Review: My Head Hurts!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 15, 2013
“The Riddle Chest” by Sef Daystrom at first glance looks like any other book of jokes and riddles. One need only open to the first page to realize these riddles are along the lines of what the mythical Minotaur, or a troll guarding his bridge, might ask as the condition by which one may pass unmolested. As frequently was the case in mythology, mere mortals generally would be stumped by the riddle and subsequently reduced to a meal. “The Riddle Chest” is not life-critical as in mythology, but the riddles themselves are every bit as difficult to comprehend and answer. Forget the notion that a ‘riddle’ should be funny. None of these is particularly humorous, but each is seriously mind numbing. Perhaps a better title for the book might have been “Brain Stumpers” or, more accurately, “Things to Make You Feel Really Stupid”. Of the 50 riddles included, I successfully answered between 5 and 10 of them… and initially I was proud of myself for getting that many correct!“The Riddle Chest” is a book that would probably work best if you take it one riddle at a time, and work at it like a dog worrying a bone, before moving on to the next. All of these are solvable; there are no trick questions included. They will, however, require varying degrees of thought and a good bit of ‘thinking outside the box’ to arrive at the appropriate answer. If you were to work on a single riddle until you solved it, before moving on to the next, this little book might last a couple months before you either complete it or give up in frustration. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Sef Daystrom is the only person on the planet capable of answering all of them! “The Riddle Chest” is bound to give your brain a serious workout, while providing hours of thought-provoking entertainment. “The Riddle Chest” will make an ideal gift for the deep thinker in your family or circle of friends. However, don’t be surprised if subsequently they carry a bit of resentment against you, for making them feel stupid! Sef Daystrom has composed or collected a brilliant selection of mind-stumping riddles guaranteed to clear the cobwebs from your brain cells, and put them to work… quite possibly for the first time in years! If you are up to the challenge, “The Riddle Chest” is the perfect book to wake up those long-unused brain cells and sharpen your thinking skills. Personally, I cannot accept solving only 5 or 10 out of 50. I will be pondering these riddles for some time to come… I have a lot of brain cells that have just been taking up space for years! It’s time to put them back to work.