References to Möbius strips can pop
up unexpectedly in all sorts of settings, including novels. I'm especially
intrigued by examples in which the term is used without further explanation.
The reader is expected to understand the reference and know all about the peculiar
one-sided, one-edged character of this mathematical object.
One example that I recently encountered is in an amusing,
quirky mystery, Forbidden Fruit by Kerry
Greenwood. Near the beginning of the book, the author offers the following
passage:
"I donned a loose caftan made to a Therese Webb pattern. I
had made it seven times, and each time I had a moment when I feared that the
fabric would have to be folded into another dimension to fit the design. This möbius
robe was made of a fine blue butterfly batik."
I'm not sure I can picture exactly what this garment looks
like, but it sounds suitably exotic.
A crocheted Möbius band, by Josh Holden.
Photo by I. Peterson
Another mystery with a Möbius reference is What's the Worst That Could Happen by Donald Westlake.
"When Brandon . . . stood at the picture window, with its
view out over the Battle-Lake, at the moment peaceful, with the tall Moebius
shape of the hotel beyond it."
In this case, I definitely can't picture the twisty hotel, but the
setting is Las Vegas, so it's probably not beyond the realm of possibility. Yet it sounds pretty weird.
A design for a building with a Möbius-strip ramp.
Courtesy of R.J. Krawczyk and J. Thulaseedas
In some novels, the Möbius metaphor or simile is straightforward
and apt. Consider the following passage from Goodbye
Without Leaving by Laurie Colwin.
"Laundry," I said, yawning. "I never really understood about
laundry before. It's a kind of Moebius strip—no end and no beginning."
Reference:
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