I started it and put it on hold after the big event (I don't want to spoil it for you, or anyone reading) that happens early on in the book. I got it because a friend recommended it, and I am not sure if I want to keep reading it.

My problem is not with the nature of the big event. (It's truly shattering and upsetting.) It is with the feeling I got of a writer showing off, going on and on about descriptive details. It struck me as, "look how good I am at imagining all this!" Or an attempt at fishing for a movie. That part has a movie-like feeling, like a camera navigating the situation slowly. It annoyed me because until then, the book did not feel like that at all to me. So, if I am going to keep reading it, I need to let this feeling go.

I don't want to know what happens, but if you have read it and have an assessment, I'd appreciate it. I generally try not to invest time in reading a fiction book if I am unlikely to finish it feeling that it was worth reading. (Nonfiction is different... I have to read a lot given the nature of my work.)

My approach has led me to give up on very famous books (e.g., For Whom the Bells Toll), and stick to others, no matter how long (e.g., Anna Karenina, which I am likely to read again at some point.)

Maybe I'll resume reading over the break and see how it goes. And if I like it, I'll watch the movie.

<Spoiler alert> But since it happens early on, it won't ruin the whole thing for you.

Spassky vs Keres, 1957.
YOU ARE PLAYING THE ROLE OF SPASSKY.
Your score: 94 (par = 80)

I devoted 10 minutes or so to it. Nice game.

Got increasingly tired. My game got worse due to fatigue. My two defeats were to players I beat before, so they got their revenge.

WE ARE NOW FOLLOWING
Szabo vs Petrosian, 1953.
YOU ARE PLAYING THE ROLE OF PETROSIAN.
Your score: 87 (par = 55)

I am mostly recovered, though still coughing a bit and getting tired easily. Tomorrow I am going back to the Petri dish (I mean, the classroom), so I just got the covid shot. I am definitely not ready to resume teaching.

Sorry, forgot to tell that I found the one puzzle that ended with 0-0 and mate,brilliant.AAnd funny.

Our side of the street got power restored that day, but the other side is still without power. People are extremely stressed out, everyone had to go somewhere else. Someone set up a text group for residents of my street, which was nice. Information and kindness spread easily. Some of our neighbors across the street are staying with some of my neighbors on this side of the street. (We offered but there were no takers. By the time we got power back, nearly everyone had made arrangements.)

It looks like the local utility did not prepare well for the storm, though they had advertised their preparations in advance. They have more than doubled their number of line workers with contractors, some from out of state. But people are exhausted, disheartened, and angry. I know it's hard for my across-the-street neighbors (the evens) to see that we (the odds) have had power back for four or five days and they still don't. My heart goes out to them.

Most of the hotel guests we stayed at were other displaced Nashville residents. The hotel was very much pet friendly, and there were dogs everywhere. Our cats stayed in our room 24/7, of course, and it was interesting to see their process. Cran (short for Cranberry, the girl) was very cautious for the first three hours, and then decided that was home now, and acted like she acts at home, not even caring for the occasional barking we could hear from the hallway. Mambo (the boy) found right away how to hide behind the bed and stayed there most of the time for about 24 hours. Then he came out and also decided the room was safe and acted normally. This is consistent with their usual behavior at home. Cran is always more outgoing, curious, and confident when we have visitors. Mambo needs to get to know them first.

The hotel personnel were just wonderful. And the hotel waived cancellation fees, so that guests could make long-enough reservations, since it was totally uncertain when we would be able to go back home. That was a big stress reducer. I will give them a rave 5-star review. It's the Holiday Inn and Suites Nashville Downtown, and IHG hotel. And the rate was quite reasonable. If anyone plans to visit Nashville, I strongly recommend it!

Vanderbilt had to cancel classes all week. We are going back on Monday. Vanderbilt campus is an arboretum, with about 200 species of trees and bushes, and green all over. Many trees dropped branches (the weight of the ice made then snap... lots of branches down, not so many whole trees down), and there is a lot of cleanup to do, among other things. While the ice was still weighing heavily on tree branches, they didn't want to risk any tree limbs falling on anyone.