E

This was the hardest puzzle I’ve done in a long time. I like a good challenge and want my Saturdays to be difficult, but there’s a fine line between challenging and miserable. For me this puzzle went over that line. My issue wasn’t so much the difficulty but the lack of fun. The cluing was at times too obscure, misleading in unfair ways, and simply dull. There was no “aha” moment or sense of satisfaction at the end to make up for the slog. I appreciate Sam’s desire to provide good mental workout. But at the end of the day, even the most of us want to have fun.