In the book, The Thrill of the Chase, right before Forrest Fenn’s Treausre Poem, it says:
“So I wrote a poem containing nine clues that if followed precisely, will lead to the end of my rainbow and the treasure:”
While there are Nine Clues in the poem, Forrest has often said there are subtle hints which can help a person to understand those clues. At the end of the poem he writes:
“There are also other subtle clues sprinkled in the stories.” (Forrest has since changed the wording on that some…he calls these additional ‘subtle clues’- Hints now.
Here are the top quotes by Forrest where he mentions Subtle Hints and how they are in the book, The Thrill of the Chase. He says they will help you understand the clues in the poem.
Lorene Mills Interview 2011
Well in my book there’s a poem, like I said. And there are nine clues in the poem. And the clues are in consecutive order. If you can read that- if you want to find the treasure chest, you have my book there, I’ll tell you how to do it. Read the book just normally. The poem, and the rest of the book. And then go back and read the poem, 6,8, 10 times. Study every line. Every word. Then after you do that, read the book again slowly with the idea of looking for clues or hints that are in the book that will help you follow the clues. You can find the chest with just the clues, but there are hints in the book that will help you with the clues.
Dal’s Site: Is the Book Important? 2012
Dear Mr. Fenn, We are a group of avid elderly bridge players in San Diego who after reading your book hope to find your treasure. We are not into poetry as much as the memoir. We realize the clues are in the poem, but were wondering if there isn’t at least one clue in each chapter. Thank you for a great book Sincerely,Emily
Emily, All of the information you need to find the treasure is in the poem. The chapters in my book have very subtle hints but are not deliberately placed to aid the seeker. Good luck in the search. f
As It Happens Radio Interview 2013
Forrest said: Clues are in the poem, but my book has hints that will help a person with the clues. The book won’t take you to the treasure chest, but it will help you with the clues in the poem.
New Zealand Radio Interview 2013:
In my book The Thrill of the Chase I wrote a poem and the poem has nine clues in it. If you can follow the clues to the poem they will take you to the treasure chest. And in my book there are several hints that won’t take you to the treasure chest, but they will help with the clues that are in the poem. It’s not gonna be easy to find and nobody is gonna accidentally trip over this thing. They’re gonna have to figure out the clues, decipher what they say, and go right straight to the treasure chest.
Santa Fe Cafe Podcast April 2013
Lovato:…. You released a couple additional hints. Is that correct? On your blog?
Forrest: I like the way you put that. The Today Show had asked me to come on one time a month for two minutes on the Today Show and give additional clues. And I agreed to do that. But those clues are not going to take anybody to the treasure chest.
Dal’s Site Scrapbook 35 May 2013
Q)Are there subtle hints in the book?
A)Yes, if you can recognize them.
Quote from ClubThrifty July 2013
Holly: What tips do you have for those wanting to find the treasure?
Forrest: Here is what I would do. Read my book in a normal manner. Then read the poem over and over and over, slowly – thinking. Then read my book again, this time looking for subtle hints that will help solve the clues.
EIS Radio August 2013
Yeah, I have some advice. Read the book. And then study the poem. Over and over. Read it over and over. Maybe even memorize it. And then go back and read the book again looking for hints that are in the book that are going to help you with the clues that are in the poem. That’s the best advice that I can give. You have to find out- you have to learn where the first clue is. They get progressively easier after you discover where the first clue is.
Moby Dickens Interview Nov. 2013
Q) Back to The Thrill of the Chase, outside of the poem, how many clues or hints are in the book? Would you say 10? 20? 30? How many clues? How many hints?
A) There are nine clues in the poem but if you read the book, um, there are a couple. There are a couple of good hints, and then there are a couple of aberrations that live out on the edge.
If you’re really serious about looking for the treasure, get The Thrill of the Chase and read it. And then go back and read the poem over and over and over again. And then go back and read the book again, but slowly looking at every abstract thing that might catch up in your brain. That might be a hint to help you will the clues. Any part of some, is better than no part of any. I don’t think that’ll help you much, but….
Dear Mr. Fenn, You say the clues in the poem are to be followed in consecutive order. You have also said the book holds sublte hints. Are these ‘subtle hints’ in consecutive order (in relation to how they help with clues in the poem) too? ~ Thank you, joseph.
That’s right joseph, you should start with the first clue and follow the others consecutively to the treasure. Hints in the book are not that organized.f
3Q) In your memoir, The Thrill of the Chase, after the poem, you mention there are subtle clues sprinkled throughout that book. You have said you hadn’t deliberately placed these subtle hints in your book; but have you done so in any of your other writings mentioned in Question two (scrapbooks, vignettes, etc)? Or, even if maybe not purposely sprinkled in those writings of Q2, would you consider some of those to contain subtle hints too, like in The Thrill of the Chase?
I don’t want to broaden the clues and hints I’ve written about by pointing them out. What surprises me a little is that nobody to my uncertain knowledge has analyzed one important possibility related to the winning solve.
Richard Eeds Show 2015
There are hints in my book that will help you with the clues, but… a clue will point you toward the treasure chest, and a hint will just help you with the clues, if you can understand that.
Dal’s Site: Forrest Gets Mail 9: Nov. 2015
Is it an advantage to buy The Thrill of the Chase and Too Far to Walk?
There are hints in my TTOTC book that can help solve the clues in the poem.
MW Featured Question Nov. 2015
Mr. Fenn, You have said to read the poem and read TTOTC to help solve for the 9 clues. We all know there are many options to choose from regarding, Brown, hoB, wwh,and blaze hinted at in the book. My question is, “In the book, do you also, in a more subtle way, tell which is the correct answer to one or all of the above?” ~BW
No I don’t madam, sorry. f
Richard Eeds Show 2016
EEDS: Is it fair? Do you think somebody will try hard enough, search hard enough, search long enough that they can find the chest?
Forrest: It’s not a matter of trying. It’s a matter of thinking. Read the poem. Read the book, because there are some hints in the book that will help you with clues in the poem. But sure, people have figured out the first couple of clues and unfortunately walked right past the treasure chest.