Last’s range and intelligence help sell the importance of the crossword, then and now. Still, its lack of a direct throughline can be frustrating. Like a particularly manic solver, he attacks the subject in an across-and-down fashion ... It’s all relevant, and Last is a bright and witty guide through all of it. He demands a certain comfort level with disorientation, though ... Still, that’s kind of the point: For him, puzzles should motivate solvers to be more than half-thinking box fillers. Instead, we should be comfortable learning new ideas through the puzzle
A love letter to the crossword puzzle that is sprawling in its scope, deeply nerdy in sensibility, and passionate at its core ... Chapter 5...contains some of the most compelling content in the book. This is where Last really digs into the way crossword puzzles can (and have) reinforced cultural hegemony ... Overall, the book reads less like a cohesive narrative of the history of crossword puzzles and more like a collection of essays that include history and relevance to the culture alongside anecdotes both historical and personal. The structure suffers a bit for both meandering and repetition ... It should be at the top of every gift guide for word nerds and puzzle enthusiasts everywhere..
Last is uniquely qualified to present the story of the crossword, having been solving and later constructing puzzles for most of his life ... [A] nuanced analysis.
