Powys Mathers (1892–1939)

"I did not quite agree with De Quincey that murders in Ireland did not count..."

Such fun! In 1934, famed crossword compiler Torquemada published a book of puzzles, all as terrifying as each other. But the final 100 pages were even more so: a modernist murder mystery novel, with all the pages out of order. The puzzler's goal is to identify the full names all six victims and the murderer or murderers, as well as the exact order of the pages. Nothing hazy, nothing guessed at. Only the exact show more solution. Two people achieved it in 1934. Perhaps more impressive - without Google! Perhaps less impressive - they didn't have to investigate the obvious references to mundane aspects of 1930s life which now read like cryptic crosswords themselves!

After 85 years, Unbound has released Cain's Jawbone in a lovely commemorative box, with 100 individual cards so potential detectives can rearrange them to their heart's content. The prize is 1,000 of those fancy British Pounds, and the deadline for completion is 12 months (plus a few weeks for those of us lucky enough to have joined the crowdfunding campaign).

"They had, in the words of the old song, gone the same way home."

It's a challenging task at the best of times. Even the characters' names are hidden behind a shroud of wordplay and literary references. Torquemada (aka Edward Powys Mathers) covers the reader in a deluge of poetry and wit. The narration - in contemporary 1930s style - is often stream-of-consciousness, rendering the connections between pages as discombobulating as trying to figure out the plot. There's a lot of rather queer business going on with small metallic objects, some rather large yews, some gum prunes, and something called Lover's Delight. The solution seems impossible!

But it is there. After spending a delightful (if often headscratching) month in Torquemada's world, I now understand everything... most things... some things... enough things to make a feint at a solution to this demonic confection. Thus I have humbly submitted my answer sheet to Unbound today, and will have to wait patiently until September 2020 (the competition deadline) to find out just how close I got to being completely and utterly incorrect.

No, seriously. I definitely didn't get it completely right; I marvel at the person who can do so. But on reflection I suspect I hit the 90-95% mark. Perhaps, once the competition is over, I will publish a piece on the interwebs about my process and the meaning of it all. Until then, my lips are sealed.

"I always felt a bit dazed on these occasions, and was so then."

This is, as the box says, "not for the faint hearted". You will need to research, think outside the box, be open to scrunching up your pet theories and tossing them into the trash, and occasionally walking around in public berating yourself like a loon when you have a moment of revelation while on the tram. If all of this sounds worthwhile to you (i.e. like me, you have no life), what are you waiting for?

What's that? Really? Okay, if you insist. The only clue I can give you is the clue that is given on the first page of the introductory booklet: there is one correct order. In a puzzle like this, there has to be. Which means: if you're just guessing the link between any two given pages, you're not reading the clues thoroughly enough.

Good luck, and happy puzzling! show less

This review is for the 2005 edition of The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night by Assouline Publishing, which features a translation by Powys Mathers (although Amazon's data lists the translation as Richard Burton's, that is incorrect). This edition also features stunning illustrations by Leon Carre and beautiful ornamental design by Racim Mohammed. In fact the illustrations are the reason I purchased this book and thought that a review that focused on this might be useful to other show more readers. The illustrations were originally from an older multi-volume edition published in the 1920s. This "coffee-table book" sized edition only contains about 20 full page colour plates, a sample of the original number, but as the illustrations are linked to the stories selected, and those are just a small sample of the tales, it is understandable. Leon Carre's illustrations are lush, detailed, and exotic. The colours, patterns of the carpets, details of the garden are a feast for the eyes and perfectly portrays the sense of wonder and exoticism the reader envisions while reading the stories. The ornamental designs by Racim Mohammend adorn the pages throughout the book, with particularly elaborate work on the title and first pages of each tale. They match well with Carre's illustrations and add to the richness of this book. The book also comes in a slipcase, which features another full-sized illustration by Carre.
If you are looking for a beautiful illustrated edition of 1001 nights, I highly recommend this book. It is both affordable and gorgeous! show less

I really wanted to read this because it was finished by Torquemada, and was the only mystery he ever wrote, despite writing the world's hardest crossword puzzles for the Observer and being their mystery reviewer. Cain's Jawbone emphatically does not count -- and that's not because I'm no closer to solving it than when I started. But the mystery is obvious from the start (which is how I feel about most of Fletcher's mysteries.

Have I read through this multiple times?
Yes.

Do I have special notebook just for notes?
Yes.

Do I have a second copy just to cut apart to physically move things around?
Yes.

Am I close to solving this?
Not at all.

Is it fun?
Yeah