Alan ConnorBesprekingen

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.

Probably just as good as his book on crosswords , but I'm less interested in the topic and found the question-answer gimmick slightly annoying. (The text is interspersed with quiz-style questions -- often real-world examples from the shows under discussion, sometimes just facts that could easily have been included normally in the text -- with the answers printed upside-down at the foot of the page. In most cases I found this broke my reading flow without adding much interest.) Still good fun though: Connor is a very engaging writer, he bothers to do his research, and he knows how to give the reader an easy time without being boringly shallow or patronising.

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.

Loved this book ! It was a fun fact-filled history of crossword puzzles . There are chapters on the constructors , celebrity solvers , and even gives the reader tips on solving different types of puzzles . It was a fun fast read !

A fun and interesting book to read. Many facts and well written.

A breezy and enjoyable discussion of tidbits and curious aspects of crosswords: not so much an inventory or assay of the history, as the title might suggested, but a dip into specific developments. Some are historic and arguably influential on the phenomena, but many simply of interest to Connor. Connor divides the essays into the development of the rules and conventions (collected as the Across section) and those more or less examining the cultural influence (in Down, characterised as "what happens to the crossword once it escapes into the world and meets its solvers"). These essays apparently originated as newspaper columns, which gives a fair idea of the length and depth of the discussions.

The British cryptic was always beyond my ken, and though I'm no nearer to taking it up, it makes a good deal more sense now Connor's explained it. A bit of a crossword on overdrive, but emphasizing the clues more than the assembled configuration of words and how those interplay in a crossword. Connor avers that in Britain at least, "quick crosswords in tabloids were for the workers; cryptics were for those who had had a classical education." [62] The state of affairs after the initial collective shock of crosswords being a malign influence (much like billiards or the cinema?) had worn off, and became a rampant success.

Amounted to an entertaining diversion with a pleasant conversationalist. Whets the appetite for a proper examination of the history and conventions of the puzzle, though.

My crossword credentials are suspect. Anything beyond the New York Times Tuesday puzzle is foreign territory and seemingly beyond my reach — or at least my patience. And yet I am drawn to them and admire those geniuses that manage to gobble a week's worth before their morning breakfast has cooled.

The history of crosswords is full of the kind of characters and episodes that make biography and history such a fascinating read. Alan Conner’s The Crossword Century is such a book. Concise at 180 pages, each one is rich in word lore and and invention. Though the book has the appearance of being culled from a weekly crossword column (which it was), it is nevertheless a joyful, quick read for a lazy summer afternoon before tackling the Sunday Puzzle.

As a crossword addict, I found this book entertaining and a great deal of fun to read. I did feel, however, that The Crossword Century was a bit scattered and included many sections that could have been expanded.

I would have like to have seen the first half of the book in particular, which focused on crossword history as opposed to trivia, flushed out a bit more. Connor introduces many characters and events involved in the creation and popularization of crossword puzzles, but spends very little time detailing them. The book's chapters are short, usually well under 10 pages, which makes for easy, quick reading but left this reader wanting more information.½

The Crossword Century (New York; Gotham Books, 2014), by Alan Connor, is the first time I requested a book review copy from LibraryThing simply to be entertained and, for that reason alone, I was predisposed to liking it. For the most part, it met expectations. Its shortfalls to an American reader lay in the fact that the author is British and many chapters are devoted to their unique way of constructing puzzle clues. However, it does make the reader want to seek out one of these constructions from across the pond so little harm is done.
It is a given that a lover of crosswords is also a lover of trivia and this book does a good job of supplying new entries. The etymological relationship between the word “downs” (as in Churchill Downs) and dunes was illuminating. Like the best of fun facts, it makes one say, “But of course! Why didn’t I put the two and two together before!”
It was also fascinating to learn of composer Stephen Sondheim’s love of crosswords and his contributions to the field. An additional bonus is finding out that the composer has helped write movie scripts.
There is one field that Connor does not broach and that is: How much do crossword constructors get paid? It would have made for an interesting subject and leaves a hole in understanding the crossword universe.
One minor gripe, not particularly related to the enjoyment of the book, is Connor being yet another example growing in prevalence in the last 20 years or so, of someone who doesn’t know when to, and when not to, use ellipses. If the phrase/sentence can stand using a period, then ellipses are an inappropriate contrivance…

Received as part of the "Early Reviewer" program. This is a light, easy read that you can enjoy in small snippets or just race through in one sitting. It gives a good overview of the history of crosswords, most of which was new to me.

It is not riveting, but is interesting enough to keep you reading.½

This is a short book (under 200 pages) that celebrates the crossword puzzle on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. Rather than being a straightforward documentary history, it's a collection of short chapters on a variety of subjects relating to the crossword puzzle, including proposals via crossword, famous crossword afficionados, and the Simpson's episode that was connected to the Sunday Times puzzle. The author is British, so the book looks at both American and British (cryptic) crosswords. There were some interesting tidbits, but I wish the narrative had been more sustained.

Alan Connor's The a Crossword Century is a fine little book on the history, cultural impact and appeal of crosswords over the last 100 years. It's fun and informative, but pretty light and fluffy. If you're a crossword fan, there are interesting nuggets here, but a longer, deeper book would have been better.½

I was more excited by the premise--and promise--of this book than I was by its presentation. The topic is certainly worthy of book-length treatment; but I felt the chapters--essentially independent essays related to the idea of crossword puzzles and other such diversions--didn't hang together particularly well. They are, though, filled with a remarkable amount of trivia on matters linguistic, historical, and otherwise. I wasn't keen on the way in which many chapters ended in ellipses: Was the idea to bridge a transition that the reader was to supply on his or her own? Perhaps the advance uncorrected proof I received via the LibraryThing Early Reviewers scheme was simply lacking an important piece? I compared this book with Connor's Two Girls, One on Each Knee: The Puzzling, Playful World of the Crossword, released in the UK in 2013, and I found that the contents of that version had been incorporated into a crossword puzzle themselves near the outset of the book. Hmm. Why was the same not done in the US edition? The first two sentences of the Introduction to this edition are: "This is a book about having FUN with words. And if you're wondering why that word is in capital letters, all will become clear." When? Maybe I was just not an observant enough reader (odd, though, since I noticed quite a number of errors--particularly answers to clues that didn't quite match the number of letters prompted [the answers typically needed to be pluralized]). If the words in all caps throughout the book were to have been used in some sort of crossword, I missed that element. (Given the type of book it is, though, I expected twists and tricks and games and other such, well, normally unexpected elements.) Anyway, I did like how Connor bridged the Atlantic (focusing primarily on the UK and the USA); but I would enjoyed the presentations MUCH more if additional examples had been included--particularly of the acrostics and clues for cryptic crosswords. And actual examples of non-English crosswords would have been a lovely addition (as opposed simply to having to read about them in prose form). Indeed: Shouldn't I have been inspired to pick up a pen (or pencil) while reading and interact with the book? (Such had been my hope.)

I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers. I was really excited when I saw it because my boyfriend and I do crosswords every day through an app that aggregates a bunch of crosswords from different sources. A book about the history of crosswords definitely allows for an interesting structure and organization. Connor has an "Across" section and a "Down" section. The Across chapters are all devoted to the history and evolution of crosswords from December 21, 1913 to present day, while the Down chapters are more concerned with how crosswords have fit in socially and culturally since their invention. My favorite chapter in the Across sections were about the "language" of crossword puzzles and common words that show up frequently (EMU, for one). But personally, my favorite parts were the Down chapters. I was a History major in college and found that I gravitated towards social and cultural history more than anything else.The parts about what constitutes cheating and whether you prefer to do puzzles alone or with a partner were really interesting. My boyfriend and I are usually at odds over what we consider cheating, so it was entertaining to know that we are not the only ones having these debates! Overall, if you enjoy doing crosswords, it should be an interesting read for you.

Finally, I have had the chance to read this book after completing others on my list! Wow!. I'm so sorry I waited. This is a great read. Full of dry humour. Really LOL stuff, too. My mother worked on crosswords when I was young. I never did though. But recently I got together with my adult daughter who loves word puzzles. We work together on the challenge and I have grown to love the process.

Surprisingly, the book is not dull and covers the history of crossword puzzles revealing its importance during World War II ; i.e., Bletchley Circle and other secret hide-a-ways for crosswords to appear like "ninas". If you don't know what that is, please read this very delightful book that speeds along with tons of info and interesting people who did crosswords that you wouldn't think did it. You will not be sorry you did....and perhaps you, too, will get "hooked".

thank you librarything!
this book was sent very quickly and I was excited to get it. Although it not one of my favorites, it was definitely a nice read, and it didn't take too long.I recommend this book for crossword fanatics!

A rather disappointing book about Crossword Puzzles. The author jumps around topics too much (is this a book about cross words in the USA or in the UK?) There seems to be no theme or reason. I do like the historical aspect of it (for example, it was fad that many people saw as the death of culture). I also liked the differences between the UK crosswords vs the crosswords in the USA. But, everything is jumbled. History one chapter, the more famous crossword creators the next. It was hard to stay focused.

On top of it all, this seemed to be a book of essays, with some chapters being filler and not very well written. There are also some grammatical and spelling errors - but this is an early reviewer book - so I would assume the book will be mostly error free on final publishing.

So in review, a few interesting tidbits, but no coherence of topics and mostly mediocre writing.

THE CROSSWORD CENTURY by Alan Connor who writes a column about crosswords for England’s The Guardian newspaper has put together a short, pleasurable book about the subject. Covering both it’s history and the many forms of the word puzzle, this is a book that will be enjoyed by both fans of the puzzlers and others who which to take a quick peek into this worldwide enjoyment.
I assume this is a reworked collection of his columns but still there are many curiosities included which will come as a surprise to the average fan. Sure to please all readers.

A breezy and quite readable survey of some of the history of the crossword puzzle in Britain and the US. Written in short chapters, none of which will take as long to read as it would to do even a Monday puzzle. Perfect for grabbing for a chapter or two at a time, in those in between moments. Maybe while you are stuck on 22 down.

The book in theory is divided into two parts: across, describing the creation of puzzles, and down, describing "what happens to the crossword once it escapes into the world and meets its solvers." Without having been told this in the introduction, I doubt I would have noticed much difference between the contents of the two sections. Which is a good indication of the tone of the book; more concerned with being entertaining than rigorous.

The author writes a biweekly column on crosswords for The Guardian, which I've not seen, but it would not surprise me if many of the chapters are similar in form to that column.

Short book that will appeal mostly to avid crossword fans. I found the part on the history of the crosswords quite interesting; the sections on how to play the games not so much so. In particular, since the author is English, he spends quite a bit of time on crostics, which didn't interest me. Where I would have preferred some attention is on some of the characters and people who have been involved with crosswords. I think he spoke to a lot of people in his research, and it would have been interesting to have heard some of their stories. Only takes a couple of hours to read, so if you're a crossword fan, it's worth a look.

I love crossword puzzles and the few times that my newspaper had not arrived at my door - I was quick to call them or got get one. However, most of the information contained in this book can be found elsewhere. The first half of the book (Across) - was drawn out and the second half (Down) was just slightly better. About the only surprise I found was the fact that puzzles were once considered to be detrimental to society. Somewhat like today's electronic gadgets, ever try to talk to someone on one of these. I was looking forward (more) to reading about some of the people who put these puzzles together. It seems this book just skims through the topic. I won this book from LibraryThing early reviewers and I thank them.

I like crosswords as much as the next person--I'm no fanatic, but I thought I might enjoy a quick examination of the history and conventions of this perennially popular puzzle format. This slight, breezy book provided such an overview. I found the history of the crossword puzzles interesting--did you know that crossword puzzles were once regarded as a threat to society, somewhat like video games are today? However, I got lost in the drawn-out discussion of "cryptic" puzzles, which require the solver to think in terms of anagrams, acrostics, and other clever formulations to fill in the grid. I also found (with a few exceptions, such as a more-detailed-than-necessary recap of an episode of The Simpsons that involved crossword puzzles) that the book had a decidedly British slant.

If you really like crosswords, especially the difficult "cryptic" kind, you may enjoy this book.

There are some interesting anecdotes and a few hints to make you a better puzzler, but this book really didn't live up to my expectations. I was hoping it would be a thorough history, but it didn't go into much depth at all. The chapters and even the paragraphs were all breezily short. It felt more like an outline or first draft of the book I wanted to read. Oddly it discussed British crosswords and other puzzles more than American ones.½

This is a review of Alan Connor’s book The Crossword Century: 100 Years of Witty Wordplay, Ingenious Puzzles, and Linguistic Mischief, published by Gotham Books.

I’ve been inspired. I want to let you know what I think of this book and will resort to my first attempt at a Cryptic puzzle clue to do so. The answer, such as it is, will appear at the end of the review. Here we go, - An archer’s best placement - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (8 letters).

If the execution of this cryptic is poor blame me. But give credit to Connor for making me want to try my hand at this esoteric art. Connor is one of those clever writers who can make the construction of a pencil or the workings of an escalator seem like a passion worth pursuing. The subject matter becomes so absorbing in his hands that I began to look for hidden messages in the naming and arrangement of his chapters. (I’m still convinced they’re there, I’m just not clever enough to find them.)

Crossword Century contains an overview of nearly everything you might wish to know about word related puzzles. Their introduction, their use in espionage - whether real or imagined – the unspoken rules existing between constructors and solvers (Was I fair in the above puzzle? Read and find out.), the battle between humans and computers, puzzles in mystery literature, the future of the puzzlers, and much more.

Credit Connor with using the journalist’s flair for adding just the right amount of curious and intriguing stories to move the more practical elements of crossword-ing along.

This was a very enjoyable and rewarding read. What did I think of it? Here’s the answer to my, perhaps, crummy cryptic: TOPNOTCH.

Very quick read (one Sunday afternoon). Breezy and non-acadmic, this books takes you quickly through the development of the crossword (as the title implies, a century ago), and its spread. The first half (across) focuses on construction and publication of crosswords, while the second (down) turns its attention to solvers. A handy chapter gives helps for solving 'cryptic' crosswords more popular in England. A few pecularities are the authors fondness of ending chapters with elipses rather than actually providing a meaning segue to the next chapter's topic, and the predominance of the UK crossworders after the first few chapters.