guardian prize

[macgee]

I thought todays offering by Auracaria was very easily cracked and not very taxing (not because I am getting better!) but is it that dear old Auracaria is maybe losing some of his cunning?
What do you experts out there think. I have seen very few postings today asking for help??

[pont bihan]

OK - I give up; what is the theme?

[greencj01]

I didn't know the quote but the puzzle was easier than some the great man sets. Given the range of puzzles he sits in the Guardian and the FT I see no reduction in his considerable talent.

[JackAubrey]

I couldn't disagree more. There is an obvious risk with one of the Master's epic anagrams that - once cracked - it provides a lot of crossing letters for the remaining clues. But the quality of this Aracauriagram was up to his highest standard. 34 letters, all drawn from a phrase that was a pretty good summary of the source work. (For those who haven't seen the puzzle the answer was the last couplet from Milton's "Lycidas", a poem of mourning for the death of a friend.) And the misdirection of the definition part "A Sherpherd's Farewell" was classic stuff too. A perfectly fair definition - the quotation is the parting words of an imagined shepherd - but, of course, it points you unerringly towards the famous chorale from L'Enfance du Christ by Berlioz; entirely the wrong way!

Along with that there was plenty of his cheeky humour - or should that be humorous cheek? If I can solve crosswords of this standard at his age - much less set them! - I'll be a happy man.

[macgee]

Thanks for your observation Jack and I cetainly dont disagree with the solution to 9across explanation. However surely the point of a good crossword is that is a 'free standing' puzzle that should be able to be solved without 'google ' or other such references e.g. sitting on a train. This was that sort of puzzle and that particular solution was not at all difficult once a few letters were in and the anagram sorted. I have never heard of the Berlioz work anyway. My point was that the great man is known as such for his cunning (and humour) , fairness and above all assumption that the solver has the cunning to unravel his thinking. All I felt on this crossword was that wasnt really there. I did it in under than 30 minutes. Most of his work from a couple of years back were a good couple of hours etc. It could of course be that I am getting more tuned to his thinking but that would be pretentious of me!
I still feel that he is probably the best around but I think an edge is starting to be lost.
Long may he be around.