Puzzled: Secrets and clues from a life in
words
David Astle
Profile Books £14.99
(978-1-84668-542-2)
Church Times Bookshop £13.50
(Use code CT524)
WHEN I first read Notes From A Small Island by Bill
Bryson, I was tempted to think "Blooming cheek! We know our country
better than he does, and here is he purporting to lecture us!" The
same temptation came to me when I picked up this volume by an
Australian, who is clearly big news in his own country as a
crossword-setter and TV personality on the equivalent of our
Countdown.
Anyone who writes a book about crosswords may wish to include
three text elements: a survey of clue types, an overview of the
crossword world, and some personal anecdotes. David Astle has
organised his chapters according to one element (the main types of
clue), and padded them out with the other two. His own history will
be of more interest to his fans down under, I guess, but his
musings on crossword culture are quite illuminating, and he reminds
us of some of our favourite stories, such as the one centred around
the code-words for the D-Day landings.
Each clue type is explained using a host of examples, including
many from his favourite Guardian setters. Readers can also
test their expertise with sample crosswords and "quizlings", backed
up by solutions and explanations.
There is one telling error, where the author claims that Colin
Dexter was a keen entrant in The Listener's clue-writing
competitions. Had he been more aware of the tradition of Ximenes
and Azed, he would have known that those competitions are in
The Observer.
And here we come to a sticky matter. Strict(ish) grammarians
(such as myself) who write clues following the tradition of Ximenes
are adjudged to be "much like the classics master who demands a
clinical translation of Virgil", while others with a more
"libertarian" approach are "splashing colour on the canvas to
mirror the galaxy that Virgil wrote about". I am afraid that this
is poppycock, and I am sorry to say that among a number of the
author's good, sound clues (with "colour") there are rather too
many poor "libertarian" ones, including some that that are
"monochrome" and make little real sense.
Such a flaw makes this beguiling tome dangerous for any would-be
Church Times setter. That is a great pity in a chatty book
that otherwise offers much to enjoy.
Don Manley contributes crosswords to several newspapers, and
is the crossword editor of the Church Times.