Comments on: Room 44

By: Joe W

Joe W — Fri, 30 May 2025 01:07:04 +0000

I think you’re onto something with figurative expressions. The rope connects the column to Room 18 and forms the number 9 within its shape. Room 18 also features a bowling pin and a bass clef that resembles a 9. These elements seem to frame Room 13, which has a clear theme of time. Taken together—the rope, the pin, and the recurring 9s—they evoke the phrase “a stitch in time saves nine.” Interestingly, in Room 13, the two incorrect doors are multiples of nine.

By: vewatkin

vewatkin — Wed, 28 May 2025 22:57:09 +0000

I like the idea of looking for representations of figurative expressions in the book’s imagery. This specific context seems like it would be an odd place, and an odd door, to evoke being at the end of your rope, but it might be that rooms in this area are all full of these sorts of pessimistic admonitions.

By: yogsap

yogsap — Sat, 24 May 2025 02:09:23 +0000

The theme of chain and rope suggest hopeless situation, e.g “end of rope”.
However, rope leading to room 18 suggests there is hope if one “grab the rope”.
Meanwhile, chain near room 21 suggests there is no way to go.

By: Alyssa

Alyssa — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 19:40:08 +0000

Well now he’s not even trying to tie his article choices into any actual argument. Unless he’s trying to claim Vewatkin is the Guide (PLOT TWIST)

By: vewatkin

vewatkin — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 13:16:11 +0000

I do think the cord/chord as an intended trail is plausible; I wish I hadn’t tossed the “sword” observation in there as well. Yes, there is a sword (I think) in the angel’s hand in 9, but it’s significantly less plausible that the angel with the barely visible sword in hand is meant to convey “sword,” rather than, for instance, pairing with the apple to suggest the letter A (for whatever reason).

By: ritz

ritz — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 23:23:58 +0000

33 has really prominent BOARDs…

By: vewatkin

vewatkin — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 10:20:51 +0000

CORD leads the way to 18, where a CHORD leads the way to 3.

A SWORD in 9 leads to 18, where a CHORD etc.

By: uthbees

uthbees — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 18:46:15 +0000

Someone probably already said this, but it seems like the Guide is misdirecting the group away from room 18, telling them they came in that way.

By: 1985 Forever

1985 Forever — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 07:02:11 +0000

You could be right. I don’t know. It is a lot to get from the statue, but I really liked reading your post. I had never even heard of Perdix before!

By: Irene

Irene — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 02:49:12 +0000

An interesting bit about this room that is a trick is the fact that the statue is waving you towards room 21. The statue bears a remarkable resemblance to Athena, who in Greek mythology is the goddess of wisdom. One would think that the goddess of wisdom would know the way to go, and direct you in the correct direction. However, another genius in the field of mazes, Daedalus of Greek mythology, built the Labyrinth, an enigmatic and dynamic structure much like this Maze. Awhile after he escaped his own Labyrinth, he tried to kill his incredibly wise and intelligent nephew Perdix (alternately Calos or Talus) by leading him to fall off a tower. Athena saved Perdix by turning him into a bird before he could die, and punished Daedalus by leaving a mark of a bird on his shoulder to remind him of what he had done for the rest of his life. In this way, Athena might be inclined to misguide the guests in the Labyrinth and lead them to get lost, so they could not destroy wise people such as Perdix after they escape as Daedalus did. The notion of the bird leading the guests to freedom through door 18 might also have the connection to Perdix, who escaped certain death by being transformed into a bird. Thus following the bird will save the guests from certain doom.