Listener 4565 Folio By Nebuchadnezzar

[Hagen]

No doubt there's a thread lurking, not yet appearing in AB search, though I've looked hard enough...

I failed at the first hurdle - I couldn't find the puzzle! It's usually at the bottom of the home page but wasn't this time - and I didn't think to look under specialist puzzles until this morning. Such imbecility hardly qualifies one to tackle a puzzle like this, and I nearly didn't bother as it looked like an almighty slog. Thank goodness I did - this is one of the most absorbing puzzles we've had for ages. After a slow start it gradually yielded as the grid filled up (from the bottom, in my case). The endgame is neat, unambiguous and not too difficult.

I wouldn't want to spend five hours on a puzzle every week by any means, but this was brilliant. Just brilliant.

[Scorpius]

I found this a rather painful slog thorough a very difficult set of clues and for a long time had little in the grid except the initial letters of the twenty-two answers I had.
Congratulations, Hagen, on solving it five hours. I reckon I've spent at least twice that on it, and I still haven't finished since I haven't found the four-letter word to change.

[fyellin]

@Scorpius. When we finished the grid, there seemed to be an obvious "problem". I changed one of the answers to a less satisfactory answer to fix the problem. But then I realized that the better way of fixing the problem was by performing the transposition in that general area.

The endgame, when you see it, will be obvious.

[NickorWan]

I too spent at least twice as long as Hagen on it – hats off to you Hagen. I think it was up there with the hardest that I have ever tackled. I admit to nearly giving up more than once and personally would have preferred a few more easy clues as I struggled to get into the grid.

I wasn’t sure about the term ‘zigzag’ for the method of entry nor does it really seem to suit what I assume was the thematic reason behind the method of entry.

Minor quibbles though, I thought it was a terrific puzzle and one of the best this year.

[Hagen]

I appreciate the compliments, Scorpius and Nick, but please remember I am one of the weaker solvers in this pleasant forum and it's extremely rare that I can finish a puzzle of this difficulty before anyone else, if indeed I finish it at all. I didn't get off the starting blocks with Wiggles by Sabre last year.

I do find it interesting how different puzzles attract such varied reactions. Some puzzles which I have found a tedious slog have met with great approbation from others, and vice versa. I didn't enjoy the recent Sabre - a grid fill on the level of an easy Mephisto followed by a long grid search for words that might be coded doesn't float my boat at all - but others plainly enjoyed it. That's all to the good, and vive la différence.

For me, there was always light at the end of the tunnel with this one (even if sometimes it was a train coming at high speed) and although filling the grid was slow, it never degenerated into what I call sticky label peeling syndrome. The left-right symmetry was an enormous help, without that I suspect that it would have been impossible.

[icynorth]

A very enjoyable challenge, thanks Nebuchadnezzar!

I was seriously thrown by a single cast-iron wrong answer, and having one letter wrong in this puzzle sends shock waves to the opposite end.

And having made us suffer, the checker’s probably not looking forward to it either :-)

[PhilipW]

I thought this was a fantastic puzzle - really one of the best this year and plenty of meat to get into. Good to have a difficult one after a few easier ones....though I also couldn't compete with Hagen's 5 hours. Unless I have missed something, there actually seems to be several ways to depict the image for the final step, all conforming with "connect them" but in different ways and producing a realistic depiction of the image...still trying to decide if one is indicated in some way in preference the other(s)

[Philoctetes]

Yes, this was a hard slog. Not, for me, tedious because of the continuing challenge. I too had one wrong answer which really added a spanner to the works. A satisfying series of pdms, leading to delight as I realised the reason for the method of entry.

[12barblues]

Finally got there, still not quite sure on one parsing especially which seems to give a tenth cell! But otherwise seems right. A big challenge, even after working out the theme. Many thanks to Neb..........

[emcee]

Excellent puzzle with plenty of work to do throughout. The clues were tough and the method of entry was challenging, to say the least.

Interesting endgame and a clever title.

All in all, one of the best and toughest puzzles for 2019 and, I'm sure it will remain so.

Many thanks, Nebuchadnezzar. And well done to Hagen -- five hours is incredible. You must have been 'tuned in' to the setter right from the off!!

[Hagen]

I must reiterate that I only mentioned my solving time because it seemed inordinately long to me. I usually find that by the time I finish a puzzle everyone else has showered, changed and gone to the pub!

[Cruncher]

Gosh - that was a tough workout, not least because even with some entries in place it was difficult to spot unsolved answers or even get hints. I did find the preamble unhelpful and certainly felt the zig-zag instruction could have been clearer. I remain unsure about the significance of the symbols in the final instruction. But otherwise a very fine piece of work.

[olichant]

Great puzzle.

[pushmi-pullyu]

Where Hagen took 5 hours, it's taken me 11 days, but I have finally got there! Now I can get my life back.