---
product_id: 1183688
title: "S."
price: "SAR 178"
currency: SAR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.com.sa/products/1183688-s
store_origin: SA
region: Saudi Arabia
---

# 4 narrative layers 5 ink colors notes 22 physical inserts S.

**Price:** SAR 178
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 📖 Unlock the book that breaks all boundaries—read, decode, and belong to the ultimate literary cult.

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** S.
- **How much does it cost?** SAR 178 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.sa](https://www.desertcart.com.sa/products/1183688-s)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Authentic Vintage Design:** Original shrinkwrap with library-style wear and 22 tactile inserts for a collectible feel.
- • **Exclusive Physical Artifacts:** Includes letters, postcards, printouts, and a decryption wheel—unlock hidden clues beyond the pages.
- • **Puzzle-Like Literary Journey:** Engage with a mystery that demands analysis, rewarding readers who crave depth and complexity.
- • **Interactive Margin Correspondence:** Follow 5 distinct ink colors revealing evolving dialogues between two readers unlocking secrets.
- • **Multilayered Narrative Experience:** Dive into 4 immersive storytelling dimensions blending fiction, annotations, and real-world clues.

## Overview

S. by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst is a bestselling, multilayered novel blending a fictional book, margin notes in multiple ink colors, and 22 physical inserts to create a unique, interactive reading experience. Packaged in original shrinkwrap mimicking a vintage library book, it invites readers into a complex mystery that extends beyond its pages into the real world, making it a must-have collectible for literary adventurers and puzzle lovers alike.

## Description

desertcart.com: S.: 9780316201643: Abrams, J. J., Dorst, Doug: Books

Review: What begins at the water shall end there, and what ends there shall once more begin... - There is no easy way to describe S., the multilayered composite novel experience created by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, but it is undeniably brilliant and an absolute joy to explore. Like Mark Z. Danielewski’s brilliant House of Leaves, it is a book that refuses to be contained within the boundaries of its pages, with multiple levels of narrative that bleed into one another. Even more than House of Leaves, however, S. is a love letter to the physicality of real books as tangible objects, to be held and collected and admired and treasured- there is no way this book could work as an e-book, and that is not just snobbery. The reason for this is that S. is not just a book, but a multimedia artistic experience, a puzzle, and a layered narrative that the physical book itself is just one portion of. In fact, the book included in S. is not itself called S.; it is a book called Ship of Theseus by a man (or perhaps not a man) named V.M. Straka (except that may not be his real name). The book itself is weathered, and appears to have come from a public library, complete with a filing sticker on the spine and a stamped check out/return page in the back cover. From the “Translator’s Note and Forward” at beginning of the book we learn that Ship of Theseus was the final novel written by an enigmatic but prolific writer named V.M. Straka, whose true identity remained a mystery to all but a very few people- in this it seems Straka was at least partially based on B. Travens, author of Treasure of the Sierra Madre, whose true identity has never been uncovered. Straka was a literary genius, and his novels are full of symbolism and allusion that imbues his works with layers of meaning and opinion depending on the interpretation of the reader, much like Moby Dick. Luckily for us, the book is footnoted and annotated by the translator, F.X. Caldeira, which adds the second level to this metanarrative, as there is quite a bit of thoughtful interpretation and discourse by Caldeira, who appears to be nearly as enigmatic as Straka. Ship of Theseus, amazing enough, can stand on its own two feet even if it was the true story being told here. Someday I plan to read the novel by itself and ignore all of the other extraneous material and see what sort of literary takeaway I get. I will avoid spoilers, but at its barest essence, Ship of Theseus is about a man who is suffering from amnesia, who goes by the name of “S,” because when he woke up his only possession was a slip of paper with an ornate letter “S” written on it. He ends up shanghaied on the eponymous ship, whose terrifying and almost bestial crew seem to know something about him, and who often disappear below the decks to take part in some sort of secretive ritual. I won’t reveal any more of the plot, but it is very engaging and well written. In any event, this is the book you are reading, not S. This is because the physical book itself is only one part of the narrative. As previously mentioned, the annotations and footnotes by FXC make up another layer of the story, imposing a fictional literary universe that places the book in its conceptual parameters. The third layer is provided by handwritten notes in the margin in (at least) two different hands and five different colors of ink, in which two readers of the book are keeping up an ongoing correspondence. Eric is a disgraced university student who is obsessed with V.M. Straka and believes that clues to the author’s identity is hidden within Ship of Theseus- his original notes are written in pencil in the margins, and he has underlined certain passages. Since he is no longer a student at the college where the book was housed, he could not check it out anymore, but continues to study the book’s mysteries. Jen is a current student at the college who is also studying Ship of Theseus, and discovers Eric’s obsessive but brilliant notes. Realizing that they are ongoing, she “replies” to Eric’s notes, sparking an ongoing conversation between the two. Besides their different handwriting, Jen’s initial notes are in blue ink, Eric’s in black. Together they begin to try to tease out the book’s secrets. They make multiple passes through the book over the course of years, and the changing colors of ink mark the passage of time. In their second pass through the book, Jen writes in orange ink, Eric in green. Their third pass is marked by Jen writing in purple, Eric in red. Their final pass is the books “epilogue,” discussing strange events that have transpired for both of them, and both are written in black ink. And at certain times, notes are left by an unidentified third party who seems to be closely watching the pair and following their research. In addition to their notes, Jen and Eric are continuing their research in the “real world,” as represented by a number of very cool physical artifacts that are included in the book. These include computer printouts, personal letters written on university letterhead, postcards, newspaper clippings, notes written on napkins, handwritten letters, and even decryption wheel, to name but a few. These are part of the third level of the narrative between Jen and Eric, but add a level of physical reality and verisimilitude to the story. What it reminds me most of is the Griffin and Sabine “correspondences,” by Nick Bantock, a love story told entirely through handmade postcards, notes, and other creative physical notes and artifacts. But in S. these are more than just a nifty layer to the metanarrative. In many cases they are clues necessary to unravel the book’s many secrets. Because beyond the mystery of Straka’s identity and the relationship growing between Eric and Jen, there also seems to be a shadowy force that is watching the pair, and actively trying to keep them from unravelling the mystery, somehow tied to Straka, F.X. Caldiera, and the greater mystery of the enigma surrounding the author. The fourth and final layer of the narrative is the actual real world, for which you, the reader, are the cipher. You are not only reading Straka’s novel, FXC’s annotations and clues, and Jen and Eric’s attempts to unlock the puzzle posed by both, but are also being provided with clues that spill out into the real world, in particular the internet. There are names, companies, phone numbers, the names of cafés and other establishments mentioned by Jen and Eric, and so on that if searched for on the internet bring you to websites that provide you with further clues and take you deeper into the conspiracy. I must admit that while I find this both interesting and charming, I have not spent much time on this level of the narrative. While it is neat, and very much indicative of J.J. Abram’s influence on this level of the narrative, I just don’t have this kind of time to spend on a single novel, no matter how interesting it is. The nice thing is that even though this is a metanarrative on a number of levels, the whole thing is strong enough to stand on its own. Ship of Theseus stands on its own, but S. as a multimedia experience is the sum total of every level of the narrative. As of yet, I have only really experienced S. as contained within the physical boundaries of the book (which, by the way, comes within a slipcover that is sealed with a strip of paper, so that none of the materials inside can fall out, which is marked with J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst’s names, along with the picture of a capuchin monkey. Once you break that seal, the S. experience begins). Even without the viral marketing internet mystery level of the narrative, the first three layers of the metanarrative work perfectly well on their own- the fourth layer just makes the work open ended and tantalizingly ambiguous. I don’t think the ultimate “answer” to the enigma of S. is really out there on the internet, meaning it is a mystery without a solution and without an end. But that is okay, because in this case, the fun of the whole experience is in the journey, not the destination.
Review: The most interesting book experience I have ever had - This book/experience is one of the neatest experiences i have ever had. The finished product, in it's physical form, is amazing. It looks like a really old library book, down to almost every detail, inside and out. This is so much more well done than I could have imagined. The feel of reading the book is exactly what I wanted it to be. The actual story of the book is a very literature based one. It isn't immediately clear, even after finishing, the clear digression of the tale. The book requires analysis, thought, and consideration. The story itself has light-scifi/fantasy elements to it, though it is not overt through the book, and only when considered literally. Otherwise, it is a drama action tale, or maybe a tale of exploration, or maybe a spy thriller, or maybe something else entirely. The "Margin story" has elements of all of these as well, and would be much more clear and straightforward if it weren't for the method by which it is communicated. I want to be clear to define that the way I read the story was thus: I read the entire printed story straight through, including the footnotes, and I also read the pencil notes. I then went back and read the pen notes one "set" of colors at a time all the way through. I feel, for me, this is the superior method. My reasoning has to do with the Ship of Theseus itself. By reading it in this method, you take the "ship", in this case the book, and experience it 5 separate times. Each time you go through it, you experience different parts of it, even though it is the same book. When you get to the end of it the final time, you really can consider if it is the same book that it was when you started. I enjoyed reading it this way very much, and I think if I had tried any other method I would not have gotten the same experience. I like things linear though. Pros: This was a neat experience. The finished product is beautiful and amazing. The story is captivating and lovely. The inserts are interesting.This was a memorable experience I will remember for a long time. Cons: The inserts get really annoying on subsequent reads, falling out at bad times. There is a lot of this experience that can be found online, and for some this may make the book itself feel incomplete. The pen markings in the book are not chronological, so you might here about something that is happening "In real life" but not find out why for many chapters and then find something that comes before that event later in the book. Production con: Some of the pen mark in my book is faded in places. I honestly don't know if this was on purpose or a defect: perhaps it was indicating that actual pens do run out of ink? Overall, this was a great purchase, an interesting book to read, and something I may come back to in the future to try reading it again.

## Features

- J..J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, Authors
- 2013 Mulholland, purchased end of 2013 with 6 in stock.
- Ship of Theseus
- 22 Inserts
- Still in Original Shrinkwrap

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #8,948 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #45 in Romantic Action & Adventure #1,011 in Literary Fiction (Books) #1,322 in Suspense Thrillers |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 4,546 Reviews |

## Images

![S. - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/8133k-8xrPL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What begins at the water shall end there, and what ends there shall once more begin...
*by C***E on September 9, 2016*

There is no easy way to describe S., the multilayered composite novel experience created by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, but it is undeniably brilliant and an absolute joy to explore. Like Mark Z. Danielewski’s brilliant House of Leaves, it is a book that refuses to be contained within the boundaries of its pages, with multiple levels of narrative that bleed into one another. Even more than House of Leaves, however, S. is a love letter to the physicality of real books as tangible objects, to be held and collected and admired and treasured- there is no way this book could work as an e-book, and that is not just snobbery. The reason for this is that S. is not just a book, but a multimedia artistic experience, a puzzle, and a layered narrative that the physical book itself is just one portion of. In fact, the book included in S. is not itself called S.; it is a book called Ship of Theseus by a man (or perhaps not a man) named V.M. Straka (except that may not be his real name). The book itself is weathered, and appears to have come from a public library, complete with a filing sticker on the spine and a stamped check out/return page in the back cover. From the “Translator’s Note and Forward” at beginning of the book we learn that Ship of Theseus was the final novel written by an enigmatic but prolific writer named V.M. Straka, whose true identity remained a mystery to all but a very few people- in this it seems Straka was at least partially based on B. Travens, author of Treasure of the Sierra Madre, whose true identity has never been uncovered. Straka was a literary genius, and his novels are full of symbolism and allusion that imbues his works with layers of meaning and opinion depending on the interpretation of the reader, much like Moby Dick. Luckily for us, the book is footnoted and annotated by the translator, F.X. Caldeira, which adds the second level to this metanarrative, as there is quite a bit of thoughtful interpretation and discourse by Caldeira, who appears to be nearly as enigmatic as Straka. Ship of Theseus, amazing enough, can stand on its own two feet even if it was the true story being told here. Someday I plan to read the novel by itself and ignore all of the other extraneous material and see what sort of literary takeaway I get. I will avoid spoilers, but at its barest essence, Ship of Theseus is about a man who is suffering from amnesia, who goes by the name of “S,” because when he woke up his only possession was a slip of paper with an ornate letter “S” written on it. He ends up shanghaied on the eponymous ship, whose terrifying and almost bestial crew seem to know something about him, and who often disappear below the decks to take part in some sort of secretive ritual. I won’t reveal any more of the plot, but it is very engaging and well written. In any event, this is the book you are reading, not S. This is because the physical book itself is only one part of the narrative. As previously mentioned, the annotations and footnotes by FXC make up another layer of the story, imposing a fictional literary universe that places the book in its conceptual parameters. The third layer is provided by handwritten notes in the margin in (at least) two different hands and five different colors of ink, in which two readers of the book are keeping up an ongoing correspondence. Eric is a disgraced university student who is obsessed with V.M. Straka and believes that clues to the author’s identity is hidden within Ship of Theseus- his original notes are written in pencil in the margins, and he has underlined certain passages. Since he is no longer a student at the college where the book was housed, he could not check it out anymore, but continues to study the book’s mysteries. Jen is a current student at the college who is also studying Ship of Theseus, and discovers Eric’s obsessive but brilliant notes. Realizing that they are ongoing, she “replies” to Eric’s notes, sparking an ongoing conversation between the two. Besides their different handwriting, Jen’s initial notes are in blue ink, Eric’s in black. Together they begin to try to tease out the book’s secrets. They make multiple passes through the book over the course of years, and the changing colors of ink mark the passage of time. In their second pass through the book, Jen writes in orange ink, Eric in green. Their third pass is marked by Jen writing in purple, Eric in red. Their final pass is the books “epilogue,” discussing strange events that have transpired for both of them, and both are written in black ink. And at certain times, notes are left by an unidentified third party who seems to be closely watching the pair and following their research. In addition to their notes, Jen and Eric are continuing their research in the “real world,” as represented by a number of very cool physical artifacts that are included in the book. These include computer printouts, personal letters written on university letterhead, postcards, newspaper clippings, notes written on napkins, handwritten letters, and even decryption wheel, to name but a few. These are part of the third level of the narrative between Jen and Eric, but add a level of physical reality and verisimilitude to the story. What it reminds me most of is the Griffin and Sabine “correspondences,” by Nick Bantock, a love story told entirely through handmade postcards, notes, and other creative physical notes and artifacts. But in S. these are more than just a nifty layer to the metanarrative. In many cases they are clues necessary to unravel the book’s many secrets. Because beyond the mystery of Straka’s identity and the relationship growing between Eric and Jen, there also seems to be a shadowy force that is watching the pair, and actively trying to keep them from unravelling the mystery, somehow tied to Straka, F.X. Caldiera, and the greater mystery of the enigma surrounding the author. The fourth and final layer of the narrative is the actual real world, for which you, the reader, are the cipher. You are not only reading Straka’s novel, FXC’s annotations and clues, and Jen and Eric’s attempts to unlock the puzzle posed by both, but are also being provided with clues that spill out into the real world, in particular the internet. There are names, companies, phone numbers, the names of cafés and other establishments mentioned by Jen and Eric, and so on that if searched for on the internet bring you to websites that provide you with further clues and take you deeper into the conspiracy. I must admit that while I find this both interesting and charming, I have not spent much time on this level of the narrative. While it is neat, and very much indicative of J.J. Abram’s influence on this level of the narrative, I just don’t have this kind of time to spend on a single novel, no matter how interesting it is. The nice thing is that even though this is a metanarrative on a number of levels, the whole thing is strong enough to stand on its own. Ship of Theseus stands on its own, but S. as a multimedia experience is the sum total of every level of the narrative. As of yet, I have only really experienced S. as contained within the physical boundaries of the book (which, by the way, comes within a slipcover that is sealed with a strip of paper, so that none of the materials inside can fall out, which is marked with J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst’s names, along with the picture of a capuchin monkey. Once you break that seal, the S. experience begins). Even without the viral marketing internet mystery level of the narrative, the first three layers of the metanarrative work perfectly well on their own- the fourth layer just makes the work open ended and tantalizingly ambiguous. I don’t think the ultimate “answer” to the enigma of S. is really out there on the internet, meaning it is a mystery without a solution and without an end. But that is okay, because in this case, the fun of the whole experience is in the journey, not the destination.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The most interesting book experience I have ever had
*by S***R on August 9, 2024*

This book/experience is one of the neatest experiences i have ever had. The finished product, in it's physical form, is amazing. It looks like a really old library book, down to almost every detail, inside and out. This is so much more well done than I could have imagined. The feel of reading the book is exactly what I wanted it to be. The actual story of the book is a very literature based one. It isn't immediately clear, even after finishing, the clear digression of the tale. The book requires analysis, thought, and consideration. The story itself has light-scifi/fantasy elements to it, though it is not overt through the book, and only when considered literally. Otherwise, it is a drama action tale, or maybe a tale of exploration, or maybe a spy thriller, or maybe something else entirely. The "Margin story" has elements of all of these as well, and would be much more clear and straightforward if it weren't for the method by which it is communicated. I want to be clear to define that the way I read the story was thus: I read the entire printed story straight through, including the footnotes, and I also read the pencil notes. I then went back and read the pen notes one "set" of colors at a time all the way through. I feel, for me, this is the superior method. My reasoning has to do with the Ship of Theseus itself. By reading it in this method, you take the "ship", in this case the book, and experience it 5 separate times. Each time you go through it, you experience different parts of it, even though it is the same book. When you get to the end of it the final time, you really can consider if it is the same book that it was when you started. I enjoyed reading it this way very much, and I think if I had tried any other method I would not have gotten the same experience. I like things linear though. Pros: This was a neat experience. The finished product is beautiful and amazing. The story is captivating and lovely. The inserts are interesting.This was a memorable experience I will remember for a long time. Cons: The inserts get really annoying on subsequent reads, falling out at bad times. There is a lot of this experience that can be found online, and for some this may make the book itself feel incomplete. The pen markings in the book are not chronological, so you might here about something that is happening "In real life" but not find out why for many chapters and then find something that comes before that event later in the book. Production con: Some of the pen mark in my book is faded in places. I honestly don't know if this was on purpose or a defect: perhaps it was indicating that actual pens do run out of ink? Overall, this was a great purchase, an interesting book to read, and something I may come back to in the future to try reading it again.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Creepy, geeky, splendid, revolutionary breakthrough...with reservations
*by J***Y on December 15, 2013*

I had to give this book FIVE stars. Read the other reviews. Ditto for most praise and criticism. S. should win top honors everywhere because, mainly, it shows a path to save the printed book industry. S. is an ode to the English language. Author Dorst fires up all possible synapses to create linguistic art reflecting a near-bottomless knowledge base. However... My bottom line: A better book would be a fictional update on the Kennedy assassination with annotations by two interns that worked during the Warren Commission days. Why better? The reader will care about the content and care to keep track of all the players. In this book, S., I found it not only difficult to keep track of the players from different decades and multiple stories, I struggled to even care about most of them. For a book to be worth the reader's scrutiny, i.e., reading the entire book as many as two or three times, the reader would be best left with some usable education from real data and real people - at least realistic data and relatable people. But the concept is so good that just imagining the new wealth of take-offs staggers me. For example, at the least commercial level of self-publishing, imagine family authors creating "old books" with wide margins for current and future generations to share notes. Picture the items stuffed inside the books like newspaper clippings, postcards, love letters, and more. I'm dreaming right now of handing out copies to all attendies at my funeral. I have to say something about the handwritten notes. Know that I get off on handwriting like art collectors do on Picasso. The artists who chose the various handwritten forms are geniuses. Being better would be a stretch. However, reading all that handwriting was work, often put me to sleep. Add the craziness of codified footnotes, multidirectional issues and timelines - well you get the picture? The author and production crew over-indulged. Spoiler alert. In the rest of this review, I will tell why I am terribly disappointed in the storytelling. No, I won't give away the story, but I have to talk about the endings in terms of how they felt to me or, better, how they didn't. So if you are eagerly starting the book, don't read the rest of the review until you've finished. The story and the characters are universally creepy and geeky. On the positive side, they search, research, connect, care about details, persist and stay committed. Yet the negative darkens the entire multiple-storied novel. Our geeks (in no particular order) are angry, vindictive, violent, platonic, suspicious, non-touching, conspiratorial, power-hungry, sadistic, masochistic, unrequited, lost, lonely, secretive, icy, blatant, capable of lying, snarky, paranoid, and anal-retentive. The journeys end as loose ends, i.e., nobody wins. Happy endings, for anyone in the entire universe, exist no more. The reader in this god-awful dark world must be content with meager resolutions and even be comfortable without any resolution at all. You have to face that evil is real and cannot be conquered - ever - for long. Sadistic bullies and cults abound on all scales - from global arenas to the few square blocks of a college campus. Do not waste your time trying to keep track of the players and organizations in any of the stories. Focus more on how they feel about each other and what they do to each other. If you don't want to make the planet a better place to live in after reading this, then the author wasted his time. As the reader, you hope to God that intelligent, positive, joyful people end up taking hold of the reins of power here, there, and everywhere.

## Frequently Bought Together

- S.
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*Last updated: 2026-04-28*