Simon & Schuster's Super Crostics Book, Series No. 4

I am having a great time doing these acrostics. Middleton is (was?) very clever and also quite erudite. There have been a few words that I swear I have never seen or heard used before, but I usually manage to figure them out anyway. The only puzzles I have not been able to do are the ones in which the clues are cryptic. I still have not quite figured out how to do those ones.

I love doing acrostics (or anacrostics or double crostics, as they're also called). I like the format of this book. Grid and clues are all on the same page. In some other books of this sort, the clues are on one page, and the grid on the opposite page. That makes them very difficult to fill in if you're not sitting at a table. I have another in this series of books.

I LOVE crostics and the Simon & Schusters are the best and most challenging, and I’ve been doing them since I was a little kid, for about maybe 35 years? That’s probably why they’re in the NYT every week. The fact that the sheets tear out is a definite plus.

First off, Middleton’s puzzles are masterful and a class by themselves. They are the very best that Acrostics have to offer. That said the physical books themselves are really poorly made. The puzzle book I received did not have "easy to use perforated pages" at all. There was no perforation whatsoever and the pages just rip along the binding. Even more problematic: The type is too small and often completely BLURRY. The printing is just terrible and looks like they just took a copy machine and slapped it together. But go ahead and buy it anyway. Middleton is just too good to pass up. It’s a shame the publisher has cheapened the experience with its third rate printing and editing. The author, and we puzzlers, deserve better.

I love the crostics in this book! They're hard enough to keep me engaged, but I rarely have to give up on one of them. My only complaint is that the print of the text is often not clear enough for me. Numbers like 6 and 8 aren't clear, and letters like Q and O are hard to distinguish--so I have to be extra careful when doing the puzzles. They are challenging and interesting enough to keep me involved regardless of the printing difficulties.

Thomas Middleton wrote glorious crostics for the NYT. These puzzles are challenging and rewarding and not for the faint of heart. I was disheartened to learn that these compilations are out of print and only two volumes are still in supply. Used copies of the other volumes with (presumably) unsolved puzzles are offered at silly prices. Old puzzles aren't available online with a NYT puzzle subscription. So in essence they're close to being just a memory. Too bad because Middleton didn't use many pop culture or ephemeral words. His puzzles just require broad knowledge of language, history, and the arts. If you find puzzles by Morris, Dickman, et. al. difficult, you should step away now : )

I received this book today and saw a $10 price on the cover. I was charged $23.95! Also, it says on the cover, "Easy to use perforated pages". Not true. I tried to carefully remove a page and it tore off raggedly. Now I guess I cannot return it. I noticed the clues are very difficult, and i've been doing crostics for years. I feel like I was scammed and lied to. I made a $23.95 mistake, (plus inflated postage charges).. I will never buy another product from Simon & Schusters again!

The print is very Much more tiny and blurry than previous books. Must have been reprinted many times 😑

Loved it. Exactly what I wanted