Customer Reviews

The New York Times Easiest Crossword Puzzles, Volume 1

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

 

 

I am a crossword addict, but after a tough day at work, I don't have the energy for the Sunday- level NYT Crossword. So when I just want to unwind I get out this book and do one of the puzzles. It refreshes my memory for clues that help me do harder puzzles when I am not fatigued, and still lets me get my crossword fix. The same quality as the other puzzles... just puzzles for the frazzles!

As a person who loves to do crosswords but not very good at doing them this book fills the bill. I find actually being able to complete the puzzles, or most of a puzzle, is very satisfying. The puzzles are not too easy but also not too difficult that they become frustrating. Random House also has a PuzzleMeter on the back cover that lets the reader pick the difficulty and style of the puzzle book. I would highly recommend this new addition to the collection of puzzles from the New York Times.

Often on facing Tuesday to Saturday's puzzles I can do nothing but look up references or directly cheat. As a crossword fan, but not a English mother-tonguer, this collections of NYT's Monday crosswords are my best-loved crossword book.----They are just on my solving skill level. This book is for eveyone who with few solving experience but eagerly want to enjoy high-standard puzzles.

It is hard to find puzzles that are "just right" for my brain. These were just hard enough to make me think a bit but not "brains busters" at all. Because of this I zipped through all 50 much too quickly. I enjoyed each one but was left seriously wanting more. If you like brain fodder more than brain teasers be sure to get a bigger book.

I love doing crossword puzzles even though I'm really not an expert with them. I thought this book would be fun and challenging at the same time. It turned out to be a bit too easy plus it wasn't very big...only 30 puzzles. I felt that the cost wasn't worth the book. The seller was great with it's prompt and courteous service so please be sure to thank them for me.

Anyone that is familiar with The NY Times crosswords knows that they start off being easiest on Monday, and graduate thusly through the week getting harder and harder. Culminating with their Sunday puzzle being the toughest and a head scratcher for sure. To my knowledge, no other major paper seems to use this graduating effect with their puzzles. With most the Sunday puzzle is the traditionally the hardest, with all the rest of the days remaining random. Whats nice about this system is that you know what to expect from the Times as the week progresses. Most of us that do them religiously can pretty much point to a certain day and call that our limit guaranteeing a completion in most cases. (I'm a Thursday, not bad..lol). Rating puzzles as either easy or hard for anyone else is a very difficult task in itself. There are just so many different levels that can personally fit every individual. But the times collection makes it a little bit easier. This selection seems to me to be plucked from the pages of their Monday through Wednesday editions in my opinion. A nice blend of not too easy, but definitely not their toughest from the end of the week either. I presently own this book and am enjoying it immensely. I find the puzzles in it to be perfectly suited for me. I'm not just filling in the blanks with easy clues, but having to stop and think quite often. But eventually I come to finish most of them.

One last thing about the NY Times puzzles. They have some of the most innovative clues that I have run into. Not just the usual "sea bird", "mine entrance" and "Mr. Wallach's first name". Their clues are fun, a little hard sometimes, but very often imaginative and always make sense. Such as, an 11 letter word for "Billfold, formally". Think about it, then read the comments section for the answer. A great collection of puzzles. Highly recommended...

If you are like me and love crosswords, but can not handle the Sunday NY Times ones this is the book for you.

I haven't looked at the first puzzle and I am already bummed out. For $9.95 plus the shipping I expected more puzzles than I received. I consided 50 puzzles to be a rip for aproximately $15.00.

New York Times "Easy" is exaggerated. My girlfriend who is 50x better at crossword puzzles than I am find these New York Times "Easy" puzzles hard. Here's how I rank crosswords puzzles by rank. Easy=Masters degree necessary. Hard=PHD required. Sure I am horrible at any crossword puzzle with a college degree in hand, but come on, if my girlfriend can't do "easy" puzzles there's something wrong.

This book had nice big, easy to read puzzles that are not very difficult. I really enjoyed the spiral binding. My only issue is that 50 puzzles fly by pretty quickly when they are this easy to solve, and for $9.95 I would expect a little bit more.