What Classic Literature Looks Like Without the Words

Here’s some decor for grammar nerds: Between the Words, a project by Chicago-based artist and web developer Nicholas Rougeux, visualizes Moby Dick, Peter Pan, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (above), and other classic texts through their punctuation.

In Rougeux’s posters, every comma, apostrophe, dash, question mark, and exclamation point (or other punctuation mark) used in each work spirals around a small illustration from the book. The strings of punctuation are separated by Roman numerals denoting the chapters. The designs evoke the rhythm and cadence of the texts in the abstract, revealing the authors’ predilections for endless dialogue or numerous dashes.

All the classic texts used are public domain works taken from Project Gutenberg. The collection includes novels by Mark Twain, H.G. Wells, Charles Dickens, and more.

Posters cost between about $5 and $28, depending on the size. Get one here.