Truth Is Trickiest: The Case for Ambiguity in the Exeter Book Riddles

Truth Is Trickiest argues that the absence of solutions in the Exeter Book riddles reveals an essential quality of these texts, which are written to generate multiple solutions rather than a single, elegant answer. It contextualizes its readings within the larger field of Old English poetry, early medieval material culture, and Anglo-Latin riddles and concludes with a full list of previously proposed solutions to document the history of the ongoing argument that the Exeter Book riddles have provoked.

Format: Hardback
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: 12 July 2024
Publisher: University of Toronto Press

The Exeter Book, a tenth-century English manuscript, contains nearly one hundred riddles that have long challenged modern readers due to their lack of solutions. In her book "Truth Is Trickiest," Jennifer Neville argues that this absence of solutions is not an unfortunate accident but rather an essential quality of these texts. Neville contends that the Exeter Book riddles are designed to generate multiple solutions rather than a single, elegant answer. The correct response to an Exeter Book riddle is not a definitive solution but rather an ongoing process of interpretation that prompts readers to question their assumptions. "Truth Is Trickiest" situates its readings within the broader context of Old English poetry, early medieval material culture, and Anglo-Latin riddles. It explores the central issue of interpretation in relation to various social values, craftsmanship, hierarchical social structures, violence, irony, humor, and sexuality. The book concludes with a comprehensive list of previously proposed solutions to document the ongoing debate surrounding the Exeter Book riddles and their provocative nature.

Weight: 660g
Dimension: 235 x 159 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781487552527