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 End of the Affair by Graham Greene. I read this book decades ago, after hearing one of my favourite authors, John Irving, say it was one of his favourite books.
The obvious link is to Irving, but instead I’m jumping to The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje, which Irving also recommeneded. I haven’t read it yet, but it sits in my stack with another book with ‘cat’ in the title, Herding Hemingway’s Cats by Kat Arney.
Arney’s book is about genetics. I have loads of popular science books about genetics on my shelves, but instead I’ll switch genres to memoir, with Dani Shapiro’s Inheritance. Shapiro’s memoir explores her experience with genealogy, and accidentally discovering that her father was not her biological father.
A novel that focuses on inheritance of the material kind is The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. The Nest centres around four siblings, and the events triggered after one of the siblings leaves rehab and returns to his reckless habits.
Families and drugs? Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe describes the dynasty of the Sackler family, responsible for making OxyContin, the painkiller that was a catalyst for the opioid crisis.
Another notable US family dynasty is that of the Kelloggs. They feature in T. C. Boyle’s novel, The Road to Wellville, which describes Harvey Kellogg’s controversial Battle Creek Spa.
My chain has darted all over the place this month, but one thing unites – apart from the starter, all of the books are in my TBR stack. Where will other chains go? Link up below or post your link in the comments section.
Next month (April 2, 2022), we’ll start with a hot favourite to make the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist, Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.
Oh dear, that might be the hot favourite for the Women’s Prize for Fiction but I’ve not even heard of it – in that I may have seen it on a list but it hasn’t stuck.
I love that of all the End of the Affair covers we chose the same one for our posts. I’m afraid I’ve not heard of many of the books in your chain but I enjoyed your linking. I have heard of the TC Boyle. I have read a couple of novels by him and a short story or two, and would like to read this one.
Anyhow, here is my chain: https://whisperinggums.com/2022/03/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-end-of-the-affair-to/
Fantastic work! I read Cat’s Table and can’t say I ever understood it, lol.
Oh! That might push it down my stack 😬
Don’t let Hope put you off The Cat’s Table. At least give it a try, okay?
Everyone’s opinions are their own. Read and see what you think!
Wait… you didn’t understand it? Goodness… sorry to hear that. It is simply about the ocean liner trip that an 11 year old boy takes when he moved from Sri Lanka to England. Since Ondaatje took that trip himself, it was almost an autobiography. I adored it!
I guess I was looking for some hidden meaning? It wasn’t awful or anything, I just didn’t really like it.
Okay… to each their own.
Yep nothing more than that.
I got The Nest from the library when it was new but didn’t get to it before it was due. I will be interested to see what you think if you get to it. I got interrupted mid-chain but will get back to it now. Not a fan of TC Boyle!
Constance
I liked The Tortilla Curtain by him.I read an loved the rival (or book twin as I think of them) of his book The Women which was Loving Frank. It’s been so many years now I should go on to read his version.
I’ve read the Cat’s Table and enjoyed it, it’s not plot or character driven, but there’s something wistful about it and it’s written in such a cool, detached tone it somehow works. Also read the Graham Greene but not read the others. Keen to try Empire of Pain at some point.
My chain is here: https://readingmattersblog.com/2022/03/05/six-degrees-of-separation-march-2022/
Oh! I hadn’t read this, I swear it, when I did my #6Degrees entirely from the TBR: https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/03/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-end-of-the-affair-to/
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I really should read something by Graham Greene and not merely enjoy his quotes about writing! But I definitely want to read Inheritance.
I’ve been AWOL from Six Degrees for a number of months, but I’m joining in again now with a chain dominated by Australian books: https://www.melindatognini.com.au/6-degrees-of-separation-from-the-end-of-the-affair-to-against-certain-capture/
I like T.C. Boyle and have read a few of his books. My son highly recommended ‘Empire of Pain’.
My chain is here: https://residentjudge.com/2022/03/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-end-of-the-affair-to/
Interesting that you too have chosen from the TBR, a degree of connection not separation perhaps!
I haven’t read Inheritance but did read another of her memoirs, Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage – one of those books that someone lends you and you know it’s not really your style but you read it anyway. Wasn’t for me.
Okay, so… I think you’d love The Cat’s Table, and just so you know… the book isn’t about a cat. I’ve read everything by Ondaatje and although I still love The English Patient the best, this and Anil’s Ghost are extremely close seconds.
They’re all new-to-me books, apart from The End of the Affair. And I hadn’t heard of Our Wives Under the Sea either – it looks strange to me!
As ever, I haven’t read anything from your chain: I’m sure I shall have one day! Meanwhile, here’s mine: https://margaret21.com/2022/03/05/six-degrees-of-separation-in-march-from-the-end-of-the-affair-to-the-trouble-with-goats-and-sheep/
Such a fun chain again, I loved your thoughts and admire you for finding books you didn’t read and combine them. Well done. Funnily enough, I just talked about Onddatje with another blogger this week.
My Six Degrees of Separation ended with a popular book from the last couple of years, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
A lot of family drama in our chain as well this month! As always, cleverly crafted.
Thanks for hosting Six Degrees!
Elza Reads
I think I have read The End Of The Affair, but have forgotten it. The Cat’s Table sounds good though.
I like chains that jump around all over the place! I remember enjoying The Nest but The Road to Wellville not so much. He’s never matched Water Music for me.
I loved Inheritance, and enjoyed The Nest, too. Great to see T. C. Boyle on here. I’ve gotten on well with his historical fiction based on real people, so I’ll have to get hold of that one (but not until I clear my backlog of 7 unread books by him!)
Hurrah for Our Wives Under the Sea! It’s got a huge publicity juggernaut going for it, it seems.
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I’ve not read any, but I did see the movie version of “The Road to Wellville”. I wonder if the book is better.
I have ’empire of pain’ on my TBR list after reading ‘Say Nothing’ which was one of my favourite works of non fiction in recent years.
My chain got a bit dark but that’s the way it goes sometimes. Thanks for hosting this, I always find it interesting to see how my brain makes connections and see how others do the same. Always discover new titles for the TBR pile.
https://www.bookshelfdiscovery.com/blog/six-degrees-of-separation-march-22
I really liked The Cat’s Table — Ondaatje’s writing is spare and lovely. I almost bought The Road to Wellville in a used bookstore this week — it definitely looks interesting and I really liked Boyle’s book about Frank Lloyd Wright’s women.
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I haven’t read a single book in your chain, Kate, but all of them interest me. I saw the film version of The Road to Wellville and didn’t know it was based on a T C Boyle book.
My chain is all about love affairs and betrayal this month https://thinkaboutreading.wordpress.com/2022/03/05/six-degrees-of-separation-from-the-end-of-the-affair-to-do-androids-dream-of-electric-sheep/
I have heard of next month’s starting book, and I’m going to a literary event with the author in a couple of weeks. I can’t promise I’ll have read it by the time April comes around, though!
Amazon tells me that Our Wives Under the Sea won’t be available here in the U.S. until July 12. It does sound interesting, though. My entry for this month is here: https://www.notesinthemargin.org/2022/03/05/6-degrees-of-separation-from-one-end-to-another/
The End of the Affair to City of Glass http://100greatestnovelsofalltimequest.blogspot.com/2022/03/six-degrees-of-separation-from-end-of.html
Here is my chain: https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/2022/03/six-degrees-of-separation-from-end-of.html
Our Wives Under the Sea isn’t out yet in the US. It would make an interesting contrast to the book I just read about the submarine that sank the Lusitania.
Here is my chain – first one! https://anndudzinski.com/2022/03/06/six-degrees-of-separation/
I used Ondaatje as well, but went with The English Patient.
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Joining in late as usual, because I don’t post anything at the weekend (trying to wean myself a bit off the internet, as I was blogging far too much and doing nothing else). I haven’t heard of any of the books in your link, so lots to explore there!
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Hi Kate, I’m late as usual, but here is my chain from Greene: https://travelwithintent.com/2022/03/26/love-and-fidelity-plus-a-bit-of-crime-in-italy/
Never too late! ☺️