2011 Folio Utopia hidden words
DiscussieFolio Society Devotees
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1BionicJim
I recently read Thomas More’s Utopia, which was interesting and thought-provoking as much as comical in that it had a bunch of wishful-thinking and borderline ridiculous ideas. Solution to population control? Give the extra babies to the neighboring cities that are underpopulated. Banish all lawyers.
While I was reading from the LEC edition, which was not really illustrated, a friend acquired the 2011 Folio Society book, which is very handsome, and illustrated by Adam Simpson. His “Escher-like illustrations” (per the prospectus) have key words integrated into them. Some are more obvious than others. I can’t figure out the word in the castle scene copied below. Can anyone help? Has anyone found the hidden words in all seven of the illustrations?
Here’s the page from the prospectus (copied from the wiki) that shows 3 of the illustrations:
While I was reading from the LEC edition, which was not really illustrated, a friend acquired the 2011 Folio Society book, which is very handsome, and illustrated by Adam Simpson. His “Escher-like illustrations” (per the prospectus) have key words integrated into them. Some are more obvious than others. I can’t figure out the word in the castle scene copied below. Can anyone help? Has anyone found the hidden words in all seven of the illustrations?
Here’s the page from the prospectus (copied from the wiki) that shows 3 of the illustrations:
2JacobHolt
>1 BionicJim: Myth? (Spelled out by the descending towers on the left side of the castle?)
3BionicJim
>2 JacobHolt: This makes sense as it is in the section of the book discussing religion. More advocated here for religious tolerance, btw, which is odd considering his activities in real life persecuting Protestants.
What throws me off is the two additional letters after MYTH: R and A? What would that signify?
What throws me off is the two additional letters after MYTH: R and A? What would that signify?
4JacobHolt
>3 BionicJim: Hmmm--I didn't see R and A until you pointed them out. That does complicate things!
5Juniper_tree
The days of £20 books (or £25.60 in todays money).
6antinous_in_london
>5 Juniper_tree: It’s still sometimes the day of £20 books - but mainly on eBay etc (or even less than £20 as i bought my sealed copy of Utopia last month online for £12 !)
7Lukas1990
There's an excellent older edition illustrated by Bawden. I ordered it but it got lost en route during the customs crisis after Brexit. Very sad.
8geoffmiles
>4 JacobHolt: The list of illustrations lists it as 'MYTHRA' – the Utopians' name for the supreme God. But I suspect the illustrator, Adam Simpson, was being deliberately mischievous in separating the 'MYTH' from the 'RA'.
9BionicJim
>8 geoffmiles: Ah, that is the solution. For some reason I forgot about Mythra, but it did ring a bell.
10Son.of.York
And, for whatever it’s worth, Mithras (spelled with an i) was the god of an early competitor to Christianity, Mithraism.