Cain's Jawbone: A Novel Problem

Cain's Jawbone: A Novel Problem

In 1934, The Observerâ€™s crossword writer, Edward Powys Mathers, wrote a unique novel Cainâ€™s Jawbone. The title, referring to the first recorded murder weapon, was written under his pen name Torquemada. The story was not only a murder mystery but one of the hardest and most beguiling word puzzles ever published.

The 100 pages of the book were printed and bound out of order and the reader was invited to re-order the pages, solve the mysteries and reveal the murderer(s). There were over 32 million possible combinations of pages but only one order was correct. The puzzle was extremely difficult and was only solved by two puzzlers whose names were revealed in The Observer - but the solution to the problem remained a secret.

The Laurence Sterne Trust is interested in all literary works that challenge the idea of linear narrative (BS Johnson, Marc Saporta, Julio CortÃ¡zar &c) in line with Laurence Sterneâ€™s legacy, so the Trust responded with a mixture of surprise and delight when The Torquemada Puzzle Book was donated to the museumâ€™s contemporary collection, even though the solution was missing. Now, after many months of research and good fortune, the Trust has managed to unlock the secret of Cainâ€™s Jawbone.

To share the complexities, red-herrings and literary adventures hidden in the puzzle, Unbound are republishing the book in a custom-made box so that readers can physically reorder the pages for themselves and then get down to identifying the characters behind the fiendish crimes.
Country USA
Brand Unbound
Manufacturer Unbound
Binding Paperback
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781783527410
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

Country	USA
Brand	Unbound
Manufacturer	Unbound
Binding	Paperback
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781783527410
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00