Art of Play - Wonder by Design

The Maze: A Labyrinthine Compendium

The Maze: A Labyrinthine Compendium - Main image
$15 $30 In stock

Category: Architecture

Mazes have been a part of civilization for at least 4,000 years, and there are more being built now than ever before. What is it about these magical life-size puzzles that continues to intrigue us?

The idea of the maze taps into so many subconscious notions: the game, the quest, the spiritual journey. Perhaps this is the key to their enduring appeal.

This beautifully illustrated book will delight lovers of mazes, acting as a guide, directory, and puzzle book combined. Specially commissioned illustrations by Thibaud Hérem represent 60 real and imagined mazes from around the world, with a bird's eye view of each maze so that readers can make their own journey. Each maze is also accompanied by a fascinating and witty short history.

Customer Reviews (4.8 / 5 · 5 reviews)

Stella S. ★★★★★

Flipping through the pages feels like wandering the history itself—the 4,000-year timeline is laid out beautifully, and the sheer variety of modern mazes photographed is staggering. It’s the kind of book you pick up for a minute and lose an hour in, even if you never visit a single one.

Madison ★★★★★

I bought this for my coffee table and ended up losing an entire Sunday afternoon to the chapter on turf mazes in England. The way it traces 4,000 years of history while still feeling fresh made me flip back to the beginning the moment I finished.

Elizabeth K. ★★★★★

The illustrations alone are worth it—each labyrinth feels alive on the page, and the way the book traces the cultural pull of these puzzles from ancient times to today is genuinely absorbing. I've already spent two evenings just flipping through specific chapters on garden mazes.