h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Pin, I found A17/N16 by guessing. The author didn't say me anything (as did this novel), although I know another novel by this author by name.
I haven't found anything else yet.

Having said that: there's Dante in A4, but if that is right, I certainly have no idea about works that would fit (Divine Comedy being far too long).

I thought A4 looked like Dante too. In fact only the T and the E are right.

OK Icy, clues of my own. Are A11 and A15 a Byelorussian Biochemist and a Reekie Lassie respectively?

Biochemists are good

Reekie lassies are not

(I know who you're referring to, but there's an alternative one in there)

OK now also:
N14=A15
N19=A11
N17=A7
I repeatedly missed A11's book- hard to believe

Just 2 missing

N15=A13

N18=A16

The only one I don't know now is Bel's N12=A12 (so between us we've solved it)

Yay, I did it.
It's only taken me three days!

Congratulations

They all look OK to me.

Bel also posted A20-N2 - did you get that one, Pin?

I finally found A4/N10. I can't believe how long it took me to spot the author.

Skimming my bookshelves and trying to remember what I read in school helped, though.

Found two more:

A6/N8 and A19/N6

it helped to have Pin's solutions.

Hi Icy

Thanks for setting this. Yes, I got them all, Bel's initial spots included.

(I think knowing that Bel had N2=A20 clued me somehow. At least I tuned in on looking for the right kind of book and period for that one. Shudder)

FWIW, my familiarity with the actual novels:
Read and enjoyed: N3, N8, N10, N13, N14, N18, N19
Think I've read, but don't much remember: N9, N12
Read and wish I hadn't: N4, N11
Haven't Read but might: N1, N5, N6, N7, N15, N16, N20
Haven't Read and never would: N2, N17

You nearly had another one for that final list. I had to pull Jeffrey Archer's 'Kane and Abel' at the last minute (I'd spelled it 'Cain and Abel')

I don't quite have enough for a third quiz on this theme (I have around 15 slightly less well-known ones). I could probably research a few more and do another quiz next month, or I could just post them here, what do you think?

Post contributions are vital. Keep at it, I say, though it's easy for me to do so. Though I can tell you thay you've pricked my conscience into offering a couple of my own. (Not puzzles. The usual prose rather).

But keeping on at the same formula when it's getting harder and harder is a bit thankless, yeah?

The problem is presumably finding book titles short enough. I wonder what would happen instead if you constructed the titles out of complete words taken from a list of EG Entry titles:

eg here's an example of one of thousands of easily-dreamed-up titles that you can't use with your existing method:
'Three Men in a Boat'
could come from
Franz Beckenbauer - THREE Ways to Win the World Cup
Maid Marian And Her Merry MEN - The Children's TV Comedy
British Burial Barrows: Viking And Saxon BOAT And Barrow Burials

...plus you'd need a way to add the articles and prepositions. I guess you'd still do Jerome letter-by-letter as before.

I haven't worked this out completely, of course (I never do). It's just a thought.

I found A20 completely by accident. I had a vague memory of an author whose books I've never read but you can find in book shops here. Good job I couldn't recall the name, because otherwise I would never have found the one Icy set.
That was what I meant when I said 'obscure' (A3 being another one).

I still have quite a few which I haven't found yet. The only books I've read (from those I know) are N3 (all of them) and N10. I think I've read N8, but not sure. I certainly should read N1 sometime.
I don't think I'll ever even try N4.

All the other books are totally unknown to me.

You're so right about N4.
Should we maybe start a Worst Book Ever thread in Ask?

That's a good idea.
Should we add the 'worst book ever which we never read'?

Naturally.
F19585?thread=8136017

There, I did it.
(Though knowing the Usual Suspects, I bet it turns into a thread about "Vigorous Defence of Books I've Never Actually Read"!)

It's a really good thread. I'm glad you started it.