H.G. Wells - The Magic Shop - Thornwillow Dispatch Puzzle

With the arrival of The Magic Shop (and the very beautiful "embedded" image on the back cover), i wonder if anyone has started to tackle the puzzle.

It can't be as simple as the buried image. That would be much too obvious. If their Poe challenge was any indication, it won't be easy.

My understanding is that on Valentines Day, they will open up a survey and the first person to submit the correct answer wins a one of a kind version of the book. Poe was WAY too hard for me. The winner got a tattoo by the illustrator and a one of a kind edition. Anyhow, I hope this one will be easier. Even if I'm not the first to figure it out, I hope that it will be something that I at least can understand once it's explained to me.

Would love to know if anyone has started working on it.

https://thornwillow.com/the-magic-shop

Also, I still can't figure out how to post images easily on this forum. But encourage everyone to do so... especially if they can point to some of the clues that, I am sure are hiding in plain sight.

I believe I figured out the puzzle, in addition to seeing the image on the back cover

>2 trentsteel: Well you probably don't want to add any competition, but since it will mostly be a speed-challenge on Valentines day I'm curious if it was just the cypher hidden in the illustrations or if you found a second step to the puzzle?

>3 NathanOv: that's all I've figured out so far.

And on a seperate note, I also enjoyed the story... :)

Well you are both many steps further than me. I'm feeling pretty slow.

Is the puzzle/question articulated somewhere? I checked the link above and couldn’t find anything.

Great to see a consortium of enthusiasts. Just received my dispatch. Aren’t these monthly dispatches just wonderful to receive? What do you all do with the bookmarks and card and envelopes?

>9 ironjaw: I have been using the note cards. I've been sending them, often with the broadside and/or bookmark, to different friends. I've sent a few to my Godson who is in boarding school and some to various friends I thought would enjoy them... sometimes as a thank you note for a dinner. I get the Patrons' edition (which includes a classic edition of the text in addition to the Patrons' version), so I often give the classic edition away as well. For example when I was invited various places over the holidays, instead of bringing a bottle of wine, I brought a Dispatch volume. It's a really nice house present.

But, as I see how past editions are getting harder to find (and in some cases appreciating so much in value) i'm wondering if I should be holding on to them.

>10 FvS: I love the idea of giving the classic edition away as a house gift! I am not much of a cook, so I've been bringing macarons from a great bakery to parties, but I think that has gotten a bit old and anyway books are much more my thing.

I just received my first Dispatch package last week or so, and I was *thrilled* with every bit of it, including the choice of story! I just started with the cheapest version of the Dispatch to make sure I liked it, but now I think you all are enabling an upgrade...

PS I have no clues on the puzzle, but I'm intrigued...

>10 FvS:: How wonderful a thought. I should be on your correspondence side LOL. Yes the dispatches have indeed gone up on value. I would love to upgrade to the patron level to get the signed version with handmade paste paper but can’t justify the $120 a month incl. shipping to the U.K. if you’re in the US the Classic dispatch at $30 a pop is a bargain for such a package.

>12 ironjaw: I think they have quite a few collectors in the UK and I've heard some discussion of folks doing a consolidated bulk shipment to reduce shipping costs. If there are 5 people in London, the press could mail all 5 in one box and it would probably be cheaper for everyone. Then the 5 collectors could get together to distribute their bundles over a refreshing beverage... Could be a Dispatch book club of sorts :)

There are also forwarders, but not sure if that really saves or not... unless they collected the monthly shipments and sent them say three at a time. Maybe the press could do quarterly instead of monthly shipments. The delay might be worth the savings.

>13 FvS: interesting ideas. At $20 a pop for int delivery it’s $240 a year, which equates to a new fine press book somewhat. I really am in love with these dispatches and can’t bear to cancel. I know at least two on FB group that are dispatch subscribers. Anyway $20 int shipping is very cheap to the U.K. when it easily can be double.

Maybe I should consult the Ladybird Expert series title Tectonic plates to see if there’s any hope for the U.K. to move closer to the US? 😂

>14 ironjaw: The simplest thing might be to ask them to send your dispatch quarterly... which would be (assuming the cost is the same) $80 per year.

>3 NathanOv: Are you really asking someone for their solution to the puzzle?

>16 What_What: Surprised me too. Even if it will be a speed challenge, the less competition, the better. If I had it figured out, I wouldn’t be publishing my findings before the competition ends.

So the hidden portrait of Luke Pontifell on the back cover is not the sole key to the solution of the puzzle? ;-)

>17 Veritas.Vincit: Incredible. What an awkward position to put someone in (the person who volunteered that they had figured it out).

>16 What_What: Ha - not sure how asking someone if they’re at the same stage as you is akin to asking for answers, particularly when it seemed we'd both solved it at that point.

If you’ve gotten that far though, you may be scratching your head and finding it rather ambiguous whether that’s the end or just a clue.

>18 ultrarightist: I think the hidden portrait on the back is of HG Wells... not Luke Pontifell. That said, i'm also quite sure that is not the answer to the puzzle. If Poe is any indication of how hard their puzzles are, it wont be that easy.

I have no problem sharing what I've observed in the book because I doubt I will be able to figure it out myself and I doubt it will simply be a speed race in the end. That said, you never know. This could be one of their easier ones.

In addition to the hidden portrait of Wells on the cover, I've noticed numbers and letters in the illustrations. They've got to mean something. I haven't gotten beyond that.

>21 FvS: Yes, I know the hidden portrait is of HG Wells. I was being facetious.

Anyone know the next dispatch? They usually announce by now

https://thornwillow.com/dispatch-box

Peau D'Âne
or
Donkey Skin
by
Charles Perrault

Bilingual. French and English.

Perrault is Author of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Puss in Boots. It's kind of like the "authentic Disney".

I like myths and fairy tales. Hope they will do a Brothers Grimm at one point.

They did Cinderella a few years back. Not in the Dispatch series. It is really beautiful.

https://thornwillow.com/cinderella-the-little-glass-slipper-by-charles-perrault

>25 FvS: One of my favorite "under the radar" Thornwillow editions. A truly lovely volume, and a precursor, I think, to their current Dispatch.

Looks like today is the day to submit puzzle solutions. I didn’t have the dispatch and couldn’t participate but I love this kind of stuff and am looking forward to hopefully seeing the answer/steps.