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Wordplay: The Official Companion Book
Think Inside the Box!
Solve Puzzles from the Hit Movie, Learn to Construct Your Own Crosswords, and Much More
"Irresistible...punsters, linguists, and crossword puzzle fanatics everywhere couldn't ask for a more bracing tribute.... Buoyant and exhilaratingly brainy."
---Variety on the movie Wordplay
Are you a crossword fan? Or have you always wondered about the appeal of these puzzles but never tried them yourself? With the premiere of Wordplay, a documentary about crossword puzzles, legendary New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz, and the legions of solvers who devour his creations, here's your chance to become a part of the puzzle craze!
• Featuring some of the greatest puzzles from The New York Times and the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
• With an introduction by Will Shortz; the story of how he created the famous "Wordplay" crossword from constructor Merl Reagle; the inside crossword dope from Jon Stewart, Ken Burns, and others; and the inside story of the movie's creation from producer Christine O'Malley and director Patrick Creadon
• Learn how to create your own crossword; read what Bill Clinton and Bob Dole thought of the famous 1996 "Election Day" crossword; try the only New York Times crossword that can't be solved completely with a regular pen or pencil ( it features the Indigo Girls), and much more!
" Wordplay [has] potential to capture the commercial audience that made hits out of documentaries such as Spellbound and Mad Hot Ballroom. "
---Associated Press
Solve Puzzles from the Hit Movie, Learn to Construct Your Own Crosswords, and Much More
"Irresistible...punsters, linguists, and crossword puzzle fanatics everywhere couldn't ask for a more bracing tribute.... Buoyant and exhilaratingly brainy."
---Variety on the movie Wordplay
Are you a crossword fan? Or have you always wondered about the appeal of these puzzles but never tried them yourself? With the premiere of Wordplay, a documentary about crossword puzzles, legendary New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz, and the legions of solvers who devour his creations, here's your chance to become a part of the puzzle craze!
• Featuring some of the greatest puzzles from The New York Times and the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
• With an introduction by Will Shortz; the story of how he created the famous "Wordplay" crossword from constructor Merl Reagle; the inside crossword dope from Jon Stewart, Ken Burns, and others; and the inside story of the movie's creation from producer Christine O'Malley and director Patrick Creadon
• Learn how to create your own crossword; read what Bill Clinton and Bob Dole thought of the famous 1996 "Election Day" crossword; try the only New York Times crossword that can't be solved completely with a regular pen or pencil ( it features the Indigo Girls), and much more!
" Wordplay [has] potential to capture the commercial audience that made hits out of documentaries such as Spellbound and Mad Hot Ballroom. "
---Associated Press
- GenresNonfictionReference
176 pages, Paperback
First published September 5, 2000
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26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 21, 2025
It only took 17 1/2 years to finish %-[
I might not be ready to win the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, but I finished all of these!
I might not be ready to win the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, but I finished all of these!
April 13, 2019
Really interesting behind the scenes look at crossword puzzles. I had no idea just how much went into creating them. I've been doing crossword puzzles for a long time but I had no idea how they were created, the rules and such. So interesting. Maybe it will give me a little boost when I go to solve my next one.
I'd of course seen Will Shortz' name before but it was also interesting to learn of his background and how much he's influenced the development of crossword puzzles. Though I guess it was to be expected from someone who designed his own crossword puzzle college major!
I'd of course seen Will Shortz' name before but it was also interesting to learn of his background and how much he's influenced the development of crossword puzzles. Though I guess it was to be expected from someone who designed his own crossword puzzle college major!
February 13, 2012
This is a companion book to the 2006 documentary about the world of crossword puzzles (yes, I am a hopeless nerd), focusing on Will Shortz, the editor of the New York Times Crossword, and the competitors of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.
As companion books go, this one is pretty thin. There's a brief summary of some but not all of the interviews featured in the film, an expanded and funny chapter written by Merl Reagle on how to construct a crossword, and a chapter about the film's debut at Sundance. The text itself can be read in about an hour. The book's selling point is that it contains a lot of the crossword puzzles discussed in the film, e.g., the infamous Election Night 1996 and the Roy G. Biv puzzles, which crossword junkies have likely already completed either when they were initially published or reprinted in one of the NYT puzzle collections. However, there are also a number of puzzles constructed just for this book, as well as the puzzles used in the 2005 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, with instructions on how to score them so that you can see how you would have placed.
As companion books go, this one is pretty thin. There's a brief summary of some but not all of the interviews featured in the film, an expanded and funny chapter written by Merl Reagle on how to construct a crossword, and a chapter about the film's debut at Sundance. The text itself can be read in about an hour. The book's selling point is that it contains a lot of the crossword puzzles discussed in the film, e.g., the infamous Election Night 1996 and the Roy G. Biv puzzles, which crossword junkies have likely already completed either when they were initially published or reprinted in one of the NYT puzzle collections. However, there are also a number of puzzles constructed just for this book, as well as the puzzles used in the 2005 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, with instructions on how to score them so that you can see how you would have placed.
January 27, 2009
The text is more or less a souvenir of the [excellent:] film. The bonus is the puzzles (about 50) that are included to illustrate various points or showcase different participants in the film. The competition crosswords are included, so you can time yourself and estimate what your rank would have been. I'm not a fast solver, so I doubt I would make it out of the minor leagues here.
I recommend this to anyone who likes crosswords even a little bit. And to those who maybe did some mass-produced or archaic crosswords years ago and got sick of seeing obscure words like "ESNE" and "ADIT" and "ANIL" over and over again -- read this to see how crossword artists like Will Shortz have made puzzles much more fun by using common but creative vocabulary and clever clues.
I recommend this to anyone who likes crosswords even a little bit. And to those who maybe did some mass-produced or archaic crosswords years ago and got sick of seeing obscure words like "ESNE" and "ADIT" and "ANIL" over and over again -- read this to see how crossword artists like Will Shortz have made puzzles much more fun by using common but creative vocabulary and clever clues.
June 20, 2008
I'm not one for movie companion books, and this is really no exception. If you've seen the movie, you've seen everything interesting, and the book doesn't provide any more useful information.
That said, if you enjoy crosswords, the book has plenty to keep you entertained for a while, along with a couple of other puzzles just for fun. Some of the crosswords are featured in the movie (ruining the surprise in those cases), but many of the puzzles are new and still fun to solve.
That said, if you enjoy crosswords, the book has plenty to keep you entertained for a while, along with a couple of other puzzles just for fun. Some of the crosswords are featured in the movie (ruining the surprise in those cases), but many of the puzzles are new and still fun to solve.
January 4, 2013
Great for crossword lovers and anybody who enjoyed the documentary! Interesting factoids, biographies, *and* lots of great puzzles to solve -- what's not to love? I even learned that at my current solving speed, I would have made it into the top 50 in the 2006 tournament (the one that's the focus of the movie).
July 20, 2008
So, this isn't really a book, so much as a guide to the film, which I highly recommend...
I had to give Will some support. He creates puzzles that I couldn't begin to think of. So, as long as he creates them, I will keep trying.
I had to give Will some support. He creates puzzles that I couldn't begin to think of. So, as long as he creates them, I will keep trying.
January 15, 2010
The definitive book for crossword buffs. It covers the hobby from constructors (who are grossly underpaid for their efforts) to die-hard solvers.
There's even a bonus appendix with some of the most popular New York Times puzzles.
There's even a bonus appendix with some of the most popular New York Times puzzles.
Want to read
May 25, 2008Yes. I am the biggest dork ever.
April 6, 2009
A book about the crossword community. Accompanies the documentary film. It's an interesting obsession.
March 8, 2009
I want to befriend Will Shortz.
March 13, 2009
as a minor crossword junkie this was such a fun book to read after seeing the movie!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews