It’s time for #6degrees. Start at the same place as other wonderful readers, add six books, and see where you end up.
We begin with Jane Austen’s unfinished manuscript, Sanditon. I have watched the BBC series based on what Austen begun and enjoyed it immensely.
At the same time as I was watching Sanditon, I was also watching Catherine the Great on Foxtel’s excellent BBC channel – I tuned in because I recently read Catherine the Great by Robert Massie.
There were so many fascinating details about the mad, petulant behaviour of royalty in Massie’s book (particularly Peter III’s games with toy soldiers) – it reminded me of similar details about the Danish monarchs in Rose Tremain’s Music and Silence.
Tremain’s memoir, Rosie, was on my 2018 Year of Sample Saturdays list. I haven’t read it yet, but one that I have read from that list is Eggshells by Caitriona Lally.
In Eggshells, the main character, Vivian, advertises for a friend named Penelope, which links to Rebecca Harrington’s Penelope.
Penelope is a strange and darkly funny campus-lit novel, as is Bunny by Mona Awad (although Bunny is even stranger and darker).
From drawing rooms to campus-lit, I wonder where other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (January 4, 2020), we’ll begin with the 2019 best-seller, Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Ooh blimey – is it that time already? It only seems like 5mins ago that we were doing last month’s 6 degrees! Anyway, this is a great chain as always. I love Rose Tremain’s work and have M&S on my shelf, so thanks for the reminder. I also loved Daisy Jones so will look forward to compiling a chain from that. 😀
Agree- where has the year gone?!
M&S is riveting – totally unexpected for me and extremely memorable.
I started watching Sanditon but gave up halfway through episode 2. The dialogue just felt all wrong to me. I think it was missing Austen’s wit….
I’ve only watched the first two episodes so far. The first was fairly close to Austen – she only wrote 11 chapters – but the second took off on its own journey. Davies has channelled a lot of Austen’s other books and other adaptations to pull this off. I’m interested to see where he goes and what he thinks Austen was doing OR what he’d have liked Austen to do.
I think you’re right Karen about the missing wit. Some of the casting is good, particularly Theo James for Tom Parker. He hits the note well (so far anyhow.)
In the end I fear it’s going to be too derivative though perhaps with so little to work on that’s what he felt he had to do.
Oh, and I forgot after all that to give you my link: https://whisperinggums.com/2019/12/07/six-degrees-of-separation-from-sanditon-to/
There were clearly high hopes for this programme because a second series was already being discussed before the first one got broadcast. But the reviews have not been good so I wonder if they’ll go ahead.
I guess it’s not surprising there were high hopes, but what’s all this about? Second series of novel adaptations? I’d hate it if they did a second series of, say, P&P. That would destroy the work. I’m horrified about the multiple series of The handmaid’s tale.
We’ll probably watch another episode or two of Sanditon tonight. (It was shown on PayTV which we don’t have, so have bought the DVD.)
Yes, it is missing a certain something and I think it is the Austen wit. Some of the characters are too extreme.
I’m sitting out this month because the prompt did absolutely nothing for me–I mean, nothing at all came to mind. But next month–now that shows lots of promise!
Music and Silence, that book really creeped me out, those musicians under the floor…
I know, I still think about them…
I really want to read Tremain one day! Enjoyed your list Kate, but once again you’re starting the year with a book I haven’t read. Indeed it’s a bestseller I haven’t heard of, not even the author. I clearly keep my nose buried OR, my memory is terrible.
Anyhow, here is my link: https://whisperinggums.com/2019/12/07/six-degrees-of-separation-from-sanditon-to/
Thanks for another great year of enjoyable SIX DEGREES. I’ve had a lot of fun.
I clearly leave my nose buried too as I hadn’t heard of the book or the author before!
Here is my chain! https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2019/12/six-degrees-of-separation-from-emma.html
I did check Daisy Jones and the Six out of the library but once I took a look it did not look very appealing.
I loved Daisy Jones. One of my favorites of 2019!
All right, I will give it another try. Did it remind you of that movie, Almost Famous?.
Never saw that movie, to be truthful. No, it just reminded me of watching drugs and sex ruin Rock ‘n Roll bands of my youth.
Also, there’s a twist in the end that will make you look at the whole story differently when you’re finished.
I’ve seen enough about Daisy Jones and the Six to know I want to read it.
Was that the Russian production of Catherine the Great? I watched that one and yes, I thought the same in terms of mad, petulant behaviour.
Here’s my link for this round:
https://theresasmithwrites.com/2019/12/07/six-degrees-of-separation-from-sanditon-to-the-forgotten-letters-of-esther-durrant/
Daisy Jones was one of my favorite books of 2019!
Did you do the audio? Recently? I remember your review!
No, I didn’t do the audio. I don’t do audio books generally, but this one sounds like it would be perfect as an audiobook, so I might make an exception!
I don’t do audio either. It was obviously someone else’s review – they loved it as well though!
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Oh, how interesting… some of these sound really good. Thanks. Mine is here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2019/12/07/6degrees-of-separation-for-december-7-2019/
I fancy reading Robert Massie’s book and Rose Tremain’s Music and Silence. I’m looking forward to finding out about Daisy Jones and the Six as I’ve never come across it before!
I’ve read none of the books in your chain this month but Bunny sounds right up my street.
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I’m not familiar with any of the books in your chain, though I’m determined to read Daisy and the Six before next month.
You can see my chain here https://bookdout.wordpress.com/2019/12/08/six-degrees-of-separation-sanditon-to-northanger-abbey/
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I love your chain this month. I read Rosie earlier in the year and have enjoyed some of Tremain’s novels, but haven’t read Music and Silence yet. The Robert Massie book appeals to me too. I’m looking forward to next month’s chain as I have just started reading Daisy Jones and the Six!
Great chain! I haven’t read Sanditon yet, but your starting book this month has inspired me to embark on a re-read of Jane. I did a Jane-themed Six Degrees this time around: https://luvtoread.com/2019/12/07/six-degrees-sanditon/
I also enjoyed the book Catherine the Great – it was quite insightful into Catherine’s life!
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Looking forward to reading everybody’s links. Was rather disappointed with the recent TV series of Sanditon, so my rant started there…
The characters seem a little over the top and the wit not quite as pointed but I have enjoyed the seaside setting.
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