19 Comments
May 15, 2023Liked by Terry Freedman

Very cool constraint - sounds really fun and now I want to try it too!

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Thanks, Jill. You should!

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I really enjoyed these alternative book reviews. I have struggled with the best way to write a review, and it's fascinating to see these vastly different takes on the same story juxtaposed--especially when I know they've come from the same reviewer!

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😂

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Have you ever played zendo? It's a brillant game about deducing constraints.

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/6830/zendo

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Thanks Justus I'm checking that out right now!

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Great reviews, Terry - I very much prefer the second, specifically for its empathy and humanity, and I’m interested in finding out more about this intriguing character. The first is a rather more direct ‘he said this, then he said that’ kind of style, and doesn’t make me want to know any more! I’d leave that one on the shelf. 😉

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I take your point, Rebecca. Isn't interesting, though, how they both convey exactly the same information but with such a different feel?

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Yes! Same data, different serving style. Fascinating stuff!

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Hehehehehe. Well that gave me a morning chuckle. Those reviews are awesome. I love this.

Re: the solution. Wow. Don't think I would have gotten that. I was trying to think way outside of that box. Such a good technique to apply though. Must have taken a while?

Also, I was in the wonderfully large Dymocks in Melbourne's CBD yesterday and spotted The Penguin Book of Oulipo! I shall pick it up at some point, but I was after a book by Kobe Abe to read (the Oulipo book was right next to it!)

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Thanks, Nathan. Glad you liked the reviews. I enjoyed writing them, especially the negative one. (Though not on the same league as a review I read which began: "This the worst book on educational I've ever read" and ended "The trees died screaming for this one"

Yes, took me ages. Every time I thought of a word, I realised it broke the rule. Hence the awful convoluted phrases.

Buy the Oulipo book today!!!😱😱

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I really should have just picked it up anyway. But I'll be back in there soon. I imagine I'll be tearing through The Woman in the Dunes.

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Thoroughly enjoyed review 2 👏🏻 And wowsers to the solution to last week’s textual mystery!

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Thanks, Claire. Just put of interest, what did you like about #2?

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That upbeat and positive tone, I guess. And nice and wordy ... just how I like a review!!

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Thanks, Claire :-)

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May 14, 2023·edited May 14, 2023Liked by Terry Freedman

"Well, it forced me to tie myself in verbal knots..."

Forced YOU?! What about us poor readers? I mean, I've been tied up in those verbal knots of yours for A WEEK, Terry. 👀😉

Oh, and bravo, by the way - this was an absolutely epic challenge! 🙌🥳😁

Now, if you'll excuse me I'm off to read the rest of your post, because obviously so far I've ignored everything in it apart from the solution to last week's.

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Sorry!😩😂

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😉 and 🙌. AWESOME!

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