... a thoughtful and in-depth look at a hobby that has been occupying minds for over a century. Through a combination of historical research and first-person experience, Raphel takes the reader on an engaging and entertaining stroll across and down the cross-world ... It’s a rich and thorough history, one that features a number of fascinating and eccentric characters ... There’s so much here, even for those with a lengthy cruciverbalistic history ... The common thread throughout is the clear passion Raphel has for crosswords, resulting in a fun and celebratory read. She is present on every single page, her joyful love for these puzzles and the people who embrace them is palpable. The combination of historical snapshots and personal experience results in a layered and captivating piece of nonfiction.
At the end of this diverting, informative and discursive book, [Raphel's] love for crosswords is clear, but her reasons—despite a determined effort on her part to explain them—remain, in the end, a puzzle of their own ... Raphel proves a skilled cultural historian, dipping into newspaper archives and movie reels and private correspondence to describe how the crossword came to conquer the world ... It is in the modern era that this book loses its lapidary elegance ... We meet many constructors and their artful creations ... But none of these people seem as vivid as their long-dead predecessors ... no one now alive seems quite as, well, alive ... [Raphel's] affectionate exegesis of this pastime, this passion, this 'temporary madness,' succeeds. Like a good crossword, her book challenges us to back away from our assumptions, allows us to think differently and apply ourselves again.
...I read Thinking Inside the Box and realised the richness of the American relationship to crosswords. Adrienne Raphel, an aficionado, mixes history with reportage from the crossword frontlines ... Her writing is packed with the sort of beautifully observed details you’d expect from a New Yorker contributor.
Raphel takes readers on a deep lexical dive into the history and culture surrounding the beloved linguistic sport ... Her enthusiastic account will appeal to all sorts of puzzle and word lovers, even those who are just dabblers ... lively chapters ... At times the book is uneven, however, with certain chapters more engaging than others. Nonetheless, Thinking Inside the Box offers a unique crossword puzzle tour that will likely have you sharpening your pencil by book’s end.
Investigating the puzzle from all sides is poet Raphel's...stated goal, and she means it, giving depth to a two dimensional puzzle ... Raphel’s approach is reminiscent of Mary Roach’s work, and even cruciverbalists well versed in their hobby’s history will discover something illuminating here. Nonpuzzling readers may discover a new hobby.
Raphel, freely admitting to her puzzle addictions, mingles with enthusiasts at the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament and crosses the seas on a crossword-themed ocean liner. Puzzle nerds (and there are a lot of us) will enjoy this celebration of all things crossword.
...an intriguing and informative look at the crossword puzzle ... This enjoyable survey illuminates many lesser-known aspects of a wildly popular pastime.
