she seems familiar but professes she does not know S. It is a trap and S. is shanghaied, next waking on a ship at sea. The ship, the woman and the book reoccur throughout the novel as S. tries to escape but always returns. Sounds strange as I say but to go any deeper here would spoil the experience of reading. While I enjoyed the novel I struggled to devise the meaning, if any, behind the story. It seemed to me to be about many things not least unrequited love and loss as well as the greed of humanity and its propensity for evil to obtain what it desires. If the story was a metaphor for something deeper I’m afraid I missed it although the books and the Island struck a chord. Life perhaps? It was certainly intriguing with a seemingly unending war between good and evil where a balance is maintained by bloody action on both sides, with S. becoming a major player towards the end... certainly worth reading. Secondly, we have the book’s footnotes and the margin notes which are an entire story in their own right. As the original manuscript for Ship of Theseus was not in English the book has been translated by one F. X Caldeira. Many readers (in the fictional world of the book) believe the translator’s forward and footnotes are actually messages in code to the author Straka. The first margin notes in the book are Eric’s pencil ones which are then followed by a dialogue between Jen and Eric as they try to identify Straka and unravel Caldeira’s messages. As they delve deeper a sense of threat develops as unseen enemies try to prevent Jen and Eric revealing the truth. Is it paranoia? Is the threat real? Are they about to reveal a clandestine organisation that kills without compunction? Is it simply academic rivalry? The paranoia, real or imagined, drips from the page as you read, becoming more and more involved in Jen and Eric’s quest to learn the truth. Again I’ll say no more as to do so would spoil the fun. The margin notes are handwritten in two distinct styles; Jen’s are lowercase cursive script while Eric’s are all in uppercase block letters. Several colours are used to indicate the different iterations as the book passes back and forth between Jen and Eric. I don’t believe you need to try and read them in the order they were written, i.e. follow a colour, as some have suggested. Not only would this be an almost impossible task it seemed to me each full set of notes on a particular page moved the narrative of Jen and Eric along correctly in time. In truth it would probably spoil it trying to read a single set of colours first as near the end you would undoubtedly read a future note too early. Then again, I could have it completely wrong, that is the beauty of the whole book. And finally, the book’s production. It is simply astounding. Place this in the hands of any book lover and their heart will melt. It arrives sealed in a functional slipcase to ensure the contents remain intact. You open the cellophane and are presented with a perforated seal embossed with an S.. You break this with a letter opener and slide out Ship of Theseus which is a faithful reproduction of an old 1949 library book (the only giveaway is the smallest copyright panel below the library in/out stamps at the back of the book, and even this is disguised to look like the Library’s lending rules). In the book are numerous pieces of ephemera, old letters, postcards, articles, etc., that all expand the story and relate to Jen and Eric’s notes as they try to solve the mystery of Straka and learn more about one another. S. is a rare thing; individually each element is very good in its own right, however, the sum of the parts is breathtaking and every book lover should own a copy, read it and enjoy the experience. • The story • The foot notes • The margin notes • The ephemera • The codes • The quality of product If you had the time you could spend hours of enjoyment unravelling more and more... and at the end there is one mystery left unanswered... how did we, the reader, get the book?

I love this book. I only discovered it through trawling Amazon for inspiration for Christmas and I'm so glad I found it. I'm not a JJ Abrams fan - I don't think I've seen anything that he's made (or if I have I'm not aware he made it) so I didn't have any expectations going in. I did read a lot of reviews beforehand and it became clear to me that there is a massive debate on how to read it. Personally, I read the story 'Ship of Theseus' first and then went back and read the notes between Jen and Eric and all the inserts, refreshing my memory of the story and footnotes as I went. This was the best way for me - I wanted to know more about the background of the story, which actually helped with some of the notes at the front of the book. Let me point out that there is NOT a wrong way to read this book. You may read reviews of people saying 'if you read it this way you don't get the experience' - absolute rubbish. Everyone's experience is going to be different, so just read it the way you feel comfortable. Some prefer to read the notes at the same time, some do a chapter and then read the corresponding notes. I love the inserts and the feeling you're discovering something private and personal tucked into the pages. (Probably best to make of note of the pages the inserts are in, as they have a habit of falling out!) Definitely worth getting the hardback - it has that old library book feel and I think that would be lost in a Kindle version.

​is a truly unique and immersive reading experience. The physical book itself is a work of art, and the story within is a complex and fascinating puzzle. It's a must-read for those who love a challenge and want to be fully immersed in a narrative.

It's fun, but it was pretty confusing at first because I was reading everything as I came upon it on the books. That's when I decided first to read read through the original, fictional "novel" first, "Ship of Theseus" by V.M. Straka, and then went back to read Jen and Eric's notes to each other. Apparently there's a color-coded chronology to the notes as well, but luckily another Goodreads reader figured it out so I could use that as a safety line (but even then inside the same color code, it was obvious that some notes near the end of the book were still written BEFORE notes in the front, so I didn't get the TRUE chronology. Reading the notes took me almost as long as the story, but they were very addictive and I just couldn't put the book down. I wanted to know what happened to them, because these people came over as completely real. I loved the inserts as well, and particularly the long letters to each other. I did feel some anguish when I realized they were talking to each other through other means - I no longer had access to their entire conversations!

I’ve just started this great creation and it’s captured my mind on so many levels. If you love a great story with depths you can dive into, you love the accoutrements that necessarily authenticate that journey, the compass and map, the small specialist tools unique for the job, and even more if you’ve actually been a go and do it adventurer (I lived in the Borneo jungles with the Iban Dyak head hunters for two years, investigated war crimes embedded u set over as a refugee in Northern Syria (it was the French!), and escaped with my life and followed by a death sentence from the Chinese communist party, and more as an independent investigative journalist) and dig in deep then this book so far has given me a ‘desk’ adventure second to none. I’ll write more as I progress through this journey. Sam, xxx

A really interesting and original reading experience. More than just a book. You will need to focus to fully enjoy this and keep up with the multiple concurrent storylines.

Have just found out that the novel that inspired the director J J Abrams to think about the germ of an idea for a 'novel' which ended up as 'S', was in fact a book written some years ago by the now deceased Robert Ludlum. (of Bourne Identity fame and writer of 22 books) What however he came up with, together with his collaborative writer, is, it seems, a 'book' to push the boundaries of what constitutes the written novel and how it should or could be read. J J Abrams has said he found Ludlum's book on a seat in an airport transfer lounge. When looking at it, he found written in pen on the inside cover was, paraphrasing, 'whoever finds this book please read it and then leave it somewhere for someone else to red and do the same'. A concept in itself that has become more and more prevalent, though sadly it hasn't happened to me, yet....: J j Abrams 'book' "S" has just been recently published and I ordered it yesterday, {as a side note I believe to get the full effect of his new book anyone wanting to read it should order the actual physical hardback to get the full experience of a perhaps new way of approaching how to read a book (you won't really get this with an electronic version)} Anyway as serendipity would having ordered "S" that very same evening I heard an interview with Abrams by Mark Lawson (radio 4 'Front Row') where he mentioned finding the Ludlum book and how it started him off, etc as I outlined earlier. Annoyingly however the title of which of Ludlum's 22 book's it was, wasn't mentioned but my interest being piqued I emailed 'Front Row' and got the answer, apparently Lawson did ask the question in his interview, but it was cut out of the final edit due to the time demands. So I have just ordered "the Cry of the Halidon' (the book that started it all) to read both books, to see if I can see what led Mr Abrams to do all this. To see if I can see what he saw in a book that's not had too many good reviews written about it on this site, something that makes it all the more intriguing in a way, as I'd imagined it would have been a book of some note to trigger this off, but it seems perhaps not? To me it's an intriguing situation which I'd like (as a former TV director & producer and now screenplay writer - I've never met J J Abrams, and had never met Ludlum either, I believe he died in somewhat strange circumstances so maybe that's another story perhaps? - it just something that caught my curiosity. I thought I'd share it as other folks whether they be writers or aspiring writers or avid readers might too have their interest peaked by it and also want to see for themselves how Ludlum's, not so it seems lauded early book made such an impression on one of the current major TV and Film director, writer, creator. (I have no connections with anybody or any business that is involved with either of these books.)

This is my first review about a book - without reading it at all. Because... Because this is a tour de force. A novel by Doug Dorst, enhanced by director Abrams - he of the Mission Impossible, Star Trek and Star Wars franchises, and Alias and Lost fame. It is a dazzling graphic masterpiece! The whole book is printed as a 1949 publication, complete with yellowed pages, running "handwritten" commentaries of half a dozen readers, and inserted with an amazing number of items, from letters to notes to cuttings to photographs to postcards, even a sketch on a real napkin. The hardcover alone is so evocative of the 1940s! This is truly a masterpiece. I know of friends who just bought TWO copies in order to keep one in pristine 1949 condition! For an actual review of the novel itself I refer to the other reviewers. I will start to read it myself, once I've stopped admiring the package.

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.

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!

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.

Arrivato in condizioni perfette nella sua confezione protettiva di plastica (come lo si trova in negozio) e in una classica scatola di cartone amazon. Il libro in sé é fighissimo, ma per capire bene tutti i dettagli merita più di una lettura e un sacco di appunti. 10/10

Comprei de presente para o meu irmão, pois ele sempre quis esse livro. Ele ainda não leu, mas só por ser um livro interativo com tantos elementos já vale muito a experiência.