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leighlucas's review against another edition
5.0
"In A Mapmaker's Dream, Fra Mauro decides the search for the ultimate map ends with the individual. "Wise men contemplate the world," he thinks, "knowing full well that they are contemplating themselves." It may be folly to imagine anything more universal, more objective, more true. Each of us stands at one unique spot in the universe, at one moment in the expanse of time, holding a blank sheet of paper. This is where we begin."
rsteve388's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This was an interesting and informative read about how writers and cartographers are story tellers and how they both benefit from.each other craft. Well done. Really enjoyed reading this.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
3.0
Books about writing fall into two camps. There are the instructional ones, with writing prompts and exercises, and there are the inspirational ones, that instead of telling you how to write, make the reader want to jump up and grab a pen. Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer by Peter Turchi is neither of these things, but rather a look at how writing a book is like making a map. The comparison sometimes gets lost in Turchi's giant enthusiasm for maps and the history of mapmaking and I have to admit that I was with him all the way. If you like maps a lot and write a bit, then this book is for you, and by that I mean that this book was for me. It also helps that the physical book is such a pleasing object, with heavy, creamy paper and plentiful maps of many kinds.
Given that our capacity for abstraction is great, greater than we may realize, it isn't necessary for a map user to know the first thing about projection formulas. A map maker, however, is obliged to understand exactly what he is doing.
This isn't an instruction book, but it does present a different angle with which to look at a writing project. Whether it will prove useful is unknown, but the maps were lovely, as was the author's discussions around them.
Given that our capacity for abstraction is great, greater than we may realize, it isn't necessary for a map user to know the first thing about projection formulas. A map maker, however, is obliged to understand exactly what he is doing.
This isn't an instruction book, but it does present a different angle with which to look at a writing project. Whether it will prove useful is unknown, but the maps were lovely, as was the author's discussions around them.
danielnewport's review against another edition
challenging
informative
fast-paced
4.0
This book provides a look into using mapmaking as a metaphor for writing. Similar to the process if making a map, you must understand the “path” youre going to take. You must understand the audience. You must provide enough information so as to accurately convey your ideas in a way that fits your needs. As the book points out, similar to how a subway map is not showing the exact path of the train, rather, what would be useful to the passenger. Overall, this book provides a good look into writing and the thinking that must be put into it, however, it did get a tad repetitive and seemed to be dragged on longer than necessary.
limdz's review against another edition
5.0
What a refreshing, imaginative book about writing and craft. So many craft books out there feel obvious or repetitive to me, so I really enjoyed Turchi's spin on things. The chapter "Rigorous Geometries" is extremely interesting...you don't find many craft books that attempt to merge the mathematical and the literary, and in this section Turchi's spatial approach to plot is particularly wonderful.
At times, Turchi struggles to connect certain the tropes of cartography to writing, but it hardly matters how well the ideas connect...the information about mapmaking and about writing are equally fascinating, and regardless of the strength of the connection between them, they are valuable and worth reading.
Aside from all of the great content, the book is beautiful and includes several old maps and interesting illustrations. Who doesn't like an intellectual PICTURE book, right?
Highly recommended!
At times, Turchi struggles to connect certain the tropes of cartography to writing, but it hardly matters how well the ideas connect...the information about mapmaking and about writing are equally fascinating, and regardless of the strength of the connection between them, they are valuable and worth reading.
Aside from all of the great content, the book is beautiful and includes several old maps and interesting illustrations. Who doesn't like an intellectual PICTURE book, right?
Highly recommended!
dorhastings's review against another edition
3.0
I'll start by saying I am not in the target audience for this book, and target audience is key for a book like this. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, because I found myself highlighting quite a few passages in the book. And while I think the target audience for this book is fiction writers, there are certain elements of the book that I think other audience members can (and should) appreciate.
I received this book from my course coordinator (I teach an upper-division writing course [not an English class] at a California State University). I include specifications because the book doesn't at all link up with the work we do in the class. And if anything, this book would work best for a class that is focused on fiction writing. If I gave this book to my students (99% of whom are business students), my evaluations wouldn't be pretty. HOWEVER, I think this could be a great book for a graduate writing seminar in communication studies.
I'm actually quite glad I read it. I find the idea of critical cartography fascinating, and that's something that goes beyond a targeted audience. A good deal of this book deals with cartography with weavings of examples in literature (most of which, unfortunately, I'm unfamiliar with, so the implications are occasionally lost on me). There are chapters (particularly the final chapter) that are focused on writing and fictional world creation. These passages are easy to understand and apply; it's the passages about cartography that require a little more effort, but they're worthwhile.
I'm unsure to whom I would recommend this book, but it's absolutely worthwhile. The pictures are stunning. I sort of sped through the book, but I suspect I will get more out of the book by discussing a chapter a month with my colleagues.
I received this book from my course coordinator (I teach an upper-division writing course [not an English class] at a California State University). I include specifications because the book doesn't at all link up with the work we do in the class. And if anything, this book would work best for a class that is focused on fiction writing. If I gave this book to my students (99% of whom are business students), my evaluations wouldn't be pretty. HOWEVER, I think this could be a great book for a graduate writing seminar in communication studies.
I'm actually quite glad I read it. I find the idea of critical cartography fascinating, and that's something that goes beyond a targeted audience. A good deal of this book deals with cartography with weavings of examples in literature (most of which, unfortunately, I'm unfamiliar with, so the implications are occasionally lost on me). There are chapters (particularly the final chapter) that are focused on writing and fictional world creation. These passages are easy to understand and apply; it's the passages about cartography that require a little more effort, but they're worthwhile.
I'm unsure to whom I would recommend this book, but it's absolutely worthwhile. The pictures are stunning. I sort of sped through the book, but I suspect I will get more out of the book by discussing a chapter a month with my colleagues.
mparisinou's review against another edition
4.0
The writer as a cartographer - the subtitle of the book - is a good description of what it's about. It's beautifully written and shows how the map is a metaphor for the story. At points hard-going (particularly when referencing works that were not familiar to me) but full of gems. Eg, 'Like maps, fiction and poetry enable us to "see" what is literally too large for our vision.'