Customer Reviews

Puzzle Masterpieces: Elegant Challenges for Crossword Lovers

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a fan of Patrick Berry's variety crosswords in Games magazine for many years, especially the Rows Garden and Some Assembly Required types. This gives you about 40 puzzles' worth, enough for a flight to the moon, never mind San Francisco. Although these aren't cryptic crosswords, the same solver mindset will aid you in their solution. Does rely heavily on pop culture trivia.

If you are already a crossword fan then you might recognize Patrick Berry's name.
If you do not successfully solve the Friday and Saturday New York Times puzzles then this might not be the book for you. These puzzles are very challenging indeed. This beautiful book would make a great gift for the solver on your list. This small hardcover book is almost too pretty to write in. It makes me want to use tracing paper so I can pass it along to someone else. None of the puzzles are the usual grid patterns. They are very unusual and almost works of art. If you think you might be ready for a challenge then this is the book for you.

I absolutely love this book, a gift during a recent surgical convalescence. The puzzles are perfect - hard, but not impossible, some good for one sitting, many that need to be revisited a couple of times, but all satisfying. Many crostic/variety type puzzles lose my interest once they are 'cracked', but not these - the crafting is just fabulous. And the book design/printing is gorgeous and elegant.

Patrick Berry is the BEST puzzle maker! I am always amazed at the totally new constructions he creates. What is neat is when you think you cannot possibly solve one, just come back a little later, or attack from another angle! BUY THIS BOOK

Of all of the puzzle books available, Patrick Berry's Puzzle Masterpieces: Elegant Challenges for Crossword Lovers is by far the best. Each word puzzle is clever, elegant, fun, and just challenging enough that it's possible, but by no means easy, to correctly complete all the answers. I only hope Book 2 is on the way.

This book is so beautiful I almost hate to write in it. It is perfect for anyone who loves crossword puzzles. It would be a great gift to give someone who is a puzzle lover and loves challenging puzzles. It is truly a masterpiece of a book.

. . . so that's all you need to know.

Buy this book. Period.

This book is a treasure. Elegant and well-done! - I Xeroxed the pages, it is too nice to write in, and I plan to do it again in a few years. Patrick Berry's puzzles are so special! The Best!

Was very disappointed; these are NOT crossword puzzles but word VARIETY puzzles, which I'm not too crazy about. Sending it back would have cost as much as the refund so I kept it & occasionally dip into it, but am not overly happy about it. From now on I will read the reviews first.

Patrick Berry is a singularly gifted and creative crossword constructor. This handsome volume features hours of knotty challenges in the form of "variety crosswords": word puzzles that are typically tougher than standard crosswords because you often have to puzzle out where the answers go, not just what each clue's answer is. The answer words and phrases tend to be longer and more interesting than the short words that fill standard crosswords (you know the ones: ERIE, OLEO, ERA, ANTE, etc.).

The book's difficulty level is billed as being Wednesday-level, but many of the puzzles are closer to Saturday NYT level (or beyond). I love that! You can buy easy crosswords at any grocery store newsstand, but it can be hard to find really tough crosswords. For fans of challenging and smart crosswords, "Puzzle Masterpieces" is a treasure.