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The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers
An extraordinary, gloriously uplifting novel about the power of friendship and the puzzling ties that bind us
Clayton Stumper might be twenty-six years old, but he dresses like your grandpa and drinks sherry like your aunt. Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by a group of eccentric enigmatologists and now finds himself among the last survivors of a fading institution.
When the esteemed crossword compiler and main maternal presence in Clayton's life, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle on him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for life beyond the walls of the commune. As Clay begins to unpick the clues, he uncovers something even the Fellowship have never been able to solve—and it's a secret that has the potential to change everything.
Clayton Stumper might be twenty-six years old, but he dresses like your grandpa and drinks sherry like your aunt. Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by a group of eccentric enigmatologists and now finds himself among the last survivors of a fading institution.
When the esteemed crossword compiler and main maternal presence in Clayton's life, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle on him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for life beyond the walls of the commune. As Clay begins to unpick the clues, he uncovers something even the Fellowship have never been able to solve—and it's a secret that has the potential to change everything.
362 pages, Hardcover
First published April 9, 2024
1,214 people are currently reading
45.8k people want to read
About the author
Samuel Burr
3books201followersSamuel Burr is a TV producer who has worked on popular factual shows including the BAFTA-nominated Secret Life of 4-Year-Olds. Samuel’s writing was selected for Penguin’s WriteNow scheme and in 2021 he graduated from the Faber Academy. He previously studied at Westminster Film School.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,024 reviews
February 26, 2024
If ever a book was written for a specific audience, this is it. Puzzle lovers will immediately feel at home with a complete sense of understanding what drives these characters. At the beginning, Pippa asks why the fellowship members do puzzles - Destiny, Ritual, Inspire, Respite, Stimulation, Rapture, Erudition, Tradition, Healing, Mischief. What will be interesting is how many readers are delayed because of taking the time to actually try to complete some of the puzzles.
For a book that covers the intelligence of puzzle makers, the author lacked a grasp of simple math. Pippa is 67 when she finds a baby she named Clayton on the steps of the fellowship hall. She’s 89 when she dies, yet the book states that Clayton is 25 at the time of her death. I’m hoping as this is an ARC, it gets corrected before publication. Luckily, Burr is much better at writing than math. This is a gloriously written book with phrases and descriptions I fell in love with. With a few well chosen words, he can describe a scene or a character.
The story is told along two timelines. There is Clayton’s present day quest to know his background and the past timeline of Pippa’s life pre-Clayton. I immediately connected with Pippa. Not her brains, heaven knows, but that she’s the rare woman in a group, her desire to always have to be the one to fix a problem, her shouldering the weight of the world. But she’s also someone willing to create her own family, to find a group of “allies”. Clayton, is an old man in a young man’s body. And after being sheltered for his first 25 years, he’s now stepping out into the world. Like Pippa, he is also a caring person, one who consistently seeks to be there for others. But all the characters are equally enjoyable.
I highly recommend this for folks that love a story about finding yourself and making your own family. It’s a book that encompasses all the different varieties of love.
My thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for an advance copy of this book.
For a book that covers the intelligence of puzzle makers, the author lacked a grasp of simple math. Pippa is 67 when she finds a baby she named Clayton on the steps of the fellowship hall. She’s 89 when she dies, yet the book states that Clayton is 25 at the time of her death. I’m hoping as this is an ARC, it gets corrected before publication. Luckily, Burr is much better at writing than math. This is a gloriously written book with phrases and descriptions I fell in love with. With a few well chosen words, he can describe a scene or a character.
The story is told along two timelines. There is Clayton’s present day quest to know his background and the past timeline of Pippa’s life pre-Clayton. I immediately connected with Pippa. Not her brains, heaven knows, but that she’s the rare woman in a group, her desire to always have to be the one to fix a problem, her shouldering the weight of the world. But she’s also someone willing to create her own family, to find a group of “allies”. Clayton, is an old man in a young man’s body. And after being sheltered for his first 25 years, he’s now stepping out into the world. Like Pippa, he is also a caring person, one who consistently seeks to be there for others. But all the characters are equally enjoyable.
I highly recommend this for folks that love a story about finding yourself and making your own family. It’s a book that encompasses all the different varieties of love.
My thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday for an advance copy of this book.
April 9, 2024
3.5 stars
Fiftysomething Pippa Allsbrook is an unmarried cruciverbalist (crossword puzzle enthusiast) who longs to socialize with like-minded individuals.
So Pippa starts a club called 'The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers', and recruits a variety of puzzlers, including: a codebreaker, an arithmetician; a trivialist; a jigsaw puzzle maker; an inventor of mechanical puzzles; a maze-designer; etc.
All the puzzlemakers - and the folks they meet - are engaging, each with his/her individual history, personality, and quirks. For instance, Sir Derek Wadlow, a codebreaker, was part of the team that built the Enigma machine at Bletchley Park;
Earl Vosey is a personable maze-maker whose wife has cancer;
Nancy Stone is a cab driver who excels at trivia;
Hector Haywood is a quiet artist turned jigsaw designer;
Angel, a housekeeper/cook, means well but causes chaos; and more.
In time the puzzlers become a kind of family, and decide to share a big house in the country, with a room for each resident, and studios and outbuildings where the puzzlemakers can work. The members, who make money from their puzzles, contribute to the household expenses.
Pippa never had a child, and she feels an absence in her life.
Then one day a miracle happens. A black leather hatbox with gold trim is left on the doorstep of the Fellowship residence. Inside the box is a baby boy, only a few days old.
Pippa becomes the boy's guardian, and all the puzzlemakers help raise the little fellow, who's named Clayton Stumper. Clayton is very happy at the Fellowship, though he's curious about his history: Who are his parents? Why did they give him away? Clayton can't seem to get any answers.
Then when Clayton is twenty-five, Pippa dies and leaves Clayton a series of puzzles to solve. The puzzles are actually a kind of treasure hunt that provides clues about Clayton's parents. The crosswords and riddles take Clayton to London.......
.....and then to the continent, and Clayton, who was very sheltered at the Fellowship, makes new friends along the way.
The story is told in dual timelines, so that Clayton's adventures in the present alternate with flashbacks to the past, when the puzzlemakers come together, establish their fellowship, 'adopt' Clayton, and so on.
I enjoyed this charming story, which shows that a diverse group of people can become a family; and that love can fluorish in unexpected places. As a bonus, the enthusiastic reader can try to solve the puzzles along with Clayton (they're not so easy).
Thanks to Netgalley, Samuel Burr, and Doubleday for a copy of the book.
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April 5, 2024
4.5 stars
What an absolutely lovely story! It’s part mystery but the heartfelt sentiment throughout is really what made the book for me.
Clayton Stumper is 26 years old and is on the hunt for answers as to why he was left at birth on the steps of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers. Pippa Allsbrook founded the group decades ago. It started off as a weekly meeting bringing together experts in such things as crosswords, codebreaking and other logic puzzles. Camaraderie developed which is why the members decided to live on a commune together where each one would create puzzles to sell to the general public. After the death of Pippa, the maternal figure in Clayton’s life, she leaves behind clues so he can finally uncover the mystery of his parentage.
I truly adored this book and the cast of characters. A beautiful example of how people from all walks of life can become a family. This is a book to read when you need a bit of a pick me up and a reminder to keep your faith in humanity.
Recommend to the fans of The Wishing Game or anyone in the mood for a heartwarming tale.
Thank you Anchor Books for sending me an advance reader’s copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
What an absolutely lovely story! It’s part mystery but the heartfelt sentiment throughout is really what made the book for me.
Clayton Stumper is 26 years old and is on the hunt for answers as to why he was left at birth on the steps of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers. Pippa Allsbrook founded the group decades ago. It started off as a weekly meeting bringing together experts in such things as crosswords, codebreaking and other logic puzzles. Camaraderie developed which is why the members decided to live on a commune together where each one would create puzzles to sell to the general public. After the death of Pippa, the maternal figure in Clayton’s life, she leaves behind clues so he can finally uncover the mystery of his parentage.
I truly adored this book and the cast of characters. A beautiful example of how people from all walks of life can become a family. This is a book to read when you need a bit of a pick me up and a reminder to keep your faith in humanity.
Recommend to the fans of The Wishing Game or anyone in the mood for a heartwarming tale.
Thank you Anchor Books for sending me an advance reader’s copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
October 18, 2023
*Thank you to the publishers via Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review*
While I appreciated the central themes of this book (i.e. it's never to late to find your people/a place you belong and the importance of community) and the interactivity of the puzzles throughout, I feel as though the writing felt slightly distanced from both the plot and the characters. Clayton is the primary character giving us the present day-POV, while his adoptive mother, Pippa, is the past-POV. I truly think that more time should have been spent in the present day. While it was interesting seeing the creation of the Fellowship, at times it felt like it dragged. I would've appreciated more time in the present, letting Clayton gain a bit more agency as a character, or, if there had to be a POV set in the past, that it followed Clayton from his early years, so that both Clayton and the other members of the Fellowship would get more fleshed out as characters. As it is, I never really connected to any of the characters and the more emotional beats never quite hit in the way that I wanted them to. The ending as well felt rather anti-climactic and, given how much it was built up, something that didn't feel entirely earned.
I guess I just wanted something that showed more than told, while also inviting the reader into the Fellowship. I appreciate what it tried to do, but ultimately the book wasn't for me.
While I appreciated the central themes of this book (i.e. it's never to late to find your people/a place you belong and the importance of community) and the interactivity of the puzzles throughout, I feel as though the writing felt slightly distanced from both the plot and the characters. Clayton is the primary character giving us the present day-POV, while his adoptive mother, Pippa, is the past-POV. I truly think that more time should have been spent in the present day. While it was interesting seeing the creation of the Fellowship, at times it felt like it dragged. I would've appreciated more time in the present, letting Clayton gain a bit more agency as a character, or, if there had to be a POV set in the past, that it followed Clayton from his early years, so that both Clayton and the other members of the Fellowship would get more fleshed out as characters. As it is, I never really connected to any of the characters and the more emotional beats never quite hit in the way that I wanted them to. The ending as well felt rather anti-climactic and, given how much it was built up, something that didn't feel entirely earned.
I guess I just wanted something that showed more than told, while also inviting the reader into the Fellowship. I appreciate what it tried to do, but ultimately the book wasn't for me.
May 18, 2024
Picked this one out as one of my birthday books from Barnes & Noble. It beat out Salman Rushdie's new memoir Knife because it sold itself as being a mystery for people who love puzzles ... as in crosswords and shit. And I looked at myself and said, "Thass me!" But I kinda knew going in that I probably wouldn't like this one very much overall, simply because it sounded like something that would appeal mostly to old ladies. Not that there's anything wrong with that in and of itself -- it's just that I'm not an old lady.
I do love puzzles though! And this one has puzzles included for readers to solve and that are woven into the narrative, so it's interactive puzzling-reading! And I'm such a big sucker that I bought it, plopped down in my reading chair next to Constance, my wife and steadfast reading companion, and after reading a few pages, I turned to her and said, "This is definitely one for old ladies. But, the author's a dude, right? Samuel Burr? So, there's gotta be some manly puzzle-solving or something going on with it." I flipped to the flap on the back cover (flipped to the flap haha), and had a good chuckle at the author's photo, because he looks like a big, goofy kid in it posing for a school picture. Then I read his bio -- he does charity work for the elderly and he has a cat named Muriel.
![](https://i.imgur.com/dwXevbs.jpeg")
"Oh."
I flipped through the pages.
"Well ... there are puzzles here. And it's not terribly written. It's not great, but it's standard fluff. Maybe I can tough it out for the sake of the puzzles...?"
And tough it out I did.
So, let's get the narrative review out of the way first. Early on in my reading of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, I told Constance that I was actually enjoying the characters -- This eccentric group of elderly folks who are all master enigmatologists in some form or another. Pippa, the main protagonist of the earlier timeline, who is a renowned cruciverbalist and forms the entire fellowship; Hector, the homeless jigsaw artist; Nance, the brash London cabbie and master quizzler; and even Angel, the well-meaning but bungling housekeeper. But I soon found that I was getting pretty bored of these people. Even though they each have their own narrative arc, progress through those arcs comes in fits and starts -- spurts of "Well, this shit is happening to me all of a sudden." But they mostly just hang around the Fellowship house, talking about their projects and mildly flirting with one another. Most disastrous of all is how under-realized the remaining Fellowship members are. I know there's a maze-maker, but I couldn't tell you his name. And a dude who crafts puzzles out of wood. And I think there's a riddler, but I couldn't be sure. There's definitely a guy who does puzzles with numbers ... ? One of them is gay, but I couldn't tell you which. And one of them has caught Pippa's romantic eye ... I think it was the maze guy.
This is such an unforgivable travesty, because I'm certain (like 98% certain) that Samuel Burr has populated his book with people that he knows in real life. He could have done his subjects a bit of justice by giving them all memorable personalities. And even if they aren't based on real people, at least make them memorable for the reader! Especially if the dominant theme of that timeline is about fellowship, about people coming together and accomplishing shit as a group. And they're puzzlemakers! How cool is that? But, unfortunately, the mere fact of their vocation is their defining characteristic.
The other timeline features 26-year-old Clayton Stumper. He was dropped off on the Fellowship's doorstep as an infant and was raised by Pippa and her friends, never really stepping out of the Fellowship's environs. Shortly after Pippa's death, Clayton decides he wants to find out who his real parents are, and it turns out that Pippa has bequeathed him a puzzle-styled scavenger hunt for him to uncover the clues of his past. This dude is such a milquetoast, and I hate saying that because I'm certain (like 99% certain) that he's based on the author himself (Muriel the cat features in this book, y'know?). But this is the timeline where all of the novel's puzzles are featured, as Clayton attempts to work through Pippa's clues as he advances on his quest. Along the way, he has such harrowing adventures as -- walking down the street. Approaching the wrong house. Talking to some old woman on a bench. Visiting an old-folks' home. Visiting a museum. Taking a cab ride.
You get the picture.
There is a little bit of romance worked into Clayton's adventure, but it's kind of cringey and juvenile for a character who's nearly 30. There's also some action in the form of a surprise mugging that serves no purpose at all other than to force the romance I just mentioned. The fact that Clayton loses all of his money in the event doesn't seem to hinder him from taking hotel rooms and cabs for the remainder of the adventure.
I think I get the point of Clayton's storyline. It's a coming-of-age story, in a way. Finding oneself and one's place in the world. But it's all very mundane, and the puzzle-solving is the only thing that gives it a glimmer of interest.
Well ... it would have given it a glimmer of interest if the puzzles weren't so shittily constructed.
Clayton's entire adventure is sparked by Pippa leaving him one final crossword to solve. I'd upload a photo of this crossword, but I've already filled it in and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. But really, there's not much to spoil. For a master cruciverbalist, Pippa's created a pretty lame crossword. There are 10 across clues and 10 down clues, with minor overlap within the grid. This makes it quite unfun to solve because the clues are occasionally so cryptic and vague that you need the letters from the connecting acrosses or downs to solve them with any certainty. The one clue I got hung up on was purely from poor construction. The clue was "a hungry desire." Now, as any crossword solver will tell you, when a clue is written as a noun (like this one is), then the answer to the clue must also be a noun. The actual answer had entered my mind a few times, but I dismissed it because it's a verb. But no. The answer to "a hungry desire" is a verb in Pippa's puzzle, so this just made me want to light the entire book on fire. Cause it's the whole reason I bought the thing to begin with!
I feel pretty ripped off. But here's worse. Check out this maze.
Solve the maze to reveal the message?? Okay!!
What the .... ?
So. Okay then. $30 for a shit story with the hopes that the puzzling will be worth it, and this is what I'm given.
Pretty sure I'll just stick with my NY Times Games subscription from now on.
I do love puzzles though! And this one has puzzles included for readers to solve and that are woven into the narrative, so it's interactive puzzling-reading! And I'm such a big sucker that I bought it, plopped down in my reading chair next to Constance, my wife and steadfast reading companion, and after reading a few pages, I turned to her and said, "This is definitely one for old ladies. But, the author's a dude, right? Samuel Burr? So, there's gotta be some manly puzzle-solving or something going on with it." I flipped to the flap on the back cover (flipped to the flap haha), and had a good chuckle at the author's photo, because he looks like a big, goofy kid in it posing for a school picture. Then I read his bio -- he does charity work for the elderly and he has a cat named Muriel.
"Oh."
I flipped through the pages.
"Well ... there are puzzles here. And it's not terribly written. It's not great, but it's standard fluff. Maybe I can tough it out for the sake of the puzzles...?"
And tough it out I did.
So, let's get the narrative review out of the way first. Early on in my reading of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, I told Constance that I was actually enjoying the characters -- This eccentric group of elderly folks who are all master enigmatologists in some form or another. Pippa, the main protagonist of the earlier timeline, who is a renowned cruciverbalist and forms the entire fellowship; Hector, the homeless jigsaw artist; Nance, the brash London cabbie and master quizzler; and even Angel, the well-meaning but bungling housekeeper. But I soon found that I was getting pretty bored of these people. Even though they each have their own narrative arc, progress through those arcs comes in fits and starts -- spurts of "Well, this shit is happening to me all of a sudden." But they mostly just hang around the Fellowship house, talking about their projects and mildly flirting with one another. Most disastrous of all is how under-realized the remaining Fellowship members are. I know there's a maze-maker, but I couldn't tell you his name. And a dude who crafts puzzles out of wood. And I think there's a riddler, but I couldn't be sure. There's definitely a guy who does puzzles with numbers ... ? One of them is gay, but I couldn't tell you which. And one of them has caught Pippa's romantic eye ... I think it was the maze guy.
This is such an unforgivable travesty, because I'm certain (like 98% certain) that Samuel Burr has populated his book with people that he knows in real life. He could have done his subjects a bit of justice by giving them all memorable personalities. And even if they aren't based on real people, at least make them memorable for the reader! Especially if the dominant theme of that timeline is about fellowship, about people coming together and accomplishing shit as a group. And they're puzzlemakers! How cool is that? But, unfortunately, the mere fact of their vocation is their defining characteristic.
The other timeline features 26-year-old Clayton Stumper. He was dropped off on the Fellowship's doorstep as an infant and was raised by Pippa and her friends, never really stepping out of the Fellowship's environs. Shortly after Pippa's death, Clayton decides he wants to find out who his real parents are, and it turns out that Pippa has bequeathed him a puzzle-styled scavenger hunt for him to uncover the clues of his past. This dude is such a milquetoast, and I hate saying that because I'm certain (like 99% certain) that he's based on the author himself (Muriel the cat features in this book, y'know?). But this is the timeline where all of the novel's puzzles are featured, as Clayton attempts to work through Pippa's clues as he advances on his quest. Along the way, he has such harrowing adventures as -- walking down the street. Approaching the wrong house. Talking to some old woman on a bench. Visiting an old-folks' home. Visiting a museum. Taking a cab ride.
You get the picture.
There is a little bit of romance worked into Clayton's adventure, but it's kind of cringey and juvenile for a character who's nearly 30. There's also some action in the form of a surprise mugging that serves no purpose at all other than to force the romance I just mentioned. The fact that Clayton loses all of his money in the event doesn't seem to hinder him from taking hotel rooms and cabs for the remainder of the adventure.
I think I get the point of Clayton's storyline. It's a coming-of-age story, in a way. Finding oneself and one's place in the world. But it's all very mundane, and the puzzle-solving is the only thing that gives it a glimmer of interest.
Well ... it would have given it a glimmer of interest if the puzzles weren't so shittily constructed.
Clayton's entire adventure is sparked by Pippa leaving him one final crossword to solve. I'd upload a photo of this crossword, but I've already filled it in and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. But really, there's not much to spoil. For a master cruciverbalist, Pippa's created a pretty lame crossword. There are 10 across clues and 10 down clues, with minor overlap within the grid. This makes it quite unfun to solve because the clues are occasionally so cryptic and vague that you need the letters from the connecting acrosses or downs to solve them with any certainty. The one clue I got hung up on was purely from poor construction. The clue was "a hungry desire." Now, as any crossword solver will tell you, when a clue is written as a noun (like this one is), then the answer to the clue must also be a noun. The actual answer had entered my mind a few times, but I dismissed it because it's a verb. But no. The answer to "a hungry desire" is a verb in Pippa's puzzle, so this just made me want to light the entire book on fire. Cause it's the whole reason I bought the thing to begin with!
I feel pretty ripped off. But here's worse. Check out this maze.
Solve the maze to reveal the message?? Okay!!
What the .... ?
So. Okay then. $30 for a shit story with the hopes that the puzzling will be worth it, and this is what I'm given.
Pretty sure I'll just stick with my NY Times Games subscription from now on.
September 7, 2024
*A Puzzle Life*
This is not a book that I would usually pick but, it turned out to be better than I expected. Can you ever write a book about puzzles and make it interesting? Well, I found it gently engaging.
This story is told from two different points of view. We have Pippa in 1991 who compiles crosswords and she forms a group called ‘The fellowship of Puzzlemakers’. She is a formidable character but likeable. The group consisted of interesting people who all were good at solving puzzles in different forms. Some painted and made puzzles, one chap created mazes and the list went on. Eventually they all ended up living in one big house.
Clayton Stumper was now 25 and he had the most unusual upbringing. He was left on the doorstep of the fellowships home in a hatbox.
He was brought up with puzzles his whole life with some of the finest minds looking after him. He has never known who his parents were. As Pippa passes away she leaves him a puzzle to find out who his parents are.
We see Clayton following the clues and also finding out about who he is as a person. It is an adventure that will take him out of his comfort zone but, one part of the puzzle has always been close by…..
A gentle and sometimes amusing story narrated by British actors Penelope Keith and Russell Tovey. There is a pdf included that contains some puzzles I will definitely have fun with. A fine debut from Samuel Burr.
This is not a book that I would usually pick but, it turned out to be better than I expected. Can you ever write a book about puzzles and make it interesting? Well, I found it gently engaging.
This story is told from two different points of view. We have Pippa in 1991 who compiles crosswords and she forms a group called ‘The fellowship of Puzzlemakers’. She is a formidable character but likeable. The group consisted of interesting people who all were good at solving puzzles in different forms. Some painted and made puzzles, one chap created mazes and the list went on. Eventually they all ended up living in one big house.
Clayton Stumper was now 25 and he had the most unusual upbringing. He was left on the doorstep of the fellowships home in a hatbox.
He was brought up with puzzles his whole life with some of the finest minds looking after him. He has never known who his parents were. As Pippa passes away she leaves him a puzzle to find out who his parents are.
We see Clayton following the clues and also finding out about who he is as a person. It is an adventure that will take him out of his comfort zone but, one part of the puzzle has always been close by…..
A gentle and sometimes amusing story narrated by British actors Penelope Keith and Russell Tovey. There is a pdf included that contains some puzzles I will definitely have fun with. A fine debut from Samuel Burr.
May 11, 2024
Is predictable a bad thing when it comes to books?
Not always.
The Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers was predictable in that I knew I was in for a heart-warming read about found family, friendship, and finding one’s place in the world. I knew it would have an upbeat ending and that’s just what I wanted. So predictable can be really good, especially if you get exactly what you were looking for. I also loved solving the mini puzzles sprinkled throughout the book. So clever and fun!
Not always.
The Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers was predictable in that I knew I was in for a heart-warming read about found family, friendship, and finding one’s place in the world. I knew it would have an upbeat ending and that’s just what I wanted. So predictable can be really good, especially if you get exactly what you were looking for. I also loved solving the mini puzzles sprinkled throughout the book. So clever and fun!
March 13, 2024
Finished reading: March 12th 2024
"The magic was always found in the solving, never in the solution."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Doubleday in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
August 13, 2024
"Gleich nachdem er online ein Hotel gebucht hatte, hatte er für alle Fälle die Bedeutung von Abenteuer gegoogelt: mit einem außergewöhnlichen, erregenden Geschehen verbundene gefahrvolle Situation, die jemand zu bestehen hat; riskantes Unternehmen.
Hätte ihn ja auch überrascht, wenn es anders gewesen wäre." - Samuel Burr, "Das größte Rätsel aller Zeiten"
Clayton verliert seinen Halt, als Pippa, seine Ziehmutter und Vorsitzende der Gemeinschaft der Rätselmacher, verstirbt. So viel wollte er sie noch fragen, vor allem zu seiner Herkunft. Nun bleibt er allein mit den Senior*innen und Mitgliedern der Gemeinschaft in Creighton Hall zurück. Doch Pippa hatte vor ihrem Tod vorgesorgt: Sie hinterlässt ein letztes Rätsel für Clayton, das ihn letztlich zu seinen leiblichen Eltern führen wird. Der 25-jährige begibt sich auf eine abenteuerliche Spurensuche, die ihn von London nach Amsterdam und tief in die Vergangenheit führt.
Samuel Burrs Debütroman "Das größte Rätsel aller Zeiten", übersetzt von Karl-Heinz Ebnet, ist eine ans Herz gehende, spannende und vor britischem Charme sprühende Geschichte um einen jungen Mann, der sich lieber mit Senior*innen umgibt als mit Menschen in seinem Alter, der geordnete Verhältnisse mag und Abenteuern nicht unbedingt offen gegenüber steht. Seine Ziehmutter Pippa animiert ihn auch nach ihrem Tod dazu, sich der Welt gegenüber zu öffnen - und das auf die wohl innovativste Art und Weise, die mir bislang in einem Buch begegnet ist. Der Roman baut auf dem kniffligen Rätsel auf, das Pippa für Clayton erdacht hat, ein besonders kluger Schachzug des Autors, der die Lesenden selbst zum Lösen des Ratespiels animiert. Die Geschichte zehrt vor allem von ihren liebenswerten und interessanten (Neben-)Charakteren, die ich allesamt schnell ins Herz geschlossen habe. Außerdem wird in Rückblenden nach und nach der Hintergrund der Gemeinschaft der Rätselmacher aufgedeckt, was dem Roman eine spannende weitere Ebene verleiht. Besonders geliebt habe ich den Schauplatz der Geschichte, ein alter britischer Landsitz und ehemaliges Hotel, das den Mitgliedern der Gemeinschaft als Zuhause dient und sogar über ein eigens erdachtes Labyrinth im Garten verfügt. Wer gerne typisch britische Romane liest, eine Affinität zu Rätseln besitzt und sich gerne von Geschichten überraschen lässt, sollte sich "Das größte Rätsel aller Zeiten" nicht entgehen lassen!
Hätte ihn ja auch überrascht, wenn es anders gewesen wäre." - Samuel Burr, "Das größte Rätsel aller Zeiten"
Clayton verliert seinen Halt, als Pippa, seine Ziehmutter und Vorsitzende der Gemeinschaft der Rätselmacher, verstirbt. So viel wollte er sie noch fragen, vor allem zu seiner Herkunft. Nun bleibt er allein mit den Senior*innen und Mitgliedern der Gemeinschaft in Creighton Hall zurück. Doch Pippa hatte vor ihrem Tod vorgesorgt: Sie hinterlässt ein letztes Rätsel für Clayton, das ihn letztlich zu seinen leiblichen Eltern führen wird. Der 25-jährige begibt sich auf eine abenteuerliche Spurensuche, die ihn von London nach Amsterdam und tief in die Vergangenheit führt.
Samuel Burrs Debütroman "Das größte Rätsel aller Zeiten", übersetzt von Karl-Heinz Ebnet, ist eine ans Herz gehende, spannende und vor britischem Charme sprühende Geschichte um einen jungen Mann, der sich lieber mit Senior*innen umgibt als mit Menschen in seinem Alter, der geordnete Verhältnisse mag und Abenteuern nicht unbedingt offen gegenüber steht. Seine Ziehmutter Pippa animiert ihn auch nach ihrem Tod dazu, sich der Welt gegenüber zu öffnen - und das auf die wohl innovativste Art und Weise, die mir bislang in einem Buch begegnet ist. Der Roman baut auf dem kniffligen Rätsel auf, das Pippa für Clayton erdacht hat, ein besonders kluger Schachzug des Autors, der die Lesenden selbst zum Lösen des Ratespiels animiert. Die Geschichte zehrt vor allem von ihren liebenswerten und interessanten (Neben-)Charakteren, die ich allesamt schnell ins Herz geschlossen habe. Außerdem wird in Rückblenden nach und nach der Hintergrund der Gemeinschaft der Rätselmacher aufgedeckt, was dem Roman eine spannende weitere Ebene verleiht. Besonders geliebt habe ich den Schauplatz der Geschichte, ein alter britischer Landsitz und ehemaliges Hotel, das den Mitgliedern der Gemeinschaft als Zuhause dient und sogar über ein eigens erdachtes Labyrinth im Garten verfügt. Wer gerne typisch britische Romane liest, eine Affinität zu Rätseln besitzt und sich gerne von Geschichten überraschen lässt, sollte sich "Das größte Rätsel aller Zeiten" nicht entgehen lassen!
February 16, 2024
In some ways this reminded me of Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Novel by Rachel Joyce. Not as much in terms of the story, itself, although this does include a journey, but in the underlying charm of this story.
This story revolves around Clayton Stumper, a young man as this story begins, found on the doorstep of ‘The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers’ by the founder, Pippa, through her he finds puzzles she left him, puzzles for him meant to lead him to finding his birth parents.
The story is revealed slowly, sharing moments from the past that share how the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers began, and their bond. When Pippa decides they should buy this home and all live there together, a home for all of the Puzzlemakers, it takes a while before the problems begin to surface. There are people-relationship problems, and then there are structural problems, as well, but overall, it works for the most part.
I loved the characters and how this story evolved, how Clayton’s story leads him to something and someone he never expected.
Pub Date: 09 Apr 2024
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Vintage Anchor, Doubleday
September 3, 2024
A boy abandoned at birth and raised by a group of puzzlers, after the death of his adoptive mother searches for the truth about his origins by following the clues she left him and, in doing so, discovers himself. Cozy mystery, easy summer reading and, all in all, feel good story, but nothing really unforgettable.
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Un ragazzo abbandonato alla nascita e cresciuto da un gruppo di enigmisti, dopo la morte della madre adottiva cerca la verità sulle sue origini seguendo gli indizi che questa gli ha lasciato e, così facendo, scopre sé stesso. Mystery all'acqua di rose, lettura estiva poco impegnativa e, tutto sommato, una storia piacevole, ma niente di veramente indimenticabile.
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Un ragazzo abbandonato alla nascita e cresciuto da un gruppo di enigmisti, dopo la morte della madre adottiva cerca la verità sulle sue origini seguendo gli indizi che questa gli ha lasciato e, così facendo, scopre sé stesso. Mystery all'acqua di rose, lettura estiva poco impegnativa e, tutto sommato, una storia piacevole, ma niente di veramente indimenticabile.
October 14, 2024
The premise of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers drew me right in. I love doing crossword puzzles, acrostics, jigsaw puzzles and more. (I also do Wordle and Connections every day.) Here we have a group of expert puzzle makers who band together into a commune of sorts, starting around 1980. The group was the brainchild of Pippa, a woman who never married and is an expert at constructing fiendish crossword puzzles for a London newspaper (hiding behind a male alias, alas). In 1991, a baby is abandoned at their group home and in her mid-60s, Pippa becomes the mother she always wanted to be. Twenty-five years later, Pippa dies and gives Clayton a series of clues so he can discover the mystery of his parentage.
This all sounded terrific to me, but it fell a bit short in the delivery. First of all, I’m not a huge fan of dual timeline books, especially those that bounce back and forth, chapter by chapter. I find that I’m settling into one story and then I’m yanked out of it for the other story, and then back again. If you don’t mind this, you will probably enjoy this book more than I did.
I found that the various members of the puzzle maker fellowship blurred together. One of them, Earl, is a maze maker (on paper and in landscapes!) and Hector paints and then creates jigsaw puzzles from his art. Along with Pippa and her crosswords, those are the only ones I could really keep straight. Also Nancy/Nance, a much younger woman who was amazing at trivia, but she left the fellowship around when Clayton was abandoned there. I loved her character: a female London cabbie, which was very unusual at the time (no idea if it’s still unusual). Another oddball character was Angel, the housekeeper. But the bulk of puzzle makers were forgettable.
I was more interested in Clayton’s hunt for clues to his parentage, but it was kind of boring. (Honestly, Clayton was boring!) Instead of the adventures, Pippa hints he will have, we follow him to London, where he visits Nance, gets another clue, and so on and so forth, visiting the British Museum, finding a safety deposit box at Harrods (I had no idea they did that there!), befriending an old woman he meets on a park bench. He finds a companion due to his visit to Nance, and they get mugged while walking together, but somehow only Clayton is injured. That confused me.
I was hoping for more puzzles to solve along with Clayton, but the one crossword puzzle that Pippa left for Clayton was pretty easy to solve and even had a weird errors of sorts - when a clue is phrased in a way that the answer should be a noun, it’s odd to have the answer be a verb! (A hungry desire = Crave! Nope, make the clue agree with the answer!)
I normally love stories with found family but this one didn’t quite hit the right notes for me.
Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This all sounded terrific to me, but it fell a bit short in the delivery. First of all, I’m not a huge fan of dual timeline books, especially those that bounce back and forth, chapter by chapter. I find that I’m settling into one story and then I’m yanked out of it for the other story, and then back again. If you don’t mind this, you will probably enjoy this book more than I did.
I found that the various members of the puzzle maker fellowship blurred together. One of them, Earl, is a maze maker (on paper and in landscapes!) and Hector paints and then creates jigsaw puzzles from his art. Along with Pippa and her crosswords, those are the only ones I could really keep straight. Also Nancy/Nance, a much younger woman who was amazing at trivia, but she left the fellowship around when Clayton was abandoned there. I loved her character: a female London cabbie, which was very unusual at the time (no idea if it’s still unusual). Another oddball character was Angel, the housekeeper. But the bulk of puzzle makers were forgettable.
I was more interested in Clayton’s hunt for clues to his parentage, but it was kind of boring. (Honestly, Clayton was boring!) Instead of the adventures, Pippa hints he will have, we follow him to London, where he visits Nance, gets another clue, and so on and so forth, visiting the British Museum, finding a safety deposit box at Harrods (I had no idea they did that there!), befriending an old woman he meets on a park bench. He finds a companion due to his visit to Nance, and they get mugged while walking together, but somehow only Clayton is injured. That confused me.
I was hoping for more puzzles to solve along with Clayton, but the one crossword puzzle that Pippa left for Clayton was pretty easy to solve and even had a weird errors of sorts - when a clue is phrased in a way that the answer should be a noun, it’s odd to have the answer be a verb! (A hungry desire = Crave! Nope, make the clue agree with the answer!)
I normally love stories with found family but this one didn’t quite hit the right notes for me.
Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
April 4, 2024
Pippa Allsbrook, an esteemed London crossword compiler, puts out a call for all those of a like mind to form a 'fellowship' of puzzlemakers, drawing in the best of the best in all related fields. Their motto? 'I CAME, I SAW, I SOLVED.' Eventually the group moves in together in a grand old house known as Creighton Hall where creativity flows and brilliant ideas abound.
But as time goes by, there's one puzzle they haven't been able to solve--the parentage of the foundling left on their doorstep 25 years ago, the baby boy they called Clayton Stumper. When Pippa passes away, she leaves a set of clues for Clayton to follow and perhaps find himself in more ways than he expects.
Being someone who enjoys doing puzzles of all sorts, I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted, charming story. Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this debut novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
But as time goes by, there's one puzzle they haven't been able to solve--the parentage of the foundling left on their doorstep 25 years ago, the baby boy they called Clayton Stumper. When Pippa passes away, she leaves a set of clues for Clayton to follow and perhaps find himself in more ways than he expects.
Being someone who enjoys doing puzzles of all sorts, I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted, charming story. Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc of this debut novel via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
July 3, 2024
A warm hug of a book. We read this book as the fiction pick for our Texas reading retreat, and it’s such a special story. The characters are quirky in the best way possible, where they’re charming but also have depth. It’s one of those books you never want to end (with actual puzzles throughout!), and random sentences brought a smile to my face.
Four stars only because I wish the puzzles were a bit more challenging. (And because I prefer stories are told in one chronological timeline, but that’s a “me” thing.)
Highly recommended!
Four stars only because I wish the puzzles were a bit more challenging. (And because I prefer stories are told in one chronological timeline, but that’s a “me” thing.)
Highly recommended!
September 21, 2023
What a fabulous story. young adult Clayton is tasked with discovering where he actually came from following caretaker Pippa's death. As Clayton follows clues he learns a lot about life, family and connections.
Interspersed between the puzzles and narration is the story of Pippa Allsbrook and how she created the wonderful Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers, an interest group bringing together persons of all kinds interested in creating and solving puzzles. As the only woman at first, Pip is a fearless leader and it she who adopts Clayton when he is found abandoned in a hatbox. Fun to read- an absolute pleasure!
If you love a puzzle, a crossword or a cozy, this is a book for you! #TheFellowshipof Puzzlemakers #SamuelBurr #VintageAnchor
Interspersed between the puzzles and narration is the story of Pippa Allsbrook and how she created the wonderful Fellowship of the Puzzlemakers, an interest group bringing together persons of all kinds interested in creating and solving puzzles. As the only woman at first, Pip is a fearless leader and it she who adopts Clayton when he is found abandoned in a hatbox. Fun to read- an absolute pleasure!
If you love a puzzle, a crossword or a cozy, this is a book for you! #TheFellowshipof Puzzlemakers #SamuelBurr #VintageAnchor
February 1, 2024
I was excited to read this one: I love a wholesome, found family story. I thought the first half of Pippa’s story was delightful: she’s putting herself out there and starting a puzzlers society. In parallel, we see Clayton who was raised by Pippa and the fellowship after he mysteriously appeared on their doorstep as a baby, unmoored by Pippa’s passing. We watch Clayton try to solve the mystery of his birth while we watch Pippa establish the fellowship.
But I think for a book to really pass the uplifting test—and this one is certainly advertising itself that way—the book needs to resolve in a really satisfying way. And this one…doesn’t. I was left pretty angry with some of the characters in the end, and while that’s totally fine with most books, that’s not what I’m looking for from a “gloriously uplifting novel”.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday!
But I think for a book to really pass the uplifting test—and this one is certainly advertising itself that way—the book needs to resolve in a really satisfying way. And this one…doesn’t. I was left pretty angry with some of the characters in the end, and while that’s totally fine with most books, that’s not what I’m looking for from a “gloriously uplifting novel”.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday!
May 8, 2024
As a baby, Clayton is left in a hatbox on the doorstep of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, and is brought up in their commune by the entire Fellowship. As an adult, Pippa, the woman Clayton would class as his mother, sends him off on an adventure to discover who his biological parents are.
I really enjoyed this book. It's just a really lovely, joyful read, and a story of how family are those that raised you. There are a number of great characters, from all walks of life, with stories of their own to tell.
Clayton is a wonderful character, who is probably a little naive based on the fact he has rarely left the commune, and his friendship with Neil was just beautiful. And I loved that Clayton’s journey was made of a series of puzzles and codes to crack.
It's a book that will make you smile a lot! :)
I really enjoyed this book. It's just a really lovely, joyful read, and a story of how family are those that raised you. There are a number of great characters, from all walks of life, with stories of their own to tell.
Clayton is a wonderful character, who is probably a little naive based on the fact he has rarely left the commune, and his friendship with Neil was just beautiful. And I loved that Clayton’s journey was made of a series of puzzles and codes to crack.
It's a book that will make you smile a lot! :)
May 25, 2024
I'd known about Burr's work in British TV so I hoped his skill at visual storytelling would carry over to books. While somewhat intriguing, I felt the characters lacked depth, the pacing tedious and the plot somewhat predictable.
The story opens with Pippa Allsbrook, founder of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers discovering a hat box at the door of the residence, its contents a darling baby boy she names Clayton Stumper. Get it? Puzzle expert uses stumper as the child's last name. Snicker, snicker. It then leads us to her severe illness and ultimate demise.
The story toggles back and forth between Pippa's early days and Clayton's decision to uncover his origin due to a 'puzzle' his mother left him.
We learn of Pippa's expertise with crossword puzzles and eventual connection with an array of 'puzzle' heads and over time the formation of a 'fellowship'. Characters include a maze master, painter turned jigsaw expert, cryptologists and masters of the puzzle world. The author throws in a dab of soap, Greek words and a number of other 'puzzling' elements. And while interesting, the intrigue, mystery and 'riddle me this', was missing.
And yes, Clayton does discover his birth mother and father at the end, but felt this was a weak attempt overall. Debuts can be hit or miss, and I'd say this one came close, but still missed.
The story opens with Pippa Allsbrook, founder of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers discovering a hat box at the door of the residence, its contents a darling baby boy she names Clayton Stumper. Get it? Puzzle expert uses stumper as the child's last name. Snicker, snicker. It then leads us to her severe illness and ultimate demise.
The story toggles back and forth between Pippa's early days and Clayton's decision to uncover his origin due to a 'puzzle' his mother left him.
We learn of Pippa's expertise with crossword puzzles and eventual connection with an array of 'puzzle' heads and over time the formation of a 'fellowship'. Characters include a maze master, painter turned jigsaw expert, cryptologists and masters of the puzzle world. The author throws in a dab of soap, Greek words and a number of other 'puzzling' elements. And while interesting, the intrigue, mystery and 'riddle me this', was missing.
And yes, Clayton does discover his birth mother and father at the end, but felt this was a weak attempt overall. Debuts can be hit or miss, and I'd say this one came close, but still missed.
April 19, 2024
2.5⭐ - If you're looking for a cozy mystery-type book centering around a found family of smart puzzle makers and solvers, this might be for you. I was really excited by the idea behind the story. Unfortunately the execution never really hit for me.
Everything was very okay and, while I love a found family trope with all my heart, the characters weren't really that interesting. Most of the fellowship felt like they were barely in the story besides a main little group. The plot itself was a real slow burn and I just wasn't into it with nothing else in the story being compelling enough to make that work.
I won't say I hated it because that would be a lie, but ultimately, it wasn't my favorite. Others who enjoy a nice cozy story might like it though!
Everything was very okay and, while I love a found family trope with all my heart, the characters weren't really that interesting. Most of the fellowship felt like they were barely in the story besides a main little group. The plot itself was a real slow burn and I just wasn't into it with nothing else in the story being compelling enough to make that work.
I won't say I hated it because that would be a lie, but ultimately, it wasn't my favorite. Others who enjoy a nice cozy story might like it though!
June 10, 2024
I started reading this book because I heard that it had been the subject of an eight-way auction between publishing houses. It seems, from the low number of goodreads ratings it's getting, that it's not connecting with readers the same way it did with professional publishers. Personally, I'm regrettably one of those it didn't connect with.
The premise is adorable: Clayton Stumper was abandoned on the front step of the titular Fellowship of Puzzlemakers. The head of the Fellowship, Pippa, adopts and raises him. When Pippa dies two and a half decades later, she leaves Clayton a puzzle that will lead him to his birth mother.
My problem is not with that premise, it's with the execution.
Clayton--for someone who was raised by genuises--is a bit of a dim bulb. The puzzle Pippa gives him is grade-school level, and still, Clayton goes down some obvious false paths. Basically every person he meets, he asks if they're his father or mother. This does not progress the plot. Halfway through the novel, I couldn’t have told you much that had actually happened yet, besides backstory.
The puzzles themselves are likewise disappointing. Early on, there’s a blank cryptogram clue in the book. I thought this would mean the puzzles were interactive. They’re not. Most of the other puzzles—including the crossword puzzle that is the lynchpin to the entire present-day timeline—are impossible to solve because half the clues are things that only the characters in the book know (ex. “You may have two before noon” answer: eggs).
Imo, if the puzzles are impossible for the reader to solve, they’re not puzzles—they’re just gimmicky score-keeping pads.
This is a huge huge missed opportunity. Puzzling is one of the few hobbies that can be fully contained in fiction, so to ALMOST include it just makes me realize how cool this book could have been. (Full disclosure, British-style crosswords always feel like junior varsity to me----so Pippa's crown as the premier English "cruciverbalist" doesn't impress me much. Who couldn’t set a crossword grid with that many blank spaces?)
Meanwhile, there's a whole other timeline going on in the novel--the story of how Pippa created the Fellowship in the first place. The plot points of Pippa’s storyline are all things that we already know. For instance, there’s a protracted thread where Pippa wants to foster a child—we already know this doesn’t work because Clayton is her only child, and he wasn’t a foster.
Then we get to the answer to who Clayton's biological parents are, which was the final disappointment. One of his parents is nearly a non-character in the book, and the other has been there the whole time, and gives the flimsiest, cruddiest reason for not raising Clayton themself.
The premise is adorable: Clayton Stumper was abandoned on the front step of the titular Fellowship of Puzzlemakers. The head of the Fellowship, Pippa, adopts and raises him. When Pippa dies two and a half decades later, she leaves Clayton a puzzle that will lead him to his birth mother.
My problem is not with that premise, it's with the execution.
Clayton--for someone who was raised by genuises--is a bit of a dim bulb. The puzzle Pippa gives him is grade-school level, and still, Clayton goes down some obvious false paths. Basically every person he meets, he asks if they're his father or mother. This does not progress the plot. Halfway through the novel, I couldn’t have told you much that had actually happened yet, besides backstory.
The puzzles themselves are likewise disappointing. Early on, there’s a blank cryptogram clue in the book. I thought this would mean the puzzles were interactive. They’re not. Most of the other puzzles—including the crossword puzzle that is the lynchpin to the entire present-day timeline—are impossible to solve because half the clues are things that only the characters in the book know (ex. “You may have two before noon” answer: eggs).
Imo, if the puzzles are impossible for the reader to solve, they’re not puzzles—they’re just gimmicky score-keeping pads.
This is a huge huge missed opportunity. Puzzling is one of the few hobbies that can be fully contained in fiction, so to ALMOST include it just makes me realize how cool this book could have been. (Full disclosure, British-style crosswords always feel like junior varsity to me----so Pippa's crown as the premier English "cruciverbalist" doesn't impress me much. Who couldn’t set a crossword grid with that many blank spaces?)
Meanwhile, there's a whole other timeline going on in the novel--the story of how Pippa created the Fellowship in the first place. The plot points of Pippa’s storyline are all things that we already know. For instance, there’s a protracted thread where Pippa wants to foster a child—we already know this doesn’t work because Clayton is her only child, and he wasn’t a foster.
Then we get to the answer to who Clayton's biological parents are, which was the final disappointment. One of his parents is nearly a non-character in the book, and the other has been there the whole time, and gives the flimsiest, cruddiest reason for not raising Clayton themself.
October 31, 2024
Ο Κλέιτον, μεγάλωσε στη λέσχη των Γριφολογων - κυριολεκτικά. Η λέσχη αυτή συστάθηκε από την «άτυπη» μητέρα του Πίπα, με ένα πλήθος άλλων ανθρώπων που αγαπούν τα παζλ, τους γρίφους, τα κρυπτόλεξα κτλ. Με τον χαμό της Πίπα, ο Κλέιτον έχει να λύσει έναν τελευταίο γρίφο, τον γρίφο της ��αταγωγής του. Θα καταφέρει να βρει τις ρίζες του;
Αν νομίζετε ότι η λέσχη των γριφολόγων είναι ένα βιβλίο μυστηρίου, λυπάμαι αλλά θα διαψευστείτε - με την καλή έννοια. Θα έλεγα ότι είναι ένα βιβλίο τύπου feel good, που ολοκληρώνοντας το, χαμογελάς με νοσταλγική σχεδόν διάθεση.
Με αυτό το βιβλίο ο συγγραφέας πέραν του φόρου τιμής που αποδίδει στους ανθρώπους που κρύβονται πίσω από τη δημιουργία των παζλ, των κρυπτολεξων και κάθε είδους σπαζοκεφαλιάς, μας θυμίζει την αξία που έχει η φιλία στη ζωή μας. Άνθρωποι που το μόνο τους κοινό ήταν οι γρίφοι, κατάφεραν να συνυπάρξουν και να συμβιώσουν αρμονικά, φτιάχνοντας μια μικρή οικογένεια.
Άνθρωποι που για τον οποιονδήποτε λόγο ήταν μόνοι στη ζωή, βρήκαν αποκούμπι ο ένας στον άλλο και συνέχισαν να αντικρίζουν τη ζην κάθε μέρα με άλλο ενδιαφέρον.
Αυτό κρατάω…
3,5 αστέρια
Αν νομίζετε ότι η λέσχη των γριφολόγων είναι ένα βιβλίο μυστηρίου, λυπάμαι αλλά θα διαψευστείτε - με την καλή έννοια. Θα έλεγα ότι είναι ένα βιβλίο τύπου feel good, που ολοκληρώνοντας το, χαμογελάς με νοσταλγική σχεδόν διάθεση.
Με αυτό το βιβλίο ο συγγραφέας πέραν του φόρου τιμής που αποδίδει στους ανθρώπους που κρύβονται πίσω από τη δημιουργία των παζλ, των κρυπτολεξων και κάθε είδους σπαζοκεφαλιάς, μας θυμίζει την αξία που έχει η φιλία στη ζωή μας. Άνθρωποι που το μόνο τους κοινό ήταν οι γρίφοι, κατάφεραν να συνυπάρξουν και να συμβιώσουν αρμονικά, φτιάχνοντας μια μικρή οικογένεια.
Άνθρωποι που για τον οποιονδήποτε λόγο ήταν μόνοι στη ζωή, βρήκαν αποκούμπι ο ένας στον άλλο και συνέχισαν να αντικρίζουν τη ζην κάθε μέρα με άλλο ενδιαφέρον.
Αυτό κρατάω…
3,5 αστέρια
March 4, 2024
This book could be summarized by a sentence that falls within its pages "Getting older without getting old." The idea of a crop of puzzling experts forming a commune, then being infiltrated by an insurmountable enigma in the person they dub Clayton Stumper was inherently appealing to a puzzle fiend such as me. There are cryptics, anagrams and word ciphers throughout, some truly hilarious. Clayton arrives shortly after his birth in a large hatbox, and I for one could hear Lady Bracknell intoning "A HANDBAG???" And he is raised by the eccentric group of puzzlemakers without any clues as to his provenance. Yes, this is typical cozy, but if puzzles are your thing, you'll find it delightful.
April 13, 2024
This was a fabulous, heartwarming debut about a group of older British puzzlemakers (each with their own specialties) who form a club based on their shared interests and end up becoming life long friends.
Full of secrets, fantastic puzzles (including the crossword clue chapter headings) and told in a dual timeline structure as one of the dead members leaves clues for her grown adopted/foster son to follow and learn about his birth parents.
Full of heart and even some romance and highly recommended for fans of The Thursday murder club books. This was good on audio and a solid, original debut story sure to put a smile on the faces of readers of all ages!
Full of secrets, fantastic puzzles (including the crossword clue chapter headings) and told in a dual timeline structure as one of the dead members leaves clues for her grown adopted/foster son to follow and learn about his birth parents.
Full of heart and even some romance and highly recommended for fans of The Thursday murder club books. This was good on audio and a solid, original debut story sure to put a smile on the faces of readers of all ages!
June 10, 2024
Ho intrapreso la lettura de La compagnia degli enigmisti di Samuel Burr convintissimo, non so bene perché, si trattasse di un thriller e invece mi sono ritrovato tra le mani un romanzo adorabile.
Clayton, il protagonista, è stato abbandonato alla nascita davanti alla sede della compagnia degli enigmisti: una stramba associazione di menti geniali gestita da Philippa Allsbrook. Da quel giorno di 25 anni fa ha sempre vissuto lì. Philippa, sul letto di morte, gli lascia un ultimo rompicapo che cambierà per sempre le sorti della sua vita.
La compagnia degli enigmisti ruota attorno non solo al mistero principale ma anche a piccoli enigmi che i lettori e le lettrici troveranno disseminati qua e là durante la lettura. Non preoccupatevi: non rimarrete con l’incubo di non poter ultimare un cruciverba perché le risposte sono ben evidenziate nel testo.
È un romanzo leggero, scorrevole e molto piacevole, con una punta di emotività che non guasta mai e che arricchisce la trama.
Il mix tra enigmi e narrazione è ben calibrato: chi vuole una lettura più fluida potrà leggerlo normalmente mentre chi vuole leggermente scervellarsi potrà farlo.
Onestamente? Io lo vedo perfetto per una lettura estiva!
Puoi trovare questa e altre recensioni sul mio profilo Instagram “I libri di Dede” o sul mio blog/sito 📚
Se non vuoi perderti neanche una recensione c’è anche il canale telegram:
Mi è stata inviata una copia gratuita di questo libro da parte della casa editrice che ringrazio.
Clayton, il protagonista, è stato abbandonato alla nascita davanti alla sede della compagnia degli enigmisti: una stramba associazione di menti geniali gestita da Philippa Allsbrook. Da quel giorno di 25 anni fa ha sempre vissuto lì. Philippa, sul letto di morte, gli lascia un ultimo rompicapo che cambierà per sempre le sorti della sua vita.
La compagnia degli enigmisti ruota attorno non solo al mistero principale ma anche a piccoli enigmi che i lettori e le lettrici troveranno disseminati qua e là durante la lettura. Non preoccupatevi: non rimarrete con l’incubo di non poter ultimare un cruciverba perché le risposte sono ben evidenziate nel testo.
È un romanzo leggero, scorrevole e molto piacevole, con una punta di emotività che non guasta mai e che arricchisce la trama.
Il mix tra enigmi e narrazione è ben calibrato: chi vuole una lettura più fluida potrà leggerlo normalmente mentre chi vuole leggermente scervellarsi potrà farlo.
Onestamente? Io lo vedo perfetto per una lettura estiva!
Puoi trovare questa e altre recensioni sul mio profilo Instagram “I libri di Dede” o sul mio blog/sito 📚
Se non vuoi perderti neanche una recensione c’è anche il canale telegram:
Mi è stata inviata una copia gratuita di questo libro da parte della casa editrice che ringrazio.
April 9, 2025
Als ausgewähltes Buch meines Buchclubs bin ich diese Geschichte abgetaucht, die sich vor allem damit auseinandersetzt, wie man seinen Platz im Leben sucht/findet, Familie (im engeren und weitesten Sinne), der Bedeutung von Gemeinschaft, aber auch damit aus seiner Komfortzone auszubrechen und etwas zu wagen.
Die Geschichte wechselt kapitelweise zwischen zwei Zeitlinien. Die Gegenwartsperspektive wird von Clayton erzählt, die Vergangenheitsgeschichte von seiner Ziehmutter Pippa. Wir lernen von ihr die Entstehung und die einzelnen Charaktere der ,Gemeinschaft der Rätselmacher‘ kennen, während Claytons Geschichte sich darum dreht, wer seinen wahren Eltern sind. Ich mochte die alten Erzählungen der Gemeinschaft sehr, aber irgendwann wurden sie auch etwas dröge. Tatsächlich hätte ich mir mehr Zeit mit Clay gewünscht, der sich selbst und seinen Platz in der Welt sucht, in der er 25 Jahre nur in Gesellschaft und im Haus der Gemeinschaft verbracht hat. Es war ein bisschen wie einem Baby dabei zuzusehen, seine ersten Schritte zu machen und die Welt zu erkunden. Das Geheimnis und Rätsel um seine Herkunft und echten Eltern war für mich relativ schnell gelöst und ehrlich gesagt hätte ich mir da ein ,liebevolleres‘ Ende gewünscht. Es wirkte auf mich tatsächlich ein bisschen kalt und zu einfach abgehakt.
Alles in allem war es ein schönes Leseerlebnis, aber das Potenzial wurde hier meiner Meinung nach nicht vollends ausgeschöpft.
Die Geschichte wechselt kapitelweise zwischen zwei Zeitlinien. Die Gegenwartsperspektive wird von Clayton erzählt, die Vergangenheitsgeschichte von seiner Ziehmutter Pippa. Wir lernen von ihr die Entstehung und die einzelnen Charaktere der ,Gemeinschaft der Rätselmacher‘ kennen, während Claytons Geschichte sich darum dreht, wer seinen wahren Eltern sind. Ich mochte die alten Erzählungen der Gemeinschaft sehr, aber irgendwann wurden sie auch etwas dröge. Tatsächlich hätte ich mir mehr Zeit mit Clay gewünscht, der sich selbst und seinen Platz in der Welt sucht, in der er 25 Jahre nur in Gesellschaft und im Haus der Gemeinschaft verbracht hat. Es war ein bisschen wie einem Baby dabei zuzusehen, seine ersten Schritte zu machen und die Welt zu erkunden. Das Geheimnis und Rätsel um seine Herkunft und echten Eltern war für mich relativ schnell gelöst und ehrlich gesagt hätte ich mir da ein ,liebevolleres‘ Ende gewünscht. Es wirkte auf mich tatsächlich ein bisschen kalt und zu einfach abgehakt.
Alles in allem war es ein schönes Leseerlebnis, aber das Potenzial wurde hier meiner Meinung nach nicht vollends ausgeschöpft.
September 27, 2024
Mögt ihr Puzzle und Rätsel? Ich liebe sie und gerade in der kühleren Jahreszeit verbringe ich gerne Zeit damit. Ein Buch über eine Gesellschaft der Rätselmacher mit dem Titel „Das größte Rätsel aller Zeiten“ ist mir da natürlich sofort ins Auge gesprungen.
Die Gesellschaft der Rätselmacher entstand Ende der Siebzigerjahre, gegründet von Pippa Allsbrook und einigen Gefährten. Jede*r von ihnen ist auf eine andere Art von Rätseln spezialisiert. Sie alle leben als eine Art Kommune gemeinsam in Creighton Hall. 1991 wird vor der Tür dieses Hauses ein Baby in einer Hutschachtel gefunden. Das Baby, Clayton Stumper wird von der Gemeinschaft großgezogen, ohne zu wissen, wer seine Eltern sind. 2016 stirbt Pippa und in ihrem Nachlass entdeckt Clayton Rätsel, die ihm den Weg zu seiner Herkunft zeigen sollen.
Ich fand die Idee mit den Rätselmachern sehr schön. Das Buch liest sich auch ganz nett. Es ist aber keine Geschichte, die großartig in Erinnerung bleibt. Was mich ziemlich enttäuscht hat, war, dass die Rätsel so einfach waren. Die Rätselmacher sind die klügsten Köpfe in Großbritannien und entwerfen u.a. das berühmte Kreuzworträtsel der Times. Die Rätsel im Buch reichen bei Weitem nicht an dieses heran. Da hätte ich mir deutlich mehr erwartet. Und Clayton stellt sich ehrlich gesagt ziemlich doof an. Der Autor scheint auch selber noch nie ein großes Puzzle gemacht zu haben oder zu wissen, wie lange es dauert, bis ein Kind auf die Welt kommt.
Der Titel „Das größte Rätsel aller Zeiten“ scheint mir dann doch ein bisschen hoch gegriffen. Im Original heißt das Buch „TheFellowship of Puzzle Makers“, was ich deutlich passender finde.
Die Gesellschaft der Rätselmacher entstand Ende der Siebzigerjahre, gegründet von Pippa Allsbrook und einigen Gefährten. Jede*r von ihnen ist auf eine andere Art von Rätseln spezialisiert. Sie alle leben als eine Art Kommune gemeinsam in Creighton Hall. 1991 wird vor der Tür dieses Hauses ein Baby in einer Hutschachtel gefunden. Das Baby, Clayton Stumper wird von der Gemeinschaft großgezogen, ohne zu wissen, wer seine Eltern sind. 2016 stirbt Pippa und in ihrem Nachlass entdeckt Clayton Rätsel, die ihm den Weg zu seiner Herkunft zeigen sollen.
Ich fand die Idee mit den Rätselmachern sehr schön. Das Buch liest sich auch ganz nett. Es ist aber keine Geschichte, die großartig in Erinnerung bleibt. Was mich ziemlich enttäuscht hat, war, dass die Rätsel so einfach waren. Die Rätselmacher sind die klügsten Köpfe in Großbritannien und entwerfen u.a. das berühmte Kreuzworträtsel der Times. Die Rätsel im Buch reichen bei Weitem nicht an dieses heran. Da hätte ich mir deutlich mehr erwartet. Und Clayton stellt sich ehrlich gesagt ziemlich doof an. Der Autor scheint auch selber noch nie ein großes Puzzle gemacht zu haben oder zu wissen, wie lange es dauert, bis ein Kind auf die Welt kommt.
Der Titel „Das größte Rätsel aller Zeiten“ scheint mir dann doch ein bisschen hoch gegriffen. Im Original heißt das Buch „TheFellowship of Puzzle Makers“, was ich deutlich passender finde.
September 4, 2024
I wanted to like this more than I did. I liked the main characters, and I liked seeing the Fellowship's foundation. I think, for me, the love story was the weakest part of the book, and I think it would have worked better without it. I just didn't see what it added to the story, and I found Neil to be incredibly dull. Where I listened to it on audio I don't think the voice they used for him helped my impression of him. The author also got more than a bit heavy handed with the morals, and I think the puzzle aspects never quite flowed smoothly with the audio book format. Not a bad book, but not one I really enjoyed either.
April 26, 2024
I liked it until I didn’t. Puzzle making? Fun! Cozy vibe. Fun! Quirky characters? Also fun. Making a grown man jump through hoops to find out who his birth parents are? Cruel.
Did not like the flashbacks. Took too long to tell the story. About 200 pages too long.
Did not like the flashbacks. Took too long to tell the story. About 200 pages too long.
June 4, 2024
✨Bring✨ | Borrow | Bypass
Thank you to Edelweiss, Doubleday, & Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
Review: I was utterly charmed by this novel, and oh so so so so deeply desire for this to be a film - with the right actors and settings this could be one of the top films ever made and I'll die on that hill. The puzzles?? Creighton Hall?? The relationships?? The PUZZLES? Ugh, it'd be amazing.
This had a now & then narration; now showcasing Clayton trying to figure out who he is in the world without his adopted mother, Pippa; and the then showing how Pippa came to found The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers and how she became Clayton's family (as did the rest of the Fellowship, but don't even get me started on that because I'll cry).
There were a lot of side characters here, some more enjoyable and fleshed out than others - but I really didn't mind. The ones that needed to be full were, and the ones that weren't were still delightful.
I really liked how the end all came together, even if (by that point), it wasn't wholly surprising. Definitely recommend this cozy, lovely, wonderful novel.
(Also, I didn't get many of the puzzles throughout but it didn't dampen my enjoyment.)
Some quotes that I loved:
A good friend should build you up, she always used to say. They should help you become the best version of yourself. In that sense, forging a friendship was akin to finding a soulmate.
"But the trick, young man, is to find the person who loves you the way you love them. The way you deserve to be loved. Because, in the end, ..." Her hands were clasped around his again. "Love is all that matters."
Content Warnings:
Thank you to Edelweiss, Doubleday, & Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.
Review: I was utterly charmed by this novel, and oh so so so so deeply desire for this to be a film - with the right actors and settings this could be one of the top films ever made and I'll die on that hill. The puzzles?? Creighton Hall?? The relationships?? The PUZZLES? Ugh, it'd be amazing.
This had a now & then narration; now showcasing Clayton trying to figure out who he is in the world without his adopted mother, Pippa; and the then showing how Pippa came to found The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers and how she became Clayton's family (as did the rest of the Fellowship, but don't even get me started on that because I'll cry).
There were a lot of side characters here, some more enjoyable and fleshed out than others - but I really didn't mind. The ones that needed to be full were, and the ones that weren't were still delightful.
I really liked how the end all came together, even if (by that point), it wasn't wholly surprising. Definitely recommend this cozy, lovely, wonderful novel.
(Also, I didn't get many of the puzzles throughout but it didn't dampen my enjoyment.)
Some quotes that I loved:
A good friend should build you up, she always used to say. They should help you become the best version of yourself. In that sense, forging a friendship was akin to finding a soulmate.
"But the trick, young man, is to find the person who loves you the way you love them. The way you deserve to be loved. Because, in the end, ..." Her hands were clasped around his again. "Love is all that matters."
Overall Rating: ★★★★★ / 4.63
Rating each element of the book out of 5★
Characters ★★★★
Atmosphere ★★★★
Writing ★★★★
Plot ★★★★
Intrigue ★★★★
Logic ★★★★
Enjoyment ★★★★★
Pacing ★★★★
Dialogue ★★★★
★ did not like / ★★ it was okay / ★★★ liked it / ★★★★ really liked it / ★★★★★ loved it
Content Warnings:
August 25, 2024
Inhalt:
Aufgewachsen in den heiligen Hallen der mysteriösen ›Gemeinschaft der Rätselmacher‹ weiß Clayton Stumper so einiges über verschlüsselte Botschaften, knifflige Puzzles und verwunschene Labyrinthe. Und über brillante Menschen jenseits der Achtzig, denn von einem Hort der Genialität hat sich Creighton Hall, das Anwesen der Gemeinschaft, mehr und mehr zu einem intellektuell herausfordernden Seniorenheim entwickelt. Weniger versteht Clayton von Menschen seines Alters oder vom Leben außerhalb der Gemeinschaft. Das größte Mysterium ist für Clayton jedoch Clayton selbst: Woher kommt er? Wer sind seine Eltern?
Ein letztes Rätsel, das ihm Pippa, die Vorsitzende der Gemeinschaft und seine Ziehmutter, nach ihrem Tod hinterlässt, verspricht endlich Antworten zu geben. Doch das wirkliche Leben stellt den ältesten Fünfundzwanzigjährigen der Welt vor so manche Herausforderung.
⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶
Meine Meinung:
Diese Geschichte gab mir die gleichen Wohlfühl-Vibes wie die Bücher von T.J. Klune.
Auf zwei Zeitebenen begleiten wir Clayton in der Gegenwart auf der Suche nach seiner Herkunft und Abstammung. Und in der Vergangenheit zeigt uns Pippa, wie sie die Gemeinschaft der Rätselmacher gründet.
Die Idee der immer wieder eingestreuten Rätsel fand ich grandios und das Thema wirklich einzigartig.
Es handelt sich hierbei um einen eher ruhigen Roman, der keine allzu große Spannung aufkommen lässt. Wenn man sich darauf einlässt, kann man eine wunderschöne Lesezeit erleben 😊
⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶
Fazit:
Wohlfühlbuch! Sehr empfehlenswert für Fans von T.J. Klune.
⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶
Meine Bewertung:
4/5 Sterne
Aufgewachsen in den heiligen Hallen der mysteriösen ›Gemeinschaft der Rätselmacher‹ weiß Clayton Stumper so einiges über verschlüsselte Botschaften, knifflige Puzzles und verwunschene Labyrinthe. Und über brillante Menschen jenseits der Achtzig, denn von einem Hort der Genialität hat sich Creighton Hall, das Anwesen der Gemeinschaft, mehr und mehr zu einem intellektuell herausfordernden Seniorenheim entwickelt. Weniger versteht Clayton von Menschen seines Alters oder vom Leben außerhalb der Gemeinschaft. Das größte Mysterium ist für Clayton jedoch Clayton selbst: Woher kommt er? Wer sind seine Eltern?
Ein letztes Rätsel, das ihm Pippa, die Vorsitzende der Gemeinschaft und seine Ziehmutter, nach ihrem Tod hinterlässt, verspricht endlich Antworten zu geben. Doch das wirkliche Leben stellt den ältesten Fünfundzwanzigjährigen der Welt vor so manche Herausforderung.
⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶
Meine Meinung:
Diese Geschichte gab mir die gleichen Wohlfühl-Vibes wie die Bücher von T.J. Klune.
Auf zwei Zeitebenen begleiten wir Clayton in der Gegenwart auf der Suche nach seiner Herkunft und Abstammung. Und in der Vergangenheit zeigt uns Pippa, wie sie die Gemeinschaft der Rätselmacher gründet.
Die Idee der immer wieder eingestreuten Rätsel fand ich grandios und das Thema wirklich einzigartig.
Es handelt sich hierbei um einen eher ruhigen Roman, der keine allzu große Spannung aufkommen lässt. Wenn man sich darauf einlässt, kann man eine wunderschöne Lesezeit erleben 😊
⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶
Fazit:
Wohlfühlbuch! Sehr empfehlenswert für Fans von T.J. Klune.
⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶⠶
Meine Bewertung:
4/5 Sterne
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