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Two Girls, One on Each Knee (7): The Puzzling, Playful World of the Crossword
A journalist and word aficionado salutes the 100-year history and pleasures of crossword puzzles
Since its debut in The New York World on December 21, 1913, the crossword puzzle has enjoyed a rich and surprisingly lively existence. Alan Connor, a comic writer known for his exploration of all things crossword in The Guardian, covers every twist and turn: from the 1920s, when crosswords were considered a menace to productive society; to World War II, when they were used to recruit code breakers; to their starring role in a 2008 episode of The Simpsons.
He also profiles the colorful characters who make up the interesting and bizarre subculture of crossword constructors and competitive solvers, including Will Shortz, the iconic New York Times puzzle editor who created a crafty crossword that appeared to predict the outcome of a presidential election, and the legions of competitive puzzle solvers who descend on a Connecticut hotel each year in an attempt to be crowned the American puzzle-solving champion.
At a time when the printed word is in decline, Connor marvels at the crossword’s seamless transition onto Kindles and iPads, keeping the puzzle one of America’s favorite pastimes. He also explores the way the human brain processes crosswords versus computers that are largely stumped by clues that require wordplay or a simple grasp of humor.
A fascinating examination of our most beloved linguistic amusement—and filled with tantalizing crosswords and clues embedded in the text—The Crossword Century is sure to attract the attention of the readers who made Word Freak and Just My Type bestsellers.
Since its debut in The New York World on December 21, 1913, the crossword puzzle has enjoyed a rich and surprisingly lively existence. Alan Connor, a comic writer known for his exploration of all things crossword in The Guardian, covers every twist and turn: from the 1920s, when crosswords were considered a menace to productive society; to World War II, when they were used to recruit code breakers; to their starring role in a 2008 episode of The Simpsons.
He also profiles the colorful characters who make up the interesting and bizarre subculture of crossword constructors and competitive solvers, including Will Shortz, the iconic New York Times puzzle editor who created a crafty crossword that appeared to predict the outcome of a presidential election, and the legions of competitive puzzle solvers who descend on a Connecticut hotel each year in an attempt to be crowned the American puzzle-solving champion.
At a time when the printed word is in decline, Connor marvels at the crossword’s seamless transition onto Kindles and iPads, keeping the puzzle one of America’s favorite pastimes. He also explores the way the human brain processes crosswords versus computers that are largely stumped by clues that require wordplay or a simple grasp of humor.
A fascinating examination of our most beloved linguistic amusement—and filled with tantalizing crosswords and clues embedded in the text—The Crossword Century is sure to attract the attention of the readers who made Word Freak and Just My Type bestsellers.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
24 people are currently reading
658 people want to read
About the author
Alan Connor
23 books9 followersAlan Connor is a British writer, journalist and television presenter. First seen on Channel 4's youth entertainment programme The Word in 1995 he later appeared on The Big Breakfast and BBC Radio Five Live and was a BBC News correspondent, appearing on BBC News 24 and The Daily Politics.
His scriptwriting credits include the comedy-drama A Young Doctor's Notebook, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm.
Connor has worked as a writer for programmes including Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe, The Jonathan Ross Show and This Week and writes journalism for BBC News and The Guardian.
His scriptwriting credits include the comedy-drama A Young Doctor's Notebook, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm.
Connor has worked as a writer for programmes including Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe, The Jonathan Ross Show and This Week and writes journalism for BBC News and The Guardian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
November 11, 2013
This book certainly would make a good present for a crossword-loving friend or family member. With its tasteful cover and erudite subject this is perfect for a coffee table. However, I also recommend reading it! It's good: well-written, fun and informative. It is also challenging - but it's up to you how challenging you want to make it. Some chapters I read quickly, others in detail - poring over sentences and not moving on until I understood them fully and had solved their clues. And there are lots of clues in this book. The table of contents is a crossword. Even the index contains clues! I was going to describe this as a 'concept' book, but that has a specific meaning in publishing, and this most certainly isn't a children's book.
The 'Preamble' says that the book is like solving a cryptic puzzle, and that you can read it in any order. This put me off at first as I am something of a traditionalist when it comes to reading a book - I like to start at the beginning and read each word in turn until I reach the end. In fact that's what I did, and I don't think I missed out by doing that. However I can see how some readers might want to pick-and-choose from the chapters- in particular, if you already know how to tackle cryptic clues then you might find some of the earlier chapters a bit suck-eggs-ish.
Which brings me on to a question I pondered while reading this book: is it aimed at a dabbler like me (think P.G. Wodehouse rather than M.R James) or a crossword aficionado? I think it is trying for both, and in my (dabbler's) opinion it succeeds. It is packed full of facts and anecdotes, told in a chatty, entertaining style. It seems meticulously researched - I doubt there's a crossword fact, or reference in history, politics or popular culture that Connor has missed.
Some sections are undoubtedly challenging for a dabbler, but then so are cryptic crosswords and if you don't like those you wouldn't be here.
The 'Preamble' says that the book is like solving a cryptic puzzle, and that you can read it in any order. This put me off at first as I am something of a traditionalist when it comes to reading a book - I like to start at the beginning and read each word in turn until I reach the end. In fact that's what I did, and I don't think I missed out by doing that. However I can see how some readers might want to pick-and-choose from the chapters- in particular, if you already know how to tackle cryptic clues then you might find some of the earlier chapters a bit suck-eggs-ish.
Which brings me on to a question I pondered while reading this book: is it aimed at a dabbler like me (think P.G. Wodehouse rather than M.R James) or a crossword aficionado? I think it is trying for both, and in my (dabbler's) opinion it succeeds. It is packed full of facts and anecdotes, told in a chatty, entertaining style. It seems meticulously researched - I doubt there's a crossword fact, or reference in history, politics or popular culture that Connor has missed.
Some sections are undoubtedly challenging for a dabbler, but then so are cryptic crosswords and if you don't like those you wouldn't be here.
December 29, 2014
[3.5] A nice little collection of [mostly cryptic] crossword trivia. Whilst the book's name looks even dodgier if you've got a browser tab open with only the first three words showing, the US title is the considerably more sober The Crossword Century. Which, the author would point out, reflects differences between setters on respective sides of the pond: The language of wordplay can be suggestive, even though the setter may with a straightish face insist that any lewdness is all in the solver’s mind. The British setters, that is. American puzzles maintain an air of respectability and so eschew clues that fail the ‘Sunday-morning-breakfast test’...Definitions can themselves evoke imagery loucher than the answer. I wonder if they left out the paragraphs about the Viz crossword for the Yanks.
Given the repetition of the info about these national differences in early and final chapters, and a few other recurrences, I suspect the book is compiled from columns or blog posts. (The author writes the Guardian's crossword blog - I don't read it regularly.) It's less repetitive than some column-based books, so they've at least made some effort with the editing.
It's maybe ten years since I'd read other books on the history of crosswords, so I didn't mind hearing some points again, but there was sufficient new material to make Two Girls an interesting light non-fiction read. Connor has a more modern gossipy tone than older aficionados, so even when it comes to the old stuff, we learn things that previously went unsaid. Sadly Ximenes, the former Observer setter who helped establish many of the rules of British crosswords, rather lived up to his pseudonym in his role as a schoolmaster, being "known for his keenness on corporal chastisement".
British newspaper crosswords tend to be, well, rather British, with something Wodehousian, sun setting on the Empire, a dash of Carry On about them. Whilst various changes have been made over the years to make them a touch more contemporary, chuck out some obsolete references that were only familiar to the 80+ age group, Connor is one of the people who, like me, likes the 'vintage' feel and doesn't want to revamp everything. It would still have been interesting - and a slightly weightier book - if he had given more space to debates about potentially alienating (slightly un-PC) language. Another Guardian setter, Arachne, has written about these matters online, although you couldn't call her a prude: one of her clues, which swears at George W. Bush, is included in this book.
There is a sort of cryptic crossword how-to near the beginning, but unless you are an absolute natural (or someone who used to be consistently good and is just in need of a brief refresher) it isn't enough to learn from, and there are very few easy examples.
If you read this, for goodness' sake get a paper copy, not an ebook. With the possible exception of crossword geniuses like my friend Matthew (perhaps there are others in my friends list I'm unaware of) you will want to flip back and forth all the time and be able to see more than one page at once. Extra clues to a puzzle at the beginning appear at points throughout the text, and sets of older or tricky clues are given at various junctures as examples, with answers in the back after the endnotes.
Given the repetition of the info about these national differences in early and final chapters, and a few other recurrences, I suspect the book is compiled from columns or blog posts. (The author writes the Guardian's crossword blog - I don't read it regularly.) It's less repetitive than some column-based books, so they've at least made some effort with the editing.
It's maybe ten years since I'd read other books on the history of crosswords, so I didn't mind hearing some points again, but there was sufficient new material to make Two Girls an interesting light non-fiction read. Connor has a more modern gossipy tone than older aficionados, so even when it comes to the old stuff, we learn things that previously went unsaid. Sadly Ximenes, the former Observer setter who helped establish many of the rules of British crosswords, rather lived up to his pseudonym in his role as a schoolmaster, being "known for his keenness on corporal chastisement".
British newspaper crosswords tend to be, well, rather British, with something Wodehousian, sun setting on the Empire, a dash of Carry On about them. Whilst various changes have been made over the years to make them a touch more contemporary, chuck out some obsolete references that were only familiar to the 80+ age group, Connor is one of the people who, like me, likes the 'vintage' feel and doesn't want to revamp everything. It would still have been interesting - and a slightly weightier book - if he had given more space to debates about potentially alienating (slightly un-PC) language. Another Guardian setter, Arachne, has written about these matters online, although you couldn't call her a prude: one of her clues, which swears at George W. Bush, is included in this book.
There is a sort of cryptic crossword how-to near the beginning, but unless you are an absolute natural (or someone who used to be consistently good and is just in need of a brief refresher) it isn't enough to learn from, and there are very few easy examples.
If you read this, for goodness' sake get a paper copy, not an ebook. With the possible exception of crossword geniuses like my friend Matthew (perhaps there are others in my friends list I'm unaware of) you will want to flip back and forth all the time and be able to see more than one page at once. Extra clues to a puzzle at the beginning appear at points throughout the text, and sets of older or tricky clues are given at various junctures as examples, with answers in the back after the endnotes.
September 22, 2019
There is no doubt that the elegant formulation of a clue for a cryptic crossword has a poetry about it. They are simultaneously so much more and so much less complicated than the words suggest. They are an intensely serious form of play; a test of will between a setter, invariably concealed behind some mysterious codename, and their audience, who are sometimes far more like a community than one might assume.
The problem is that I find crosswords intensely interesting in the abstract, but I have never been any good at solving them. There is a part of me which resists the whole exercise in the same way that I once resisted my maths homework. Often when reading the explanation for a clue I’m tempted to fling the whole puzzle across the room. Too often I feel like I’ve been tricked, as if by sleight-of-hand. I can see that the answer must be hidden somewhere, and I’m vaguely aware of how it has been done, but perhaps I just don’t have the patience to work it out by myself?
Except that a patient, attentive, methodological approach often isn’t enough either, because cryptic crosswords aren’t like mathematics. Many clues rely on a certain kind of lateral associative thinking which is difficult to teach, let alone learn via reverse engineering. Like most people I can get perhaps halfway through a ‘quick’ crossword (where the definitions are essentially literal, and you either know them or you don’t) but I am left utterly stumped by the strange verse of the classic cryptic still beloved of the British broadsheet papers.
I think I was expecting 'Two Girls, One On Each Knee' by Alan Connor to be something more like a guide to solving these puzzles for the general reader. This isn’t what it is at all; it does devote a chapter to introducing some of the typical forms of clues and how to approach them, but this feels somewhat rushed and general. As we will later find out there isn’t really any single formula that one can adopt when tackling a clue. Veteran solvers will notice signs and signifiers everywhere, but even if one has a basic idea of what to do, many clues require a considerable leaps in deductive reasoning, not to mention a dash of humour. (Incidentally, the answer to the clue that is the title of the book is ‘PATELLA’; as in the bone found ‘on’ each knee; and as in ‘Pat’ and ‘Ella’, two names for girls. Of course! Of course.)
For the most part this is a book about the history and cultural importance of crosswords, aimed at the general reader. Famous setters and solvers both real and fictional, media depictions from Brief Encounter onwards, the role of crosswords in espionage, the various crazes for crosswords and social concerns this brought up. The book even touches upon the different approaches and personalities of some of the most prolific setters, and it offers plenty of clever and amusing clues that demonstrate different facets of the setter’s skill. Some are rigorous in terms of the ‘rules’ at work, with no word nor punctuation wasted; others are freewheeling, anarchic, and sometimes extremely rude (even I can tell that much from the crossword in the back pages of Private Eye magazine). The answers to all the clues in the book are given in an appendix in the back, but I still found myself mystified as to how many of the solutions had been reached from the clues on offer.
There’s a certain tendency here to wave away the difficulty of some of the most infuriating clues with the suggestion that this is all part of the mystery and magic of the game. And it is. But at times it’s difficult to avoid the sense of being swindled. To take a random example, at one point the book deigns to explain the clue ‘Relaxed when lying in grass (topless) (5)’ — we are asked to remove the ‘top’ letter of ‘reed’ and insert ‘as’ for ‘when’ to make the answer: EASED. But this only reads like half of an explanation. (Where has ‘reed’ come from, again?) There’s a sense throughout of ‘it’s easy when you know how’ that anyone aspiring to actually learn the art of solving is likely to find frustrating.
And this, I think, says something about the contradiction that underlies the nature of the cryptic crossword. Because they are more about wordplay than general knowledge, in theory anyone can learn to do them. It’s no longer the case that a classical education is a prerequisite for the average clue. And yet for the most part they remain something of an exclusive pastime. In fiction, they are still a signifier of genius. To an extent the format preserves its own rarified status, in that the average serious crossword offers little to nothing to the reader who isn’t prepared to put in the hours to study its arcane art. This being the case, I wonder how many more years we can expect to see them in the media; to some extent they have already been overtaken in popularity by number games like Sudoku (and digital variants like Picross).
But those games operate according to rigorous, specific rules, the nature of which is always clear to every player. Solving them is simply a matter of completing an equation, parts of which are already known. The charm of the cryptic crossword is that it resists this kind of straightforward processing. It is, as far as I can tell, an entirely unique form of art that has no close relatives in gaming or literature. That being the case, I suspect the nature of clue-writing will endure, even if it has to move to a different kind of puzzle altogether.
The problem is that I find crosswords intensely interesting in the abstract, but I have never been any good at solving them. There is a part of me which resists the whole exercise in the same way that I once resisted my maths homework. Often when reading the explanation for a clue I’m tempted to fling the whole puzzle across the room. Too often I feel like I’ve been tricked, as if by sleight-of-hand. I can see that the answer must be hidden somewhere, and I’m vaguely aware of how it has been done, but perhaps I just don’t have the patience to work it out by myself?
Except that a patient, attentive, methodological approach often isn’t enough either, because cryptic crosswords aren’t like mathematics. Many clues rely on a certain kind of lateral associative thinking which is difficult to teach, let alone learn via reverse engineering. Like most people I can get perhaps halfway through a ‘quick’ crossword (where the definitions are essentially literal, and you either know them or you don’t) but I am left utterly stumped by the strange verse of the classic cryptic still beloved of the British broadsheet papers.
I think I was expecting 'Two Girls, One On Each Knee' by Alan Connor to be something more like a guide to solving these puzzles for the general reader. This isn’t what it is at all; it does devote a chapter to introducing some of the typical forms of clues and how to approach them, but this feels somewhat rushed and general. As we will later find out there isn’t really any single formula that one can adopt when tackling a clue. Veteran solvers will notice signs and signifiers everywhere, but even if one has a basic idea of what to do, many clues require a considerable leaps in deductive reasoning, not to mention a dash of humour. (Incidentally, the answer to the clue that is the title of the book is ‘PATELLA’; as in the bone found ‘on’ each knee; and as in ‘Pat’ and ‘Ella’, two names for girls. Of course! Of course.)
For the most part this is a book about the history and cultural importance of crosswords, aimed at the general reader. Famous setters and solvers both real and fictional, media depictions from Brief Encounter onwards, the role of crosswords in espionage, the various crazes for crosswords and social concerns this brought up. The book even touches upon the different approaches and personalities of some of the most prolific setters, and it offers plenty of clever and amusing clues that demonstrate different facets of the setter’s skill. Some are rigorous in terms of the ‘rules’ at work, with no word nor punctuation wasted; others are freewheeling, anarchic, and sometimes extremely rude (even I can tell that much from the crossword in the back pages of Private Eye magazine). The answers to all the clues in the book are given in an appendix in the back, but I still found myself mystified as to how many of the solutions had been reached from the clues on offer.
There’s a certain tendency here to wave away the difficulty of some of the most infuriating clues with the suggestion that this is all part of the mystery and magic of the game. And it is. But at times it’s difficult to avoid the sense of being swindled. To take a random example, at one point the book deigns to explain the clue ‘Relaxed when lying in grass (topless) (5)’ — we are asked to remove the ‘top’ letter of ‘reed’ and insert ‘as’ for ‘when’ to make the answer: EASED. But this only reads like half of an explanation. (Where has ‘reed’ come from, again?) There’s a sense throughout of ‘it’s easy when you know how’ that anyone aspiring to actually learn the art of solving is likely to find frustrating.
And this, I think, says something about the contradiction that underlies the nature of the cryptic crossword. Because they are more about wordplay than general knowledge, in theory anyone can learn to do them. It’s no longer the case that a classical education is a prerequisite for the average clue. And yet for the most part they remain something of an exclusive pastime. In fiction, they are still a signifier of genius. To an extent the format preserves its own rarified status, in that the average serious crossword offers little to nothing to the reader who isn’t prepared to put in the hours to study its arcane art. This being the case, I wonder how many more years we can expect to see them in the media; to some extent they have already been overtaken in popularity by number games like Sudoku (and digital variants like Picross).
But those games operate according to rigorous, specific rules, the nature of which is always clear to every player. Solving them is simply a matter of completing an equation, parts of which are already known. The charm of the cryptic crossword is that it resists this kind of straightforward processing. It is, as far as I can tell, an entirely unique form of art that has no close relatives in gaming or literature. That being the case, I suspect the nature of clue-writing will endure, even if it has to move to a different kind of puzzle altogether.
May 27, 2014
When I first learned that I would be receiving a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways, I was concerned that it was going to be intellectual and boring. However, this book was smart, fun, and down to earth. In addition to learning all about crosswords in short, succinct chapters, I picked up some tips and tricks to solving along the way. A quick read that is perfect for the crossword enthusiast who doesn't quite finish the Sunday Times puzzle.
May 14, 2014
I received this book from Goodreads FirstReads.
Very clever!
This book showed the humour, skills, and tact for creating crosswords as well as their history without being boring or sounding borrowed.
I was able to pick it back up easily and it made a good 'few minutes of down time' read with the short chapters and condensed background of the craft and it's creators/contributors.
Most enjoyable and I shall appreciate the newspaper printings of crosswords that I see from now on, rest assured!
Very clever!
This book showed the humour, skills, and tact for creating crosswords as well as their history without being boring or sounding borrowed.
I was able to pick it back up easily and it made a good 'few minutes of down time' read with the short chapters and condensed background of the craft and it's creators/contributors.
Most enjoyable and I shall appreciate the newspaper printings of crosswords that I see from now on, rest assured!
May 20, 2014
**I won this book through the GoodReads First Reads program.**
You don't need to be an avid crossword solver to enjoy this book. All you need is a healthy interest in wordplay and history. I have solved crossword puzzles off and on over the years but never caught the fever. I wanted to read this book because of my father's interest in this pastime. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the intricate quirks beyond the face value of filling in the squares as well as the history of the constructors and puzzle itself. Very well written with a lighthearted humor throughout. Very enjoyable!
You don't need to be an avid crossword solver to enjoy this book. All you need is a healthy interest in wordplay and history. I have solved crossword puzzles off and on over the years but never caught the fever. I wanted to read this book because of my father's interest in this pastime. I thoroughly enjoyed learning the intricate quirks beyond the face value of filling in the squares as well as the history of the constructors and puzzle itself. Very well written with a lighthearted humor throughout. Very enjoyable!
Read
April 13, 2018For crossword aficionados this would be an interesting read.
For me, though I enjoy crosswords but don't play them very often, this was still an interesting read. I learned a lot about the history and construction of crosswords but also about other types of crossword puzzles like acrostics.
There is a lot of information and it would seem to be difficult to find enough to fill a book about puzzles but the contents were presented in a way that kept me wanting to keep reading.
Well organized with chapters short enough but long enough to cover each subject.
A good read.
For me, though I enjoy crosswords but don't play them very often, this was still an interesting read. I learned a lot about the history and construction of crosswords but also about other types of crossword puzzles like acrostics.
There is a lot of information and it would seem to be difficult to find enough to fill a book about puzzles but the contents were presented in a way that kept me wanting to keep reading.
Well organized with chapters short enough but long enough to cover each subject.
A good read.
June 26, 2014
Utterly delightful, like a box of chocolates but with anagrams (Cloaca booth foxes cunningly show what life is like (1,3,2,10)?). Every chapter is full of marvels and miracles. This is sold in the UK as "Two Girls, One on Each Knee" which is a much better title than the one that shows on Goodreads' Phone App. Or at least I hope it is because if it isn't then I've just reviewed the wrong book.
January 23, 2019
As a huge crossword fan who has been doing the crossword in the New York Times - and more recently The Chicago Tribune - almost every day for 20 years I was excited to read this. And my excitement consistently dwindled chapter by chapter as I read this oddly disjointed and frequently repetitive book that feels slow and overlong at only 170-something pages.
December 15, 2019
I really disliked this book. I do not understand British Cryptics, they completely mystify me. This book was all over the place and I seldom understood what the author was talking about. It was all clever word play, I'm sure. Over my head. I will pass this on to my mom who can actually finish the New York Times crossword in one sitting and go back to studying linguistics.
April 3, 2015
A little disappointing. Kind of an overblown magazine articles or series of blog posts. Annoying last sentences in each chapter (in parens) foreshadowing the next chapter. But if I ever decide to tackle the Cryptics, I would start by rereading his chapter on how to do them...he's a Brit, after all.
September 9, 2018
Still consider myself a non-solver of crosswords, but this was a very interesting subject. The clues make me tilt my head like a foreign language, but I am glad I have the history of the development and rise of this type of puzzle.
March 30, 2014
Lovely, funny and informative look at crosswords. Of interest to anyone who is interested in how games or wordplay work.
June 26, 2014
What a great and interesting read. Thanks for the giveaway!
July 23, 2014
Fun stuff. Lots of good tips and history.
September 26, 2014
Fun history of crosswords, crossword constructors, and famous puzzles. Only for crossword afficianados.
January 5, 2019
BORING. . .and I love crossword puzzles!
May 1, 2018
An enjoyable and interesting read, but I still can't understand or decode cryptic crossword clues.
December 5, 2018
I honestly don't know why I picked this book up.
August 31, 2020
Very informative and helpful. I'm a person who states at crosswords rather than solves them. This has reduced staring and increased use of writing implement
August 8, 2024
Really enjoyed this look into the world of crosswording. The focus is on cryptic crosswords, but it delves into all areas. Super interesting stuff! Even the contents page is a crossword!
May 21, 2017
If you're hoping for a deep exploration of any of its topics, this book will disappoint. It's very lightweight. But it's consistently, gently enjoyable. Connor flits easily from one topic to another (some examples: the history of the cryptic crossword; the world of competitive solving; PG Wodehouse's relationship with the crossword), only pursuing each for as long as it interests him and never asking much of the reader. That might sound like a backhanded compliment, but sometimes an easy read is exactly what you need. Indeed, I found myself happily sinking into a 'just one more chapter' state of mind.
Early on I was a bit nonplussed (in both senses) by one aspect of the author's voice: despite being an Englishman living in England, he seems to be writing not only for an American audience but from an American perspective, even to the point of adopting an 'oh those wacky Brits' tone in parts (for example, when discussing the origins of the cryptic crossword). I can't be bothered researching this properly, but I think this book is effectively the American edition of Connor's 'Two Girls, One on Each Knee'? If so, that probably explains it. In any case, the awkwardness seemed to fade away, or at least become entirely tolerable, by around the half-way mark.
I originally wanted to give this three stars, but I think that was based on some pseudo-objective idea of what it 'deserved', and probably simple pretentiousness on my part. I found it a pleasure to read, and so long as your expectations are properly calibrated I heartily recommend it.
Early on I was a bit nonplussed (in both senses) by one aspect of the author's voice: despite being an Englishman living in England, he seems to be writing not only for an American audience but from an American perspective, even to the point of adopting an 'oh those wacky Brits' tone in parts (for example, when discussing the origins of the cryptic crossword). I can't be bothered researching this properly, but I think this book is effectively the American edition of Connor's 'Two Girls, One on Each Knee'? If so, that probably explains it. In any case, the awkwardness seemed to fade away, or at least become entirely tolerable, by around the half-way mark.
I originally wanted to give this three stars, but I think that was based on some pseudo-objective idea of what it 'deserved', and probably simple pretentiousness on my part. I found it a pleasure to read, and so long as your expectations are properly calibrated I heartily recommend it.
April 17, 2020
This is becoming a theme: started reading this a few years, set it aside (this time with bookmark), picked it back up after finding it on the shelf. I read to the end, looped back and started again from the beginning until I met back up with where I had stopped. Short chapters, lots of fun wordplay and pun-nery, somewhat more of an emphasis on the British style and history of puzzling. I think I'm not quite enough of a crossword die-hard for this to resonate deeply with me - I've only done one tournament, and seldom do more than just the Sunday NY Times puzzle. But there are some fun tidbits for casual fans too.
July 14, 2022
Review
Cover Art: 🥕🥕
Title: 🥕🥕
Rating: 🥕
🐰 I love crossword puzzles.
What the FLUFF!
🐰 My reasoning for getting this book was not for crossword puzzles at all but for the linguistic mischief, so boldly stated on the cover. This was borrrrrriiing. There is a lot of history in this book but the way it was explained was not interesting enough for me to even care.
Quotes
🐰
First Page Nibble
🐰
Format: Paperback
Date Read: March 20, 2020🐇
Cover Art: 🥕🥕
Title: 🥕🥕
Rating: 🥕
🐰 I love crossword puzzles.
What the FLUFF!
🐰 My reasoning for getting this book was not for crossword puzzles at all but for the linguistic mischief, so boldly stated on the cover. This was borrrrrriiing. There is a lot of history in this book but the way it was explained was not interesting enough for me to even care.
Quotes
🐰
First Page Nibble
🐰
Format: Paperback
Date Read: March 20, 2020🐇
May 15, 2020
I enjoy crosswords - but am of very low level. I can manage the Guardian Quiptic, Metro cryptic and certain clues in Guardian cryptic - anything beyond is out of reach.
This book provides a good history of the crossword with informative pieces on setters, options for compiling grids and famous solvers. I read the book in one go - I would perhaps have enjoyed it more if I just dipped in and out.
Fascinating stuff though!
This book provides a good history of the crossword with informative pieces on setters, options for compiling grids and famous solvers. I read the book in one go - I would perhaps have enjoyed it more if I just dipped in and out.
Fascinating stuff though!
May 15, 2018
This was a quick, fun book to read about crossword puzzles. I enjoy doing crossword puzzles when I have a chance, and this book shared the history of crosswords as well as many interesting facts/curiosities about them. This is a short book that can be read in a few minutes. Enjoyable and easy read.
August 4, 2020
An entertaining read that is probably better suited to a British audience. Many of the cultural references were lost on me and the long descriptions of various British tv shows that involved crossword puzzles were not terribly interesting since I had never heard of them. Some of the later chapters also felt a bit repetitive. It's probably a book that is best read sporadically than in one go.
November 29, 2022
"Since its debut in the The New York World on December 21, 1913, the crossword puzzle has enjoyed a rich and surprisingly lively existence. Alan Connor, a writer for The Guardian, where he is known for his exploration of all things crossword, covers every twist and turn: from the 1920s, when crosswords were considered a menace to productive society; to World War II, when they were used to recruit code breakers; to their starring role in a 2008 episode of The Simpsons; and their seamless transition onto Kindles and iPads, keeping the crossword puzzle one of America's favorite pastimes.
"Connor also profiles the colorful characters who make up the interesting and bizarre subculture of crossword constructors and competitive solvers, including Will Shortz, the iconic New York Times puzzle editor who created a crafty crossword that appeared to predict the outcome of a presidential election, and the legions of competitive puzzle solvers who descend on a Connecticut hotel each year in an attempt to be crowned the American puzzle-solving champion.
"This fascinating examination of our most beloved linguistic amusement, filled with tantalizing crosswords and clues embedded in the text, will leave crossword fans clamoring for more."
~~back cover
This book sounded so interesting. I'm a big crossword devotee, and I thought I would enjoy this book immensely. But after struggling through 102 page (out of 173), I was bored and really slogging my way through. And so I decided to call it a day and move on to something more scintillating.
"Connor also profiles the colorful characters who make up the interesting and bizarre subculture of crossword constructors and competitive solvers, including Will Shortz, the iconic New York Times puzzle editor who created a crafty crossword that appeared to predict the outcome of a presidential election, and the legions of competitive puzzle solvers who descend on a Connecticut hotel each year in an attempt to be crowned the American puzzle-solving champion.
"This fascinating examination of our most beloved linguistic amusement, filled with tantalizing crosswords and clues embedded in the text, will leave crossword fans clamoring for more."
~~back cover
This book sounded so interesting. I'm a big crossword devotee, and I thought I would enjoy this book immensely. But after struggling through 102 page (out of 173), I was bored and really slogging my way through. And so I decided to call it a day and move on to something more scintillating.
March 8, 2023
Review title: Pre-Wordle
Before Wordle and Wordsmith (my favorite word game phone app) there were crosswords. Invented (or at least first published in the across and down grid of squares to be filled in by the solver) in 1913 by a constructor (the industry term for the person who writes the puzzle) named Arthur Wynne for the December 21,1913 edition of the New York World newspaper (p. 5), this book celebrated the 100th anniversary of that occasion. Like the puzzles, the book is short and full of the connections between words, play, thought, problem-solving and humor that make crosswords popular.
While author Alan Connor (a British comedy writer and TV presenter) is interested in the play of crosswords he is also interested in the social, economic, and even political history as well. For example, he tells the story (p. 8-11) of how crossword publishing was vital to the survival and financial success of some of today's major book publishers. He spends some time on the cultural differences between puzzles and clues in the US and the UK, and in the surprising difficulties translators have when crossword puzzles and clues are key elements of a novel or a script (see p. 52-55).
This is a short book easily read in perhaps the time it might take to solve a particularly difficult puzzle, with the right mix of information and humor. It does have a short bibliography and an index because, well, word people might want to trace the words. In all, a pleasant diversion worth three stars.
Before Wordle and Wordsmith (my favorite word game phone app) there were crosswords. Invented (or at least first published in the across and down grid of squares to be filled in by the solver) in 1913 by a constructor (the industry term for the person who writes the puzzle) named Arthur Wynne for the December 21,1913 edition of the New York World newspaper (p. 5), this book celebrated the 100th anniversary of that occasion. Like the puzzles, the book is short and full of the connections between words, play, thought, problem-solving and humor that make crosswords popular.
While author Alan Connor (a British comedy writer and TV presenter) is interested in the play of crosswords he is also interested in the social, economic, and even political history as well. For example, he tells the story (p. 8-11) of how crossword publishing was vital to the survival and financial success of some of today's major book publishers. He spends some time on the cultural differences between puzzles and clues in the US and the UK, and in the surprising difficulties translators have when crossword puzzles and clues are key elements of a novel or a script (see p. 52-55).
This is a short book easily read in perhaps the time it might take to solve a particularly difficult puzzle, with the right mix of information and humor. It does have a short bibliography and an index because, well, word people might want to trace the words. In all, a pleasant diversion worth three stars.
July 16, 2023
As a newly initiated crossword lover and solver, I was very excited to find this at a thrift store for only ten cents. This book very easily could have been a straight forward telling of the history and evolution of the crossword as well as some thrown in trivia. And while that's still essentially what this book is, Connor managed to capture the witty wordplay and playfulness that crosswords are known for in very pleasant ways. Half of the book are chapters labeled Across, and the other half is the Downs. The end papers are a real cryptic the reader can solve (after dedicating a chapter to explaining how to solve cryptic crosswords). I wish there was a little more biographical information for some of the big crossword figures. Overall though, it was a very savory read. If nothing else, it has made me appreciate new things during my daily solves.
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