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This book is nearly as addictive as its less-refined (but more universal) game
counterpart—the Magic Eight Ball. Sure, the answers in the book version
aren’t quite as likely to apply to a particular situation as the classic
ball, but the variation of answers adds more variety.
This small but hefty book is a fun idea. It’s a compilation of hundreds
of pages of Magic-Eight-Ball-type advice from literary sources, and has complete
instructions for use on the back cover as well as at the beginning of the book.
Because of the wide range of answers to your yes or no questions, they don’t
always fit perfectly, but then again, you can always take comfort in the loopholes
of the instructions—you might not have been concentrating hard enough or
something.
And then it’s just a game, after all—and a book to page through as
well. Paging through is just as enjoyable as following directions. By doing
so you get the chance to marvel at the breadth of literature the compiler combed
through for phrases like “Yes” and “Absolutely.” You’ll
also find other intriguing lines to ponder, like “The way is to be found”
(Confucius) and “Make haste” (Emily Brönte, Wuthering Heights).
Half of the fun of this book, after all, is its cheekiness. The idea of combing
great literature for the sole purpose of finding phrases like “Perhaps”
is absurd enough to strike my fancy and my funny bone. Besides, it makes a great
party game and conversation starter.
