The Dictionary of Imaginary Places - by Gianni Guadalupi (Paperback)

About the Book

From Atlantis to Xanadu, this guidebook to imaginary lands is revised and updated, and includes information on literary fantasy settings such as Shangri-La, Middle Earth, Jurassic Park, and the world of Harry Potter. Illustrations.

Book Synopsis

A catalogue of fantasy lands, islands, cities, and other locations from world literature, from Atlantis to Xanadu and beyond.

This Baedeker of make-believe takes readers on a tour of more than 1,200 realms invented by storytellers from Homer's day to our own. Here you will find Shangri-La and El Dorado, Utopia and Middle Earth, Wonderland and Freedonia.

Here too are Jurassic Park, Salman Rushdie's Sea of Stories, and the fabulous world of Harry Potter. The history and behavior of the inhabitants of these lands are described in loving detail and are supplemented by more than 200 maps and illustrations that depict the lay of the land in a host of elsewheres.

A must-have for the library of every dedicated reader, fantasy fan, or passionate browser, Dictionary is a witty and acute guide for any armchair traveler's journey into the landscape of the imagination.

Review Quotes

"A book no self-respecting dreamer should be without."--The Economist

"Presented with mock solemnity and written with grace and wit; a pleasure to read."--Newsweek

"A very satisfying work . . . witty and stylish."--The New York Times