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 Turn of the Screw by Henry James. The Turn of the Screw is a common starting point for readers beginning their James journey, however my introduction was Daisy Miller.
Daisy Miller is set in Switzerland, as is Sweet Days of Discipline by Fleur Jaeggy.
Sweet Days takes place in a boarding school. Is it a good school? Hard to say, but apparently Dorset Academy is – Dorset is the setting for Richard Yates’s boarding school novel, A Good School.
I read something by Yates every year. This year, it was a re-read – Disturbing the Peace.
An asylum features heavily in Distubing the Peace, as it does in Anna Hope’s novel, The Ballroom.
The Ballroom is set on the Yorkshire Moors, as is Mick Jackson’s tale of a Japanese girl on a pilgrimage – Yuki Chan in Brontë Country.
From Switzerland and boarding schools to asylums and the Yorkshire Moors – where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (November 7, 2020) is a wild card – start with the book you’ve ended a previous chain with, and continue from there (for those playing for the first time, start with the last book you finished reading).
Great chain Kate – have mine just about decided on for tomorrow!
My first James was Portrait of a Lady – it was a plod first time around though it warmed on me on second reading . Daisy Miller was much more accessible.
An interesting chain! Haven’t read any of them – but plan to check them out.
And here is my chain:
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/2020/10/02/six-degrees-of-separation-from/
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Yuki Chan in Bronte Country sounds fascinating! Thanks as always for hosting this great meme!
My own six picks here: https://lexlingua.co/six-degrees-turn-of-the-screw-other-spooky-things/
My first James was The ambassadors, but my second one I liked more, Princess Cassmassima. I just love saying the title for a start. Wild card next time. Well, at least that’s a book I’ve read!
Liked your chain. I like the sound of your last book. Did you set yourself up for the wild card there? I wonder where you will go with that one?
Here’s my link: https://whisperinggums.com/2020/10/03/six-degrees-of-separation-from-turn-of-the-screw-to/
Well done! I love a good boarding school novel!
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I haven’t heard of any of your books this month, but I still loved seeing where your chain led you.
Here’s mine: https://www.melindatognini.com.au/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-turn-of-the-screw-to-no-friend-but-the-mountains/
Oh, a great chain! I want to read Sweet Days and A Good School – I love school stories.
Here is mine – I also included the Brontes!
http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2020/10/six-degrees-of-separation-from-turn-of.html
Alas, I haven’t read any of yours. I think I should read that one by Yates…
Fascinating… I inadvertently ended up with a creepy theme to my chain, obviously, the impending Halloween must have slipped into my subconscious. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2020/10/03/6degrees-of-separation-for-october-3-2020/
Oh, these chains are so different. Here’s mine: https://margaret21.com/2020/10/03/six-degrees-of-separation-in-october/
By the way, if you were hoping for us to get into the Halloween mood with this starting point, you succeeded!
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yes you did get me into the Halloween mood – my chain is a ghostly one. I fancy reading Yuki Chan in Bronte Country.
And here’s my chain: https://residentjudge.com/2020/10/03/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-turn-of-the-screw-to/
I’ve only just picked up on this brilliant challenge, thanks to Margaret. I may well join in, if I get organised enough! I enjoyed your chain
Enjoyable chain as ever, Kate. Nice to see The Ballroom pop up.
Very nice! I’m intrigued by Yuki Chan.
When I think boarding school novel, my mind goes always to Never Let Me Go. amazing book.
have you seen my whimsy chain ? It’s good to be back: https://wordsandpeace.com/2020/10/03/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-screw-to-the-deerstalker/
I haven’t read anything by Yates…. Which one do you recommend I start with?
Oh, where to start, where to start? His classic of course is Revolutionary Road, but I do like The Easter Parade. Either of those will give you a good idea of his style.
“Yuki Chan in Brontë Country” sounds particularly intriguing!
Such an interesting chain, Kate, as always. Here’s mine – I wasn’t going to do it this month, but then I thought ‘who am I kidding….?!’ https://leapinglife.com/2020/10/03/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-taming-of-the-shrew-to-miss-smillas-feeling-for-snow/
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It’s fascinating to see where this has led you – we are all so different in the way our minds work.
And I too love a boarding school book! (Recently read Jenny Colgan’s ‘Class’, and although I don’t rate all of her books, I did enjoy this one a lot.) So ‘Sweet Days of Discipline’ and ‘A Good School’ really interest me.
Here is my chain: https://sconesandchaiseslongues.blogspot.com/2020/10/six-degrees-of-separation-october-2020.html
I didn’t much go with the ghost theme; subversion seemed to become the main feature for me.
Looking forward to next month – thinking about the next chain is a great way to get to sleep sometimes!
Daisy Miller was my first Henry James, too. My favourite of his is Washington Square.
I’d forgotten about Yuki Chan. I must get round to that one, see if it helps me understand people’s adoration of the Brontë sisters.
One day, I will explore more Yates.
I’m looking forward to next month’s chain. I wonder which of my sixth links will wink at me.
Meanwhile, let me take you on a tour of bizarre houses https://thinkaboutreading.wordpress.com/2020/10/03/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-turn-of-the-screw-to-the-third-policeman/
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Yuki Chan in Bronte Country sounds interesting! I love Jane Eyre but didn’t like Wuthering Heights. I honestly haven’t read any of Anne’s books. I should revisit Wuthering Heights now that I’m older; my tastes have changed a lot since high school. I definitely need to read at least one book Anne wrote.
I think it’s funny that in Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series, Heathcliff has won the “Most Troubled Romantic Lead” at the BookWorld Awards for time immemorial, which really bums Hamlet out. 🙂
Great chain! Thanks for hosting!
I’m enjoying seeing everyone’s chains this month – I think The Turn of the Screw was a great starting point. I ended up with lots of Gothic novels about governesses in my chain!
https://shereadsnovels.com/2020/10/03/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-turn-of-the-screw-to-the-turn-of-the-key/
A wild card for next month! What fun!
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This is SUCH a cool meme! Glad I found it 🙂 My first 6 degrees is here: https://jamesleahgdi.wordpress.com/2020/10/03/six-degrees-of-separation-from-turn-of-the-screw-to-the-deep/ 🙂
My first Henry James book was also Daisy Miller and I still think about it (in fact, his shorter work is probably what I remember most, although I did read most of his novels when I was a pretentious teen and wanted to show off how highbrow I was).
First time doing this and very much enjoyed it and checking out all the different chains!
I’ve only read The turn of the screw by Henry James. So it was an easy starting point for me!
The Ballroom seems like a great read. Perfect for October.
Thanks for hosting this awesome feature. I always have so much fun doing it.
Here’s my 6 Degrees of Separation – The Ghost Edition
First time participating! My subconscious didn’t want to go the spooky route, I guess, so I ended up in a wildly different place from the starting point — https://mathomhouse.typepad.com/bluestocking/2020/10/wednesday.html
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Better late than never? https://www.notesinthemargin.org/2020/10/03/6-degrees-of-separation-ghosts/
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