It’s time for #6degrees. Start at the same place as other wonderful readers, add six books, and see where you end up.
This month we begin with the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, a book that I’m sure will send bloggers in all sorts of directions.
I have multiple copies of Alice – different illustrators, different bindings, different formats. The other book I have multiple copies of is The Great Gatsby.
Coincidentally, a friend told me yesterday that Gatsby is her daughter’s school text next year, along with Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Secret River by Kate Grenville.
The Secret River was performed as a stage play in Melbourne last year. Alas, I couldn’t fit it into my theatre schedule, but I did manage to see another book-to-play, The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett.
I’ve read a few of Bennett’s stories and so far, the one that I loved the most is The Uncommon Reader.
In The Uncommon Reader, the Queen makes her feelings about Harry Potter perfectly clear –
There were many who hoped for a similar meeting of minds by saying they were reading Harry Potter, but to this the Queen (who had no time for fantasy) invariably said briskly, ‘Yes. One is saving that for a rainy day,’ and passed swiftly on.
I have to say, I’m with the Queen on this one… (I realise the book-blogging interwebs may go into meltdown after that statement). But it’s true, I have zero interest in reading about wizards. I also don’t like reading horror, mostly because I attempted (not sure I finished it) Carrie by Stephen King and it scarred me for life.
From one girl’s strange adventures to a strange girl! Where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
I’m throwing a curve ball for next month (December 7, 2019) – we’ll begin with Jane Austen’s unfinished manuscript, Sanditon.
Nice one for next month! A bit different. I like the way your beginning and end met up! 😁
Here’s mine:
https://theresasmithwrites.com/2019/11/02/six-degrees-of-separation-from-alices-adventures-in-wonderland-to-the-mysterious-affair-at-styles/
I’ll admit I was prompted by the new television series of Sanditon!
There’s a TV series?!!
Yes, starting this week I think on Foxtel’s brilliant BBC channel.
I’ll have to keep an eye out for that.
Great links Kate. And I adore next minth’s book of course. Have read it a few times, and, not surprisingly, my JA group will be discussing it next meeting (again)
I enjoyed your reader’s life oriented (I think that describes them) links. Mine are very different. https://whisperinggums.com/2019/11/02/six-degrees-of-separation-from-alices-adventures-in-wonderland-to/
I like that ‘reader’s life’ classification…
Re: Sanditon – I thought it might be one you’d read 😀
Is there anything she’s written that I haven’t?! More than once!
No! 🙂
This was an interesting six degrees! Enjoyed seeing how you got from Alice to Carrie.
Certainly not where I expected ending up!
Uncommon Reader was fabulous! I completely agree on HP. I’ve read 3 of them and that was enough. I admire the author though. Ig my link posted successfully then I’ve got my post up!
I haven’t even read one HP, so clearly I am no position to pass judgement…
Just managing to keep up with the slew of online reading events ATM here’s my #6Degrees and I swear it’s just by accident that they’re all women authors…
https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/11/02/six-degrees-of-separation-alice-in-wonderland-to/
I’m a dyed-in-the-wool republican but I loved The Lady in the Van! It;s the only book about a Royal I’ve ever wanted to read:)
I love Bennett’s dry humour.
So many reading events in November that I might be forced to plan and schedule (not something I normally do!).
I didn’t know about Sanditon, but I did try to read another unfinished of her books, Lady Susan, and well… I was less than impressed. Here’s mine https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2019/11/02/6degrees-of-separation-for-november-2-2019/
Did you get to see the movie version of Lady Susan that came out a couple of years ago (called Love & Friendship)? It was terrific.
I read Sanditon (along with her other unfinished books) a long time ago and will probably need to revisit before next month.
Yes, I saw it pretty recently, actually – when it came on TV. It was… okay. I think the story was a bit weak to begin with so the movie wasn’t so great either. I’ve just bought a copy of Sanditon and since it is short, I’ll try to read it before next month’s post!
Sorry Davida, but Lady Susan wasn’t an unfinished novel, but an unpublished one. It was the last of her juvenilia. As far as I know there are only two unfinished novels, The Watsons and Sanditon. Lady Susan doesn’t have the polish of her later novels but for Austen fans it’s a treasure because it points to her development.
Hmmm, I suppose you COULD call it unfinished in the sense that she never prepared/edited it for publication, but it is finished in the sense that the whole story is there. Does that make sense?
Ah… I see. I didn’t know this. Thanks!
Understand completely Davida – it’s not unusual for people to be surprised by Austen works that suddenly pop up outside of her six published adult novels.
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Great links! And for once I’ve read all the books in your chain and I’ve read Sanditon too. The Uncommon Reader is a little gem.
I think someone having read all of the books in my chain is a first, Margaret!
I think for the first time – I’ve read all of your books too. Great links – multiple copies and the Queen on HP!
See my comment above to Margaret – you share the honours Annabel 🙂
Brilliant as always Kate! I too adore The Uncommon Reader (and Alan Bennett for that matter), and am also with you on the HP front. 😂
I’m bringing the non-HP fans out of the woodwork… 😀
I’m all for it!
Ah, I love how you use various associations to link the books this month. How was the play of The Lady in the Van? I really enjoyed the book!
The play was fantastic and the staging was very clever. I’m yet to see the movie but will get around to it!
I would love to see it as a play!
Great chain, as ever, Kate! I have sold more copies of Harry Potter than I’ve eaten pieces of toast but I’ve never read it and have no inclination to do so. I understand that this puts me on the outer fringes of society but so be it.
Well I’ll be keeping you company on those outer fringes! 😀
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Great chain Kate! Carrie also scarred me for life and I don’t read horror at all. The one I haven’t read in your chain is the Grenville but its been in the TBR forever… That’s an interesting curriculum your friend’s daughter has, I wish my school had been so broadminded!
I love this exercise! Here’s my entry for this month: http://www.notesinthemargin.org/weblog/2019/11/02/6-degrees-of-separation-1-woman-and-6-others/
I like your whimsy links! I was not able to participate today
It’s never too late if you change your mind but I understand that November is a busy month for bloggers!
Great chain, Kate! I really enjoyed The Uncommon Reader too and love that quote about Harry Potter. I’m looking forward to starting with Sanditon next month – I can already think of some possibilities for my first link 🙂
I loved Harry Potter, but then I tend to have lowbrow taste 😉
I enjoyed your chain, your connections are always much more organic than mine.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think HP is lowbrow, I’m simply not interested in fantasy and never have been, even as a child.
This was a fun one! Here is my chain: https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2019/11/six-degrees-of-separation-from-alice-to.html
I think you (or someone) must have recommended Kate Grenville before because I just got The Secret River from the library. I read Sanditon when I was in high school, as I recall, but I know the miniseries is going to be shown in the US in January so I should reread it (probably not before December, however; I have two papers to write first).
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I was on holiday so I’m arriving rather late to this chain, but simply had to take part, because Alice (both books) are firm favourites of mine.
Also, I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan either…
Here’s how to get from Adventures in Wonderland to the Sherlock Holmes Canonhttps://100greatestnovelsofalltimequest.blogspot.com/2019/11/six-degrees-of-separation-alices.html
This is my first time participating, but this was fun! I get what you’re saying about HP, and honestly, I felt the same way, until someone gave me a copy of the first book and told me to give it a try. Then I was hooked. :-).
You can see how I did the six degrees from Alice to the Twilight series HERE.
I was the same with HP! My chain is here https://geejenmotw.wordpress.com/2019/11/10/six-degrees-of-separation-wonder-to-wicked/
Love that quote from Uncommon Reader. I might try that next time someone tries to push a fantasy novel my way….
Lady in the Van is a fantastic play – I saw it when Maggie Smith played Mrs Shepherd. (back in the days when a trip to London to see a theatre show didn’t require a bank loan). What a brilliant actress she is.
Lucky you seeing Maggie Smith!
I wrote my post, and then forgot to link to it! Oops.
I love seeing how the different chains all go in different directions. I agree with your comment on Carrie, though: I haven’t read it, but I suspect it would scar me for life, too.
Fun starting title this month! I also linked to The Great Gatsby in my post this month too 🙂 https://luvtoread.com/2019/11/09/six-degrees-alices-adventures-in-wonderland/
I’m really looking forward to next month with the Austen title!
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