This Goes All the Way to the Queen
September 27, 2015 10:50 AM   Subscribe

"An amulet, a treasure hunt, and a legion of readers mobilized by the false patterns our brains create to make sense of the world around us. " Jess ZImmerman discusses 1979's treasure-hunt sensation, Masquerade.
posted by jenkinsEar (20 comments total) 29 users marked this as a favorite
 
I'm old enough to remember seeing the coverage of this in my neighbour's Australian Women's Weekly
posted by infini at 11:18 AM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]


I remember when that book was popular in the US, and how beautiful the illustrations were.
posted by Dip Flash at 11:37 AM on September 27, 2015


Previously.

I checked this book out of our public library many times as a child...I loved the rich illustrations and finding the hidden things in each picture. I didn't care that the contest was over. It was fascinating to read about the story behind the book and contest many years later.

I really liked this article's approach...we want so badly to see connections in things but the truth is much more straightforward.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:49 AM on September 27, 2015


Hey! I have that book! Bought it around 1980-81. Really gorgeous illustrations. Didn't give a spit about the contest, though.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:06 PM on September 27, 2015


I remember getting way into his second book, where you weren't supposed to search for treasure in the real world, you were supposed to guess its name (which made it way more practical for a suburban tween in Connecticut to take part). I came up with some theory that the title was THE LEGEND OF GOOD SAINT AMBROSE, and my "proof" was probably just as fantastical as the theories they discuss in the article.

i can't remember if I sent in my guess, and then eighth grade started and I forgot all about it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:12 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]


I got a copy of Masquerade for my son when he was little because it is so beautiful. We still have it somewhere, I think.
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 12:38 PM on September 27, 2015


Aye I have a first pressing of that book, in almost pristine condition. Except that a chipmunk I owned and used to run free got behind the books and chewed on the bottom part of the front board. Sort of appropriate.
posted by lilburne at 12:43 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]


Nice article, thanks for posting it!

I have to add my usual linguistic nitpick:
In 1958, German neurologist Klaus Conrad coined the term Apophänie to describe schizophrenic patients’ tendency to imbue random events with personal meaning. An apophany has the form factor of an epiphany—the sense of breakthrough, of events finally coming together and making sense—but without any relationship to real explanations. [...] Now called “apophenia,” the instinct to pick out patterns from meaningless information is essentially universal.
That makes it sound like "apophany" = Apophänie, and "apophenia" is some newfangled replacement. Actually, the two English words are both equivalents of the German, and "apophenia" is slightly better because German ä = ae, so Apophänie = "apophaenia" or (to us Yanks) "apophenia."
posted by languagehat at 12:49 PM on September 27, 2015 [4 favorites]


Just to "actually" the "actually," Conrad's original use of Apophänie/apophany described specifically the experience of false epiphany in schizophrenics. "Apophenia" as now used is pattern-finding behavior, not false epiphany, and is equally applicable to the mentally normative. I'm sure you're right from a language perspective! But the description in the piece was based on usage in the psych literature, which fairly often diverges somewhat from normal semantics.
posted by babelfish at 1:08 PM on September 27, 2015 [3 favorites]


If you take the numerological value for each third letter of the correction to the correction, then divide by the Absolute Time of the correction's posting, you will have the longitude for the first clue....
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:22 PM on September 27, 2015


> But the description in the piece was based on usage in the psych literature, which fairly often diverges somewhat from normal semantics.

Thanks! Once again, MetaFilter has educated me.
posted by languagehat at 5:06 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]


There is also a book of Kit Williams' paintings called Out of One Eye that is just incredibly charming.
posted by Trinity-Gehenna at 6:07 PM on September 27, 2015


This reminded me to order a 2nd hand copy of Mike Wilks' 1986 "Ultimate Alphabet" book (came with a prize competition). I remember staring at these illustrations for years as a child. My 2yo now stops me reading his board books when he sees a really richly-illustrated page, wants to point at everything on it. So I am hoping this will blow his mind :)
posted by mattbee at 6:24 PM on September 27, 2015 [2 favorites]


Once again, MetaFilter has educated me.

Likewise!
posted by babelfish at 8:15 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]


Fascinating, but something about the article's seeming assumption that meaning is only about avoiding anxiety or insignificance bothers me.
posted by blue shadows at 10:51 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]


People who enjoy this might enjoy the picture book The Eleventh Hour.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:55 PM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]


My mom got us a copy of the book. Me and my brothers sorted out a great number of the clues, but didn't manage to put it all together. When I finally saw the solution, it made total sense. There were a number of things that were pretty cool puzzles that made Williams succeed in getting lots of people to look at his work very closely.

For example, if you look at this illustration, you'll note that some of the letters are red, which is the easy clue. You'll notice that some of the letters have points on them, which also an easy clue. Finally, you'll note that certain elements of the picture extend outside into the words. These are clues that span the book. Neat!
posted by plinth at 6:14 AM on September 28, 2015 [1 favorite]


I was bought this book when I was small. I still have it. I have become a creative and try and hide puzzles in everything.
posted by my-username at 6:45 AM on September 28, 2015 [1 favorite]


I also had a copy when I was little, far too little to solve the riddles. I remember my dad being interested in them, though, and so we both got a lot out of Masquerade.

There are still pictures from that book I can instantly recall: the dandelion lady, and the lady with the skirt full of pockets. I actually made a skirt a few years ago with pockets all over it and little prizes in each pocket, and wore it to a Yule party.
posted by fiercecupcake at 8:20 AM on September 28, 2015 [1 favorite]


People who enjoy this might enjoy the picture book The Eleventh Hour.

I still remember the solution to this one from when I was a kid - I'm pretty sure I cheated to get it though.
posted by atoxyl at 4:47 PM on September 28, 2015


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