Only Connect: The Official Quiz Book

by Jack Waley-Cohen, Victoria Coren Mitchell (Introduction)

RY CLV RNGH? Can you find the connection between Jezebel, Chopin’s piano, Jan Masayrk, and The Burghers of Prague? Only Connect is the ultimate test of knowledge and lateral thinking. Since 2008 the fiendishly difficult quiz show has been challenging contestants to find connections between apparently unrelated clues. The Only Connect Quiz Book collects over 200 of the most entertaining and perplexing challenges from the team behind the BBC’s hugely popular quiz show—including many new (never broadcast) questions. Covering each of the show’s four rounds—Connections, Sequences, the Connecting Wall, and Missing Vowels—and with introductions from presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell, here is your chance to put your own sleuthing and quizzical knowledge to the Only Connect test.

Genres: Nonfiction, Puzzles, Trivia

464 pages, Paperback

Published August 9, 2018

Reviews

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me four years’ worth of relaxing baths to get through this book.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware! You Need to Have Watched the Show to Understand this Quiz Book, This is Essential for fans of Only Connect.

[Erin Sparks · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoy the show, you'll enjoy the book but a few reasons why I couldn't give it any more than 3 stars: most of the content is lifted directly from the shows or slightly adapted with few new questions, so if you have seen most shows, unlikely to be new to you. The edition I had included photo rounds as per the show, but the photos are small and in black and white which made some almost impossible to decipher. Finally, VCM gives advice on how to use the book in a way to replicate the show (and to avoid doing all connections, then all sequences etc), however her 6,6,2,4 advice for how many to do from each section is incorrect and leaves you left with loads of connecting walls and missing vowels sections.

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 4 out of 5]

As TV quiz book tie ins go, this is pretty good, helped by the nature of the quiz itself, which combines intellectual difficulty with trivia. That the name of the quiz it taken from Howards End is indicative that it has intellectual leanings, as well as indicating the nature of the quiz, which is all about connections. Like many similar tie-in books for quizzes, this works less well than the quiz itself, partly because the answers are (mostly) displayed when the page is turned.

[Anya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept and it's captivating to watch, but I guess running on quite random bits of (often British) culture and drawing those connections is simply out of my league.. Tom Scott was great at it though. Respect to all who managed to score any points on such an evil genius game show (especially the Wall).

Sidenote -- anyone else feeling miffed that the subtitle consonants (on the book cover) are not re-spaced, in true form to the show? Should be something real gnarly like, 'thf fclqzb k".

[Ian Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to challenge yourself and to pick up anecdotes about the shows.

[Helen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this. Perfect practice for watching the series and training your brain.

[Capn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best show on television. This book is slightly repetitive if you've seen all the episodes, though. Great if you have a short memory or missed most of the earlier shows