Customer Reviews

Hard-to-Solve Cryptograms

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

 

 

I love a challenging puzzle, but I think a cryptogram should be something other than decoding for the sake of decoding. Be prepared for some of the stupidest solutions you have ever seen.

It is remarkably unsatisfying to decode a crypt like, "Vapid vicar views viper. Vocal vixen violates verdant-hued vineyard. Voyeur vaporized varmints."

It's disappointing that the oldest puzzler's association would think that the way make a puzzle challenging is to mangle grammar, to use nonsensical syntax, or to present utter gibberish like the puzzle above.

These aren't even all that difficult to solve once you get a handle on the style, which renders these puzzles merely annoying. All you get here are some puzzles that shriek, "Look at me! I'm so clever!"

At least the print is so small you can barely read the idiotic solutions. If you want a rewarding puzzle experience, this book is not for you. If you want to look "clever" in the company of intellectual posers, copy the solutions out of the back and leave it laying on the coffee table. Other than that, it's a waste of time.

If you can squint and print as small as you can, then this book is for you. The quips are stupid but some are really a challenge. Lotsa luck!

This book has 3 hints to get you started, if needed. Since I have found these cryptograms to be more challenging, I have had to use the hints to get started.
The only thing I don't like about it is the size of the print, which crowds the space for the solutions.

I bought this for my mom, so I asked her how to review it, and that's just what she told me to say.

I loved this book! I have been working cryptograms for years and found this book to be "something wonderfully different". {One is an entire sentence with nothing but two letter words.} I had difficulty with some of them until I purchased 'The Cryptogram Dictionary' by Lloyd MacCallum. This would certainly have helped the two reviewers who gave it 1 and 2 stars, although I do have to agree that it would have helped if the print had been larger.

Very clever, very satisfying. I wish there were
more books like this one.