The game of life according to IBS

I have had a library copy of The Collected Stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer in my apartment for the last 3 months. I borrowed it to read one particular story, read the story, then a couple more, and came to the conclusion that IBS's work is disturbing and largely unpleasant, and I should return the book. Yet, not only does the book remain in my apartment, but every weekend I read a few more stories. It’s mostly his caricatural descriptions of people and life itself that I find unsettling. (His stories generally involve a grotesque, old, sick man (often a writer), who suddenly finds love and the strength to go on with life when a G-d sent strong, young, caring female shows up at his doorstep. A select few of the stories focus on demons.) However, this weekend, I read a story that I could fully appreciate, and it perhaps makes up for all the other horrible stories in the book. In “A Friend of Kafka,” an extended metaphor is used comparing life to a chess game, something that I’ve been doing for years...

“The answer is for the game itself. We all play chess with Fate as a partner. He makes a move; we make a move. He tries to checkmate us in three moves; we try to prevent it. We know we can’t win, but we’re driven to give him a good fight.”

“Well, if there is a G-d, He will reward you. And if there isn’t, who is playing all these games with Jacques Kohn?”

Although, my version of the life-game analogy is slightly different. In mine, G-d is playing unopposed. That is, it’s more like the game of life, where G-d sets us in action, then enjoys the show.

And in the real world, the Pope dies just in time to steal the spotlight away from Terri Shiavo, and in turn, Prince Charles attempts to claim it by nobly postponing his wedding.