Six Degrees of Separation is a meme hosted by Kate over at Books Are My Favourite and Best. It works like this: each month a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six others to form a chain. A book doesn’t need to be connected to all the titles on the list, only to the one next to it in the chain.
This month we’re starting with Curtis Sittenfeld’s Rodham which imagines an America where Hillary Clinton chooses not to marry Bill. It’s a novel I’d been eagerly anticipating but Kate’s review has primed me for disappointment.
Michael Chabon’s enjoyable The Yiddish Policeman’s Union also explores an alternative American history in which Franklin Roosevelt’s proposal that Alaska rather than Israel should become a Jewish homeland is accepted.
It was H who introduced me to Leo Rosten’s wonderful The Joys of Yiddish which made me realise that I’d grown up hearing a surprising number of Yiddish words at home given I’m the child of goy parents.
A love of words drew me to Eley Williams’ superb The Liar’s Dictionary which introduced me to ‘mountweasels’, false entries inserted into a dictionary as a guard against plagiarism, or in this case, out of mischief.
For some reason I kept referring to Williams’ novel in my head as The Devil’s Dictionary while I was reading it. I’m sure Williams is familiar with Ambrose Bierce’s satirical take on dictionaries.
Mention of the devil leads me to my early teenage reading, Dennis Wheatley’s The Devil Rides Out, which always popped into my head when customers were dismayed by what their children were reading when I was a bookseller.
Wheatley’s The Haunting of Toby Jugg, another teenage favourite, features a plague of spiders bringing to mind Patrick McGrath’s distinctly gothic Spider in which a deeply disturbed man, recently released from an asylum, writes a revealing account of his early life.
This month’s Six Degrees has taken me from an alternative America into the mind of a psychotic in 1950s London. Part of the fun of this meme is comparing the very different routes other bloggers take from each month’s starting point. If you’re interested, you can follow it on Twitter with the hashtag #6Degrees, check out the links over at Kate’s blog or perhaps even join in.
The Liar’s Dictionary is the one that jumps off the page at me: but this looks a great selection.
Absolutely loved The Liar’s Dictionary! It’s destined for my books of 2020 list.
It’s definitely on the list then.
The Liar’s Dictionary is on my pile! I keep meaning to re-read more Dennis Wheatley, I so enjoyed him when younger.
Hmm… I’m not sure he’d stand up to a grown-up second reading. Still in print, though. Enjoy the Liar’s Dictionary!
I have a couple of them on my shelf – I’m sure I’d chuckle rather than be scared in any way – could be fun!
Well, if you do decide to revisit your youth via Mr Wheatley, I hope you’ll report back!
Spider is immediatly added to my ‘want to read’ list!
Scary stuff but I think your new challenge is along those lines.
Fantastic. I have that Chabon on my shelf, but my husband wasn’t thrilled with it. I’ve read two other books by him and loved them both. My husband has read more and says he’s hit or miss! Well, I got two hits…
I think that’s true. This one was a hit with me as was Kavalier and Clay.
Have you read Moonglow? It was great! I reviewed it on my blog.
No, but I’ll check it out. Thanks – I’m assuming that’s one of the two that worked for you.
Yes… that and Kavilier (? spelling?) and Clay!
That was my first Chabon and still my favourite.
Because I’m not into fantasy or comics, I liked Moonglow better.
Who knew Hillary Clinton (Rodham) would lead to spiders! Spider does sound like a fascinating story, which I may have to check out.
Not where I expected her to lead me at all. Spider is riveting but not for those of a nervous disposition!
I’ve only read the Chabon, but The Liars Dictionary sounds really interesting & I’d not heard of it so thank you!
You’re welcome. It’s one of this year’s best reads for me.
Fabulous! The Chabon sounds intriguing – must give that a look some time.
Thanks, Liz. Alternative history is a tricky thing to bring off but the Chabon worked for me.
The only alternative history I can think of that I have both read and enjoyed is C J Sansom’s Dominion, which was great. Come to think of it, that would have made a good link from Rodham – perhaps I will need to do a second chain!!
Ha! You’ve got The Turn of the Screw to be thinking about…
True! Thanks for helping me not get carried away!!
Dominion is my link from Rodham!. Still writing my chain though….
Looking forward to it whenever you’re ready, Karen
Dennis Wheatley takes me back – I gobbled up all his novels when I was in my teens. Heaven only knows why because I loathe anything now to do with the occult, zombies, ghosts, spectres etc
Me, too, but teenagers read all sorts of trash, don’t they, or in this case didn’t we!
There was plenty of trash that fortunately I managed to avoid
The most important thing is to keep the habit going at that age, if you’re fortunate enough to have acquired it
Ah, Dennis Wheatley – a teenage favourite too! I don’t think I’d be tempted to read him nowadays. Enjoyed your chain.
Me, neither! He was clearly a mainstay of teenage reading for quite a few of us if comments here are anything to go by.
I’d never heard of a Dennis Wheatley so I had to google, I think all teens go through a horror/occult phase though mine was more Stephen King/ Clive Barker/Peter Straub/ Dean Koontz etc.
Thanks for sharing your chain
You’re welcome! I think you’re right about teenage taste. I was interested in all manner of esoteric things at that age, some of which now seem quite bonkers to me.
Great list! The Liar’s Dictionary looks particularly intriguing.
Thank you! It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year.
What an interesting chain! I haven’t read any of these books!
Thank you!
I love how Six Degrees just lets your mind wander. Yours went on a wonderful journey! Awesome link.
Happy September and here’s my 6 Degrees of Separation Sep 2020
It’s great, isn’t it, and thanks!
Oh my, Dennis Wheatley, that takes me back! Love how varied your chain is, Susan. I’m now musing on Alaska as the Jewish homeland. Guess I’ll have to read Chabon to learn more.
Thank you, Sandra. I’ve been amused by how many Dennis Wheatly fans have come out of the closet since posting this! I’d highly recommend the Chabon