An overview of
Cain's Jawbone
by Edward Powys Mathers
2.Victor Gollancz Ltd, reissue: Unbounda
a.1934, reissued 2019
Cain's Jawbone summarized (in two sentences or less)
In Cain's Jawbone, you're the detective sifting through a jumbled narrative to solve multiple murders. It's a literary Rubik's Cube where the story only makes sense when you crack the code—which you probably won't.
Cain's Jawbone Trivia and/or (Un)fun Facts
Alias Alert: The author, Edward Powys Mathers, wrote it under the pseudonym Torquemada.
Oldie but Goodie: First published in 1934, this book has been confounding readers for nearly 90 years.
Two's Company: Only two people have officially solved the puzzle since its release.
Cash Prize: The original prize for solving it was £25, which was a pretty penny back in the 1930s.
Rebirth: The book was reissued in 2019, giving a new generation a crack at the puzzle.
Limited Edition: The reissued version was initially limited to just 1,000 copies.
Time-Consuming: Some people have reportedly spent years trying to solve the puzzle.
Interactive Lit: It's considered one of the earliest examples of interactive fiction.
Multiple Murders: The book involves not just one, but six murders to solve.
Name Game: "Cain's Jawbone" refers to the first murder weapon in history, according to the Bible.
Why Cain's Jawbone Is Challenging
The single biggest challenge is rearranging the 100 pages in the correct order to make sense of the story and solve the murders. It's like a jigsaw puzzle on steroids, where every piece is a page of text. You're not just reading; you're decoding, deducing, and playing detective.
Why Cain's Jawbone Is Worth Reading
There are 100 pages and each page can be in any of the 100 positions. Ergo, the number of possible page permutations is 100 factorial, written as $$100!$$ which is $$100 \times 99 \times 98 \times ... \times 2 \times 1$$ This means that the number of possible solutions to Cain's Jawbone is about $$9.332622\times10^{157}$$ That's a 158-digit number.
Now, numbers this large don't really mean anything. Even the most outlandish comparatives still fall flat.
Here, watch: We think that the number of electrons in the observable universe is $$10^{80}$$ give or take a few.
This means that if we have each electron in the observable universe represent one possible solution to Cain's Jawbone, then we'd need to consider every electron in the observable universe $$9.332622\times10^{77}$$ times before we'd find the correct solution.
Or, to put it even more abstractly, if every electron in the observable universe was represented by the sum of every electron in the observable universe—and let's call these sums "super-electrons"—then we'd need to bottom-up consider every super-electron in the observable universe about 1000 times before we'd find the correct solution to Cain's Jawbone if we were trying to brute force this bastard.
My math might be wrong. But it doesn't really matter. The point is that the number of possible solutions to Cain's Jawbone is so large that it's impossible to brute force.
That being said: two people have solved it.
So I guess it's not impossible?
Who Cain's Jawbone Is For
Puzzle Fanatic: Loves crosswords, Sudoku, and brain teasers.
Literary Buff: Appreciates classic literature and complex narratives.
Detail-Oriented: Notices the small stuff that most people overlook.
Patient as a Monk: Willing to invest time and mental energy.
Critical Thinker: Enjoys deducing, decoding, and problem-solving.
Tenacious: Doesn't give up easily; loves a good challenge.
Open-Minded: Willing to approach a book as an interactive experience.
Tech-Savvy: Might use spreadsheets or coding to track permutations.
Competitive: Intrigued by the idea of being one of the few to solve it.
Bragging Rights Seeker: Wants the glory of cracking one of literature's toughest puzzles.
How to Read Cain's Jawbone
I can't really help you.
Because almost nobody can.
The most recent solver said he laid out the pages on his living room floor and spent 10 hours a day for 3 weeks trying to solve it.
So try that, I guess.
Discussion Questions about Cain's Jawbone
Cain's Jawbone Research Prompts for Postdocs:
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Narrative Structure: How does the non-linear, disordered structure of Cain's Jawbone challenge traditional narrative theories?
Reader Agency: How does the book redefine the role of the reader as an active participant rather than a passive consumer of text?
Intertextuality: Are there elements in Cain's Jawbone that echo or subvert classical literary tropes, and what implications does this have for its interpretation?
Metafictional Elements: How does the book's self-awareness as a puzzle affect its status as a literary work?
Epistemology: What does the book suggest about the nature of knowledge and the act of knowing, especially in a narrative context?
Algorithmic Approaches: Could computational methods be effectively applied to solve the puzzle, and what would this mean for literary analysis?
Ethics of Storytelling: Does the book's format raise any ethical questions about the act of storytelling, especially in the context of a murder mystery?
Cultural Context: How does the book reflect or critique the social and cultural norms of its time, especially given its unique format?
Semiotics: How does the book play with signs and symbols to create meaning, and how does this complexity affect the reader's engagement?
Psychology of Engagement: What cognitive processes are at play when a reader engages with such a complex, interactive text?
Cain's Jawbone Conversation Starters for Normal People:
- Narrative Chaos: How does the disordered structure of Cain's Jawbone affect your reading experience?
Reader's Role: Do you feel more like a reader or a detective while engaging with this book? Why?
Genre-Bending: Is Cain's Jawbone a novel, a puzzle, or something else entirely? How does it challenge traditional genres?
Character Complexity: With the pages out of order, how do you perceive the characters? Does this add depth or confusion?
Interactive Fiction: How does this book compare to other forms of interactive fiction or media you've encountered?
Problem-Solving: Did you use any specific strategies or tools to try to solve the puzzle? What worked or didn't work?
Literary Devices: Did you notice any recurring motifs, symbols, or themes? How do these elements function in a disordered narrative?
Emotional Impact: Did the book's format affect your emotional engagement with the story and characters?
Cultural Relevance: Why do you think the book was reissued in 2019? What makes it appealing to modern audiences?
Personal Takeaway: What's the most valuable or interesting thing you've gained from engaging with Cain's Jawbone?
Questions about Cain's Jawbone that you can ask your dog:
- Who's the Detective?: Can you point to the person in the story who is trying to solve the mystery?
Funny Names: What's the silliest name you heard in the story? Why do you think it's funny?
Scary or Not?: Was there a part in the story that made you feel a little scared? What happened?
Hide and Seek: The detective is looking for clues. What would be a good place to hide a clue?
Happy or Sad: How did you feel when the mystery was solved? Were you happy or sad?
Favorite Part: What was the most exciting part of the story for you?
Mystery Animal: If you could add an animal to help solve the mystery, what animal would it be?
Lost and Found: The detective finds something important. What do you think it should be?
Big Surprise: Was there a part in the story that made you go "Wow!"? What was it?
Tell the Story: Can you tell me what the fuck happened in the story using your own words?