The Curious History of the Riddle
Solve over 250 Riddles, from the Riddle of the Sphinx to Harry Potter
by Marcel Danesi
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Pub Date 26 May 2020 | Archive Date 6 May 2020
Quarto Publishing Group – Wellfleet Press | Wellfleet Press
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Description
The Curious History of the Riddle investigates the fascinating origin and history of the riddle, from the very first riddle (the Riddle of the Sphinx) to the twenty-first century, with riddles found in pop culture, including movies, books, and video games.
Riddles are ageless, timeless, and so common that we hardly ever reflect upon what they are and how they originated. Riddles come in all languages and from all eras of human history, making them a truly “curious” history. In The Curious History of the Riddle, puzzle expert Marcel Danesi delves deep into the riddle's origin and offers a concise snapshot of riddles throughout time—from the Riddle of the Sphinx, to the riddles in Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack and Lewis Carroll’s Alice books, to those found in the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings book series, and much more—covering these fascinating topics:
- Ancient riddles
- Medieval riddles
- Riddles in the Renaissance
- Riddles as part of leisure culture
- Riddles in literature
- Riddles in popular culture
- Rebuses as visual riddles
The Puzzlecraft series from Wellfleet Press tackles some of the greatest conundrums of our time. Learn how to navigate the world’s trickiest mazes, solve the most complex crosswords, and finally get the answer to “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” Follow literature’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, as he guides you through hundreds of challenging cross-fitness brain exercises inspired by his most popular cases and adventures. You can also train your memory to perform better and learn the meanings behind your own personality traits or the traits of others. These handy and portable paperbacks are sized perfectly to travel, whether on vacation or just for your daily commute. The intricately designed covers and bold colors will capture your attention as much as the engaging content inside.
Other titles in the series include: The Curious History of Mazes; The Curious History of the Crossword; Escape from Sherlock Holmes; Sherlock Holmes Puzzles: Code Breakers; Sherlock Holmes Puzzles: Math & Logic Games; Sherlock Holmes Puzzles: Visual Puzzles; Sherlock Holmes Puzzles: Lateral Brain Teasers; Solving Sherlock Homes; Solving Sherlock Holmes Volume II; Maximize Your Memory; and The Book of Personality Tests.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781577151982 |
| PRICE | US$19.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 152 |
Featured Reviews
Cynthia T, Reviewer
I love riddles and hadn’t realised how much history was behind the “making” of riddles.
This book was a very interesting read. It was fun to have not only knowledge about the history of riddles, but also riddles you can solve yourself.
Accompanied with illustrations and clear historical facts, it is a good book to have in your bookshelf and help you impress your friends with witty riddles.
Natalie D, Reviewer
After managing to download the book, I was surprised about the content of the book. Really well thought out and interesting. Had my mind boggled from start to finish.
Phillip C, Reviewer
I like riddles even though I am kind of lousy at solving them. Riddles invite us to start guessing no matter how hard they are, and then we are eager to try them on someone else when we get the answer. They have a long history, which this book presents.
Covering riddles from ancient times to current pop culture, The Curious History of the Riddle shows where they came from and how people are drawn to them. Each chapter includes riddles, some of which can be tricky. Answers to each riddle are included at the end of the book.
This book is an interesting read. I did not realize how much history is packed into something that seems so simple. Besides learning how riddles have fit into cultures, I also have a new pool of them to try on other people.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Linde B, Reviewer
I actually loved this book. This book is about the history of the riddle, and how it evolved over time. I did not expect to like this book this much. It was very informative, and covered a lot of different types of riddles. And also had a lot of references to pop-culture like Harry Potter and Alice in Wonderland, which I liked.
It also features a ton of riddles themselves. I am honestly horrible when it comes to riddles, and I can't solve them whatsoever. Only when I see the answer do I get it. But it was fun to try. I do highly suggest this book to anyone who likes things that are remotely connected to riddles.
Andreea P, Reviewer
This is a beautiful magical book - there are amazing illustrations and pictures, and even more amazing riddles, plus it's full of not only history, but bits and bobs from different domains like philosophy. It's a very very interesting book!
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