The Book of Riddles

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

36571

Title

The Book of Riddles

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A collection of classic riddles from 1846, this book challenges readers to identify objects and concepts through poetic clues. Featuring answers like Time, a Clock, and a Squirrel, the text blends wit with moral lessons, offering an engaging, timeless puzzle experience.

Summary up to 500 words

The Book of Riddles, an anonymous collection published in Concord by John F. Brown in 1846, offers a unique blend of recreational challenge and moral instruction. Composed of enigmatic verses, the work presents a series of riddles describing a diverse array of subjects, ranging from everyday objects like clocks, watches, keys, and barrels to abstract concepts such as time and nature. Each verse is followed by its answer, revealing the identity of the described entity through clever wordplay and vivid imagery. The collection features personifications of these subjects, granting them human traits and emotions; for instance, the Rose is depicted as an emblem of youth and innocence that eventually decays and is cast aside, while Time is portrayed as a winged figure wielding a scythe to level all and an hour-glass to show the constant flow of life. Beyond mere puzzles, many entries carry significant ethical weight. The Drum warns against the futility and misery of war, urging the unthinking youth to heed the truth before it is too late. Similarly, the poem on Time urges readers to seize the moment, emphasizing that once time passes, it cannot be regained. The tone of the work is didactic yet playful, aiming to entertain while instructing. Reflecting 19th-century sensibilities, the book emphasizes industry, morality, and the fleeting nature of existence. The poems often highlight the contrast between the beauty of the present and the inevitability of decay or loss. A transcriber's note indicates efforts to preserve the original text's integrity while correcting minor punctuation errors and adding a missing answer for the Rose. Overall, The Book of Riddles serves as both a repository of historical wisdom and a testament to the era's values, engaging the mind through simple structures that rely on wit and profound observation.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36571.epub.noimages

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data/epubs/pg36571.epub

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2026-07-08 08:09 UTC

Categories

• Riddles