{"id":1913,"date":"2015-11-29T09:17:38","date_gmt":"2015-11-29T08:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/?p=1913"},"modified":"2025-09-07T00:05:22","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T22:05:22","slug":"s-das-schiff-des-theseus-j-j-abrams-und-doug-dorst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/2015\/11\/s-the-ship-of-theseus-j-j-abrams-and-doug-dorst\/","title":{"rendered":"S. - The Ship of Theseus \u2022 J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

It\u2019s very rare that I feel the urge to get a newly released book immediately. After I came across the video<\/a> about S.<\/em> \u2013 Ship of Theseus<\/em>, it was clear that it had to go straight to the top of my wish list. As regular readers of my blog know, I have a soft spot for beautifully designed books, and this one\u2014with its classic-looking cover, yellowed pages, and the aura of a library edition that has passed through many hands\u2014is a real eye-catcher.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"S.<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What I find fascinating is the unique idea\u2014not just presenting a simple book, but creating a story that emerges from the book itself, shifts to a meta-level, and gives the reader the feeling of discovering something, following in the footsteps of two protagonists who are not part of the book\u2019s original story.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What is this book about? Here\u2019s the blurb, which is important to understand the concept of this review:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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A young student finds a book in the library filled with hundreds of handwritten marginal notes from another student who appears to be trying to uncover the true identity of the pseudonymous author V. M. Straka. Intrigued, the young woman adds her own thoughts and annotations. Between the two students, Jen and Eric, a vivid dialogue unfolds\u2014one that exists solely within the pages of the novel Ship of Theseus<\/em>. Together, they set out to uncover the mystery surrounding the enigmatic author V. M. Straka. An unknown translator has published the novel, complete with occasionally confusing footnotes.<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The book therefore consists not only of a linear story, but is filled with numerous annotations written by Jen and Eric. These comments not only provide interpretations and insights into the events but also reveal a lot about the two themselves. A dialogue emerges between them, revolving around the identity of Straka as well as their own lives and conflicts at the fictional Pollard University. The reader can easily distinguish who wrote what based on their distinct handwriting. The color of the notes also indicates when they were written\u2014Eric\u2019s earliest annotations were made in pencil, while later ones appear in black, blue, and finally in various colors.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"S.<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Every page is filled with markings, underlinings, and annotations. But the authors take it even further\u2014between the pages, you\u2019ll find notes, postcards, photographs, copies, letters, and other inserts. For example, Jen writes that she found something in a book and copied it for Eric\u2014and indeed, that copy appears between the pages.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"S.<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Regarding the authentic and beautiful design, I am absolutely thrilled by this book. I love it when authors and publishers explore new paths, experiment, and aim to offer readers something truly special. It reminded me a bit of the role-playing books from the 1980s<\/a>. The reader doesn\u2019t just follow a linear narrative but becomes part of the experience\u2014discovering the book and living through a personal adventure. The only thing I found slightly disappointing was the plastic slipcase, which feels a bit cheap. I would have preferred a cardboard case like the ones used for the Mare classics. But that\u2019s really nitpicking. Ship of Theseus<\/em> is a lovingly and beautifully designed book that makes my bibliophile heart beat faster.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The book operates on several narrative levels that often blur, intertwine, and mirror one another. The story told by the fictional author Straka feels like a mix of James Bond, thriller, and 1930s adventure. It\u2019s somewhat confusing, with mystical, surreal, and dreamlike elements, often compared to Kafka\u2019s style\u2014definitely unconventional. Personally, I didn\u2019t enjoy it as much; if it stood alone, the book wouldn\u2019t have appealed to me. The sentences are too simple in places, the plot occasionally too slow, the mood too dark. What truly makes it interesting is the second narrative layer\u2014the dialogue between Eric and Jennifer in the margins and letters tucked between the pages. Their goal at first is to uncover the author\u2019s identity, but as they go along, their relationship evolves, and we witness that development. Of course, blending these two levels perfectly is impossible\u2014you can tell that as the main story progresses, so does Eric and Jennifer\u2019s, and their comments are not randomly distributed. But that doesn\u2019t hurt readability, and I can only imagine the immense effort it must have taken to structure a book like this. That alone deserves respect.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

There are many ways to read this book. Reading the story and annotations in parallel makes it difficult to follow the plot\u2014you\u2019re constantly pulled out of the narrative flow, much like when dealing with the fictional translator\u2019s footnotes (who also plays a role). The opposite approach\u2014reading the story first, then all the annotations\u2014has its drawbacks too. I chose a mixed method: at first, I read a few pages and then the corresponding notes; from about a third of the way through, I alternated\u2014reading one page, then its notes. What\u2019s wonderful is how the annotations gradually gain emotional power as Straka\u2019s story unfolds. When something exciting happens, Eric\u2019s or Jennifer\u2019s notes become more passionate. At the same time, you inevitably miss some details, as their information is revealed piece by piece.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If you truly want to uncover all the secrets, puzzles, subtle details, and thoughts, one read-through definitely won\u2019t be enough (unless you\u2019re extremely attentive). Many hints, fragments, and connections hide between the lines. Even then, there\u2019s plenty of room for interpretation\u2014here, the comparison to Kafka feels quite fitting. But that always comes at a cost. In this case, it\u2019s the lack of emotional connection: I never empathized with the protagonist, never slipped into his skin, never saw the world through his eyes. I could relate to Jennifer the most, but even then, the book never really gripped me emotionally.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cShip of Theseus\u201d refers to a philosophical paradox that questions whether a ship remains the same if all its parts are replaced. This idea reappears within the story and also resonates on a meta-level. As Eric and Jennifer keep adding their annotations, the book itself changes\u2014constantly becoming something new. With each revelation they make, the meaning of the text shifts as well. The printed story even contains a third narrative layer: that of the author himself\u2014his life and fate\u2014hidden between the lines and within what the two students uncover.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"S.<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I only googled the authors after finishing the book. J. J. Abrams, as it turns out, is a very well-known director and filmmaker\u2014producer of series like Lost<\/em> and films like Star Trek<\/em> and Mission: Impossible III<\/em>. Since I\u2019m not much into movies, I didn\u2019t know him before. The same goes for Doug Dorst, an author and professor of creative writing. The book was originally published two years earlier in English, and the translation apparently wasn\u2019t easy. The German edition has considerably more pages, which means the annotations are distributed differently.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Conclusion<\/strong>: I am fascinated by the book\u2019s design and by the idea of turning a novel into such an interactive experience with numerous inserts. Even though the main story has its weaknesses\u2014being a bit too surreal and thriller-like for my taste\u2014the overall composition won me over. The many hints, puzzles, notes, and details make this book a true experience that rewards multiple readings. Visually it\u2019s stunning, highly enjoyable to read, and a wonderful example of what can be done with the book as a medium. I hope it inspires other authors to explore new creative directions. The way a dialogue between two students emerges solely through marginal notes, how multiple narrative levels are blended, intertwined, and woven into something entirely new\u2014this is remarkable. A book I can wholeheartedly recommend.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Book Information:<\/strong> S.<\/em> \u2013 Ship of Theseus<\/em> \u2022 J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst \u2022 Kiepenheuer & Witsch \u2022 544 pages \u2022 ISBN 9783462047264<\/p>\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s very rare that I feel the urge to get a newly released book immediately. After I came across the video about S. \u2013 Ship of Theseus, it was clear that it had to go straight to the top of my wish list. As regular readers of my blog know, I have a soft spot … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “S. – The Ship of Theseus \u2022 J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"S. - Das Schiff des Theseus \u2022 J. J. Abrams und Doug Dorst - lesestunden","description":"Es kommt sehr selten vor, dass ich bei einem neu erschienenen Buch das Gef\u00fchl habe, dass ich es sofort haben muss. Nachdem ich auf das Video von S.- "},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,20],"tags":[72,73],"class_list":["post-1913","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fiction","category-reviews","tag-doug-dorst","tag-j-j-abrams"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/das_schiff_des_theseus_article.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1913","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1913"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1913\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lesestunden.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}