Codex Seraphinianus: 40th Anniversary Edition
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- Create Date：2021-08-16 07:51:45
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Luigi Serafini
- ISBN：0847871045
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Summary
Published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of its original publication， this special edition of the beloved， best-selling cult classic features a new design， new cover illustration， and 15 never-before-seen drawings。
Featuring a handsome new package redesigned by the author himself， this edition is a must-have for fans and collectors of Luigi Serafini's art。 First published in 1981 in Milan by F。M。 Ricci， the book has been hailed as one of the most unusual yet beautiful art books ever made。 A visual encyclopedia of an unknown world written in an unknown language， it has fueled much debate over its meaning。 Written for the information age and addressing the import of coding and decoding in genetics， literary criticism， and computer science， it has now fascinated and enchanted two generations。
While its message may be unclear， its appeal is obvious: it is a most exquisite artifact， blurring the line between art book and art object。 This edition presents it in a new， unparalleled light complete with 15 new illustrations by the author。 With the advent of new forms of communication， continuous streams of information， and social media， the Codex is more relevant and timely than ever。
A limited numbered deluxe edition， bound in real cloth and presented in a handsome slipcase， is also available。 It includes a signed print of a new illustration made by the author to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the death in 1321 of Dante Alighieri， one of Italy's greatest writers and creator of The Divine Comedy。
Featuring a handsome new package redesigned by the author himself， this edition is a must-have for fans and collectors of Luigi Serafini's art。 First published in 1981 in Milan by F。M。 Ricci， the book has been hailed as one of the most unusual yet beautiful art books ever made。 A visual encyclopedia of an unknown world written in an unknown language， it has fueled much debate over its meaning。 Written for the information age and addressing the import of coding and decoding in genetics， literary criticism， and computer science， it has now fascinated and enchanted two generations。
While its message may be unclear， its appeal is obvious: it is a most exquisite artifact， blurring the line between art book and art object。 This edition presents it in a new， unparalleled light complete with 15 new illustrations by the author。 With the advent of new forms of communication， continuous streams of information， and social media， the Codex is more relevant and timely than ever。
A limited numbered deluxe edition， bound in real cloth and presented in a handsome slipcase， is also available。 It includes a signed print of a new illustration made by the author to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the death in 1321 of Dante Alighieri， one of Italy's greatest writers and creator of The Divine Comedy。
Reviews
Rex
，
Finally went through this fun picture book after 40 years of publication。 "Oh！ A scientific textbook in Star Trek！" That's my first impression。 Distortion and metamorphosis are two most common rhetoric techniques for novelists， artists， and painters。 What this book is trying to do， then， is to remind us Homo sapiens that language， math， IT are just human invention in order to recognize the nature。 If there is an alien civilization， they would probably recognize our world with totally different t Finally went through this fun picture book after 40 years of publication。 "Oh！ A scientific textbook in Star Trek！" That's my first impression。 Distortion and metamorphosis are two most common rhetoric techniques for novelists， artists， and painters。 What this book is trying to do， then， is to remind us Homo sapiens that language， math， IT are just human invention in order to recognize the nature。 If there is an alien civilization， they would probably recognize our world with totally different techniques。 But no matter what tools we have （or they would have）， the science， the animals， the chemistry， the physics， the plants， the arts， the sports， the food， the board games won't change。 We Homo sapiens will always invent new tools （such as AI） to recognizing the Universe（s）， but we can't escape the fact that we are still a 350，000 years young animals in a 4。5b years young planet。Curiosity always prevails。 。。。more
Nathan
，
"I was 27 years old and was using colored pencils and a sketch pad to draw several hybridized human bodies with prostheses in the shape of claws， a bicycle wheel， and a fountain pen， as if I were at the cyborg-nude figure drawing school of some Academy of Spatial Fine Arts。 I sketched the images along more or less taxonomic lines， and at one point it dawned on me that I needed something in writing to be able to complete my drawing， which was becoming increasingly similar to the page from an atla "I was 27 years old and was using colored pencils and a sketch pad to draw several hybridized human bodies with prostheses in the shape of claws， a bicycle wheel， and a fountain pen， as if I were at the cyborg-nude figure drawing school of some Academy of Spatial Fine Arts。 I sketched the images along more or less taxonomic lines， and at one point it dawned on me that I needed something in writing to be able to complete my drawing， which was becoming increasingly similar to the page from an atlas of comparative anatomy。 But what sort of captions could I add to it， and more importantly， in what language？ The combining of a text and an image， we all know， generates a semblance of meaning， even if we understand neither the one nor the other。 Do you remember how， when we were children， we'd leaf through picture books and， pretending we could read before the children older than us， fantasize about the images we saw there？ Who knows， I thought to myself， perhaps unintelligible and alien writing could make us all free to once again experience those hazy childhood sensations。" 。。。more
Mansour Sadhan
，
i did not read this book nor anyone read or will read it， for the text is nonsense and isn't a real language！ it's part of the charm of this book。 for me it makes me feel like a young boy again， looking at the pictures and trying to figure out the narrative without reading one single word！ the artwork is superb （it's an art book by any definition） and can be interpreted to a degree the way you fancy！ it gave me the sensation of being a child still discovering the wonders of the world！ i did not read this book nor anyone read or will read it， for the text is nonsense and isn't a real language！ it's part of the charm of this book。 for me it makes me feel like a young boy again， looking at the pictures and trying to figure out the narrative without reading one single word！ the artwork is superb （it's an art book by any definition） and can be interpreted to a degree the way you fancy！ it gave me the sensation of being a child still discovering the wonders of the world！ 。。。more
Jen Lee-Olmstead
，
This comment is for the previous edition， as the 40th Anniversary Edition doesn't come out until late September 2021 and Goodreads doesn't have any other CS book edition。 I approached this book not so much as an art piece， rather as what it must feel like as a child who cannot yet read。 You _think_ the symbols impart knowledge if only you could decipher or read them。 So you rely on the images to inform you of the content。 I believe that confusion， and enchantment， of CS is part of its unique exp This comment is for the previous edition， as the 40th Anniversary Edition doesn't come out until late September 2021 and Goodreads doesn't have any other CS book edition。 I approached this book not so much as an art piece， rather as what it must feel like as a child who cannot yet read。 You _think_ the symbols impart knowledge if only you could decipher or read them。 So you rely on the images to inform you of the content。 I believe that confusion， and enchantment， of CS is part of its unique experience！ 。。。more
Avis Black
，
An advanced version of the bored kid doodling on his high school notebook。 A late entry （published 1981） in the "I'm an important surrealist" derby。 An advanced version of the bored kid doodling on his high school notebook。 A late entry （published 1981） in the "I'm an important surrealist" derby。 。。。more
Alan D'Souza
，
This book clearly draws more than some inspiration from the Voynich Manuscript。 It was the primary reason I decided to pick this book up。 I was interested in seeing if the author was trying to make a statement on the original manuscript that has continued to rile antiquarians and code breakers alike who've obsessed over its 'actual meaning'。 Was Luigi Serafini trying to mock those obsessed with the 'mysterious' manuscript by creating a mockup that might become it's own mystery in the future？ Was This book clearly draws more than some inspiration from the Voynich Manuscript。 It was the primary reason I decided to pick this book up。 I was interested in seeing if the author was trying to make a statement on the original manuscript that has continued to rile antiquarians and code breakers alike who've obsessed over its 'actual meaning'。 Was Luigi Serafini trying to mock those obsessed with the 'mysterious' manuscript by creating a mockup that might become it's own mystery in the future？ Was he playing an ironic game？ Was he trying to make a commentary on humanity's obsession to find a reason behind everything？ Nah， I was expecting too much。The author of this codex seems to just have been affected by the aesthetics of the manuscript and decided to straight up replicate it。 The book formed as a result is a broad based taxonomy of imaginary creatures the author has conjured by fusing disparate element that usually don't belong to each other。 The result is a collection of absurdist art coupled with some coded squiggly cursive language the author has created。 The concept in an of itself isn't bad as a start。 But the author doesn't really do much with it。 The reader will occasionally come across a particular 'creature' that seems to convey some deeper meaning。 But those are fleeting and the constant dump of one random item after another creates a tragedy of the commons where any thematic ideation is eroded away simply by the incoherence of the multitudes of work that simply seem to cry out - "Oh， I bet it would look cool if I connect the face and ass of a hippo by a corded wire。 It'll look absurd！"Somewhere around the thirtieth page， the book felt less like a manuscript to me and more like a Pokedex of weird creatures the author mentally conjured during a coke filled fever dream。 That coupled with a "I bet mixing up a bird and an egg like a fractal will look epic！" Nope， it looks like the doodle of a high schooler。 It means nothing。 It provokes nothing。 It's a poor imitation of the Voynich Manuscript。 Read the original if you want to genuinely be befuddled。 。。。more
Julia Luckett
，
Keeping books weird！
Heriberto Zamora Jr。
，
The truth is it there for those that haven't let indoctrination close your mind fully， if you never question anything then you deserve your outcome in life The truth is it there for those that haven't let indoctrination close your mind fully， if you never question anything then you deserve your outcome in life 。。。more
Vvinni Gagnepain
，
A fascinating and often funny art book！
CinnamonWolf
，
It is bonkers and absolutely wonderful。 Wild。 Majestic。 Hilarious。 I keep wondering if I can claim that I read it at all。 You see， the text is gibberish in a made up script （or so I've been told）， so， I leafed through it like I used to leaf though my older brothers' textbooks as a little child - with wonder at the illustrations but without much understanding。 I may have overdosed a little since I got through it in one sitting。 By the end my mind was melting a little and the strangeness stopped s It is bonkers and absolutely wonderful。 Wild。 Majestic。 Hilarious。 I keep wondering if I can claim that I read it at all。 You see， the text is gibberish in a made up script （or so I've been told）， so， I leafed through it like I used to leaf though my older brothers' textbooks as a little child - with wonder at the illustrations but without much understanding。 I may have overdosed a little since I got through it in one sitting。 By the end my mind was melting a little and the strangeness stopped seeming strange。 Will most likely return to this more than once if I get the chance。Highly recommend if you're a fan of strange things！ 。。。more
Beatrice
，
Un libro che pare una raccolta di carte di Dixit。 Assurdo e immaginifico， o， per dirla in altri termini "Bello ma non ci vivrei"。 Un libro che pare una raccolta di carte di Dixit。 Assurdo e immaginifico， o， per dirla in altri termini "Bello ma non ci vivrei"。 。。。more
Richard
，
Since the text which accompanies and （I guess） ‘explains’ this book’s wonderful illustrations is written entirely in a script that remains undeciphered， this is purely an art-book。 The pictures themselves—beautifully done in ink and coloured pencil， then magnificently reproduced by the publishers Rizzoli—are so strange， the overall effect is like working your way through an encyclopaedia from a different universe altogether: there are peculiar plants， animals， tools and machines， costumes， food， Since the text which accompanies and （I guess） ‘explains’ this book’s wonderful illustrations is written entirely in a script that remains undeciphered， this is purely an art-book。 The pictures themselves—beautifully done in ink and coloured pencil， then magnificently reproduced by the publishers Rizzoli—are so strange， the overall effect is like working your way through an encyclopaedia from a different universe altogether: there are peculiar plants， animals， tools and machines， costumes， food， architecture and other things not easy even to categorise。 If you know the Voynich Manuscript （which may well have inspired this）， well the Codex is a similar work， but done by a modern Italian surrealist。 。。。more
Donovan
，
Una experiencia visual intrigante。
সৌম্য বিশ্বাস
，
অদ্ভুত。。。🤷🏾♂
Morpheus Lunae
，
This is one of the essential books to "read" when you are in dire need of inspiration。 At times it can be a bit intimidating but it never fails to spark some imagination in you。 I find myself leafing through it multiple times per year。 This is one of the essential books to "read" when you are in dire need of inspiration。 At times it can be a bit intimidating but it never fails to spark some imagination in you。 I find myself leafing through it multiple times per year。 。。。more
Bradley
，
Popsugar Reading Challenge: book with a made-up language#popsugarreadingchallenge This is a beautiful world building book featuring flora and fauna。 I read it for the popsugar reading challenge featuring a made-up language and this fits perfectly because the whole book is written in a made-up language
Alejandro
，
Increíble visión e imaginación
iko ikovski
，
from the art corner of tumblr， from the handy part of pinterest， from the top of art platforms。 years ago， my depressed era。I forgot to add here somehow， shame。book has been recognized as one of the strangest and most beautiful art books ever made。 This visual encyclopedia of an unknown world written in an unknown language has fueled much debate over its meaning。 Written for the information age and addressing the import of coding and decoding in genetics， literary criticism， and computer science from the art corner of tumblr， from the handy part of pinterest， from the top of art platforms。 years ago， my depressed era。I forgot to add here somehow， shame。book has been recognized as one of the strangest and most beautiful art books ever made。 This visual encyclopedia of an unknown world written in an unknown language has fueled much debate over its meaning。 Written for the information age and addressing the import of coding and decoding in genetics， literary criticism， and computer science， the Codex confused， fascinated， and enchanted a generation。 download link of 2005 - Abbeville edition， thank me later。 。。。more
Tomás Magalhães
，
I particularly enjoyed the tale about frogs。
Andre Peniche
，
Can't say that I've read/Loved it anyway Can't say that I've read/Loved it anyway 。。。more
Harold
，
Very unique book， I've owned it for over a decade but every time I open it I find a new strange drawing。I love the imaginary cities （a la Invisible Cities） and the strange sequential progressions of images—for example， removing the petals from a specific type of flower， blowing into its core， and floating away on the resulting balloon。 Very unique book， I've owned it for over a decade but every time I open it I find a new strange drawing。I love the imaginary cities （a la Invisible Cities） and the strange sequential progressions of images—for example， removing the petals from a specific type of flower， blowing into its core， and floating away on the resulting balloon。 。。。more
E。T。
，
「幻想世界的百科全书」图片很美，有意思。只是请问文字是哪国的啊。此书有种「不明觉厉」的感觉。
Rafikkhalil
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Good
Nova
，
در مقابل آن دسته از درخت های جنبنده که هرگاه احساس ملال یا ناخوشی کنند ریشه و کنه ی خود از خاک بیرون کشیده و ترک دیار میگویند، درختان لوس و ددری ای به مثال گَوَن شفیعی کدکنی هستند که سنت کهن ننه من غریبم بازی را بسیار با جدیت برگذار کرده و از فرط یکنواختی یکجا نشینی افسرده شده و در خطر پلاسیدن قرار میگیرند。 باغبانان جهت جلوگیری از تلف شدن این درختان جهان اولی، نهایت تلاش خود را بکار بسته تا به محض مشاهده کوچکترین علائم شاخه برچینی، اسباب کالسکه و روروَک و خاک گلدان تهیه دیده و درختان را جهت تلط در مقابل آن دسته از درخت های جنبنده که هرگاه احساس ملال یا ناخوشی کنند ریشه و کنه ی خود از خاک بیرون کشیده و ترک دیار میگویند، درختان لوس و ددری ای به مثال گَوَن شفیعی کدکنی هستند که سنت کهن ننه من غریبم بازی را بسیار با جدیت برگذار کرده و از فرط یکنواختی یکجا نشینی افسرده شده و در خطر پلاسیدن قرار میگیرند。 باغبانان جهت جلوگیری از تلف شدن این درختان جهان اولی، نهایت تلاش خود را بکار بسته تا به محض مشاهده کوچکترین علائم شاخه برچینی، اسباب کالسکه و روروَک و خاک گلدان تهیه دیده و درختان را جهت تلطیف روحیه به گردش و پیک نیک ببرند。 لازم به ذکر است که پس از مشاهده علائم شیرین کامی، درختان دوباره به زمین بازگردانده میشوند تا مراحل رشد و به بار نشینی آن ها تکمیل شود。 。。。more
Fer GM
，
Una puñetera genialidad， fuera de todo lo que han imaginado。 Cuesta creer que haya salido de una mente simplemente humana
Ian Schiffman
，
The society of Codex Seraphinianus does not exist。 The images and text throughout the manuscript are drawn to look interesting rather than explore what a fictional world might actually be like。 Many of the pictures are jokes， either observational or surreal。 The world building is nonexistent。 The language meaningless。 In all honesty， the Codex is a real shame; it is so consumed with its own artistry that it finds no value in， nor takes inspiration from， the real world。
Caroline
，
I respect what he was trying to do here， and there was probably so much more to it than I saw。
Serena Lacroze
，
Best book ever created。
Eddard Hordas
，
Uno de los libros más locos que ha caído en mis manos。 Es indescriptible。 Me encanta。
Enrique Polanco
，