‘The Jaw of Cain’: Meet the enigmatic book that is mobilizing fans on TikTok

When thinking about interactivity in literature, one might recall Ian Livingston and Steve Jackson’s Fantastic Adventures gamebooks, or the “If you want the character to take that pose, go to Page X; otherwise go to Page Y”. Cain’s Jaw, launched by Intrínseca, brings a new meaning in this sense.

Described on the cover as “the most terribly difficult literary puzzle in the world” it’s not entirely clear who the other contenders are, but it might not be far off. Written in the distant 1934 by Edward Powys Mathers (18921939), Torquemada (name associated with the Spanish Inquisition), the story begins with a curious premise: 100 pages are published in random order. The fun is in arranging them among millions of possible combinations. According to legend, the number of people who managed to get the exact result fits in the fingers of one hand.

Illustration by Tom Gauld for the cover of Edward P. Mathers’ book The Jaw of Cain Photo: Editora Intrínseca

First of all, the reader already notices that this is a unique book, since all pages are detachable a dotted line makes the work easier. The idea of ​​tearing up a work of literature may seem absurd, but those who delve into the plot end up resorting to it. There are those that just stack them in the order you want them to be, and others that hang them on the walls like they’re a detective in a Hollywood movie which makes perfect sense given the need to know the full names of six characters who are murdered, as well as those of their respective killers.

For those unprepared, it may seem strange to read the first few pages. There’s an old joke about the boy reading a boring book with lots of characters and little action: It was a phone book. The first impression can be similar, name after name appears without much explanation, details about physical and personality traits are given, geographical or literary references appear. As the story was written in Britain in the 1930s, don’t expect a very smooth writing style either.

The Jaw of Cain is a book that’s practically impossible to read once and that can be something very cool, but it can also be something daunting. For anyone looking for a book to pore over for days, aided by a highlighter, a pencil (there’s a notes section on each page, very useful) and a willingness to get your head thinking, this is it full plate. But while it’s a short book each of the 100 pages has only a short paragraph it doesn’t seem ideal for those who can read briefly or intermittently, or who do so while standing on public transport, for example. A literary escape of sorts, it takes commitment and dedication to make the most of the experience.

The English writer Edward P. Mathers (18921939) Photo: Editora Intrínseca

On TikTok, the book has already reached tens of millions of mentions — which might not seem like much in an age of social media with billions of users, but it’s worth noting that literary content tends to generate less engagement than other types of material. Most of the videos are in English and show the strategies used to try to solve the puzzle, going through some interesting frustrations and impressions. For example, on page 41, the phrase “I was going gay” is quoted. A video questioning whether the use of the word ‘gay’ in 1934 is the same as it is today or more like what was formerly used in England to mean a happy person has received more than half a million reproductions. with many people who share the same doubt.

The Brazilian edition was published by Editora Intrínseca in late 2022, a translation of the 1934 rerelease of the original, made possible thanks to a crowdfunding in 2019.

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