Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini - Hardcover

I first learned of this book in a rather obscure anthology, Douglas Hofstadter's "Metamagical Themas". I was deeply intrigued, and began investigating. At that time, though, Hofstadter's book itself was decades old, and the Codex was long out of print and extremely expensive. Only when it was reprinted was I able to order a copy. I have never regretted it. If you have come this far you probably know what it is, but should you be new to this volume it is an encyclopaedia of an imagined world, illustrated in painstaking detail, and with pages of text explaining everything. The twist is that the text, though always clear and coherent, is in an imaginary alphabet that nobody can read - not even the author, who says that he made it up as he went along - and the pictures, so intricate and beautiful, are so strange that you can never quite grasp the world they illustrate as a whole. To many people it would be merely incomprehensible, but if you are that way inclined, it's an unforgettable book. I have "read" it many times, and now get it out to study when I am feeling afraid. I find Serafini's alternative world soothing when the real world is more than I can face.

I'm so glad I bought this book, it is simply stunning. I became fascinated with this book after reading an article on it, but at the time the book was very very expensive and way out of my price range. The book itself is hard back and the writing on the cover in gold is shiny. The paper the images are printed on are thick and of very high quality, the images and text themselves are rich in colour and beautifully reproduced. The paper is laid and has a ribbed effect. I paid£58 for it and it really is worth so much more. It's such a privilege to have this book.

This book has been on the edge of my radar for a few years now. As with some other reviewers, it was outside of my price range for a while, but I'm so glad I finally went for it.The author-artist wanted to inspire that feeling of being a small child, 'reading' books before the words made sense, and he more than achieves this. The quality, heft and size of the book reminds me of being a very young kid, looking through those big Reader's Digest encyclopedias and compendiums, having no idea what the text read, but trying to make sense of the pictures. Within moments of opening, I think this may have become my favourite book.

This is the work of someone completely insane. The amount of work that has gone into it is just madness. I already bought 3 this year, it is a great present. The author has said that he wanted adults to relive the awe they felt at an age when they could not yet understand reading, and believe me, he achieves this totally. So happy with it.

Such a beauty for the eyes and mind.