The Voynich Manuscript

Exceptionally high quality book, very beautiful, and contains the most recent information available on the amazing enigma that is The Voynich Manuscript. The original work is believed to have probably been written in the very early 1400's, although even that is uncertain. Over the centuries the book has moved around the world from owner to owner. In 1969 it was given to the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University where it remains today, still being studied. Yale has scanned each page perfectly to produce this superb copy of the original. It still mystifies all who see it today. Well worth every penny of the price.

This oversized, hardcover reprint of Beinecke MS 408, commonly known as the Voynich Manuscript after Wilfrid Voynich who purchased it in 1912, makes for a nice addition to anyone's collection. As Raymond Clemens writes in the preface, "This facsimile strives to reproduce as much of the experience of leafing through the original as possible. Each photograph in the facsimile section is reproduced at roughly the same size as the original page in the Voynich Manuscript" (pg. xvi). The essays following the enigmatic fifteenth century manuscript examine the earliest owners, Voynich the buyer, physical findings, cryptographic attempts, alchemical traditions, and the world's most mysterious manuscript, along with a chronology of the document. Deborah Hakrness, author of the introduction, writes, "This collections of essays, and the facsimile of the Voynich Manuscript that accompanies it, do not attempt to arrive at definitive answers to the many perplexing questions that remain about the text. Instead, they invite the reader to join us at the heart of the mystery as we strive to better understand this complex book and its history" (pg. ix). Those interested in the esoteric or bizarre will find this a great addition to their collection.

I only just received this book and have only looked at the outside of the book and the first few pages before the title page/intro - and Im already in love with it! The dust jacket is made of a transparent, frosted plastic that resembles vellum - a replica of some of the handwriting from the manuscript overlays a print of an illustration from the manuscript. Giving the book a very lovely visceral feel as I pick it up. Upon opening it, there are full page photographs of the a letter written by E L Voynich - to be opened upon their death. It explains, briefly, where the manuscript came from. The photo and print quality are excellent enough that one can enjoy the laid finish of the paper the letter was written on in July of 1930 - and the creases in the paper. I can’t wait to explore the rest of the photos in this book!

The quality of this book begins with the hardcover, translucent and detailed title cover and over all page quality. The stunningly accurate photo copies of the voynich manuscript are accurately sized at a 1:1 ratio giving it an authentic feel. This book features multiple fold out pages with large astrological fold outs. At 55$ this book is certainly worth the price! Got it on sale for 40$ which is a score! Anyone familiar or unfamiliar with the voynich manuscript is going to love this book!

Such an intriguing book! The illustrations are fascinating, but the mystery of the book is so compelling that I find myself drawn to the strange, almost familiar text, feeling that the language it contains is just on the periphery of my consciousness, as a word can be on the tip of the tongue. Though I know absolutely nothing about decoding encrypted text, this particular book makes me wish fervently that I had opted to study it, rather than my pragmatic but boring academic pursuits. I can only hope that somehow, if I simply look at it long enough, I might glean some understanding of the mysteries contained within. In any case, it's a beautiful conversation piece and interesting to look through.

I've always been fascinated by this manuscript and the many questions its existence and history provoke. Knowing this, I bought this book as a gift for a friend who shows similar interest in the manuscript. The book itself is well-built (I see other reviews saying the pages and build feel cheap, but I'm not sure if I was just lucky in how my copy came), and the illustrations are absolutely beautiful. This being said, I feel there's one important thing to note for anyone looking to pick this up; This is NOT a book you should buy if your intentions are further studying the manuscript. If you're content with having a brief introduction to the book's history and study over the years, then this book delivers quite well.. but if you're looking for something of an "in-depth analysis" of the manuscript, then you may be disappointed to find this book contains 90% illustrations with very little substance/preface describing them. This is why I say this book is a 100% buy if you wish to own a physical version the manuscript as a novelty or a gift, but wouldn't feel confident in recommending it for anything else.

Mysterious par excellence

What an odd document. The printing and binding are very well done. Exactly what I hoped for.

Een prachtige uitgave!

I have wanted a copy of this mysterious book for a long time. The copies previously available have been poor quality, but once I found this copy I decided to buy it. This is an official copy made and printed by Yale University, so I knew it would be a correct and extensive representation of the real document. I was not disappointed! This is a very high quality book. Beautifully presented and created with excellent care and attention to detail. I couldn't be happier with my purchase, and would recommend it anyone with a genuine interest in this beautiful and interesting historical document. Five stars!

I was a little afraid about the quality but the book imager fullfil my expectations by far. I removed 1 star because binding was not so excellent.

Erano anni che desideravo osservare le pagine di questo misterioso libro. La copia è perfetta, dettagliata, a colori.

Una edición muy cuidada y detallada. Muy buena calidad de impresión. Recomendado