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 Choderlos de Laclos’s Les Liaisons Dangereuses about the corruption of a young girl by two dissipated aristocrats, described memorably by my tutor as the most pornographic book she’d read.
John Malkovich made an excellent Valmont in the 1980s movie adaptation of Laclos’s novel, bringing the same calculating amorality to his portrayal of Ripley in Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley’s Game decades later.
Andrew Scott played Ripley in Netflix’s stylish series, a very different part to his role in last year’s poignant adaptation of Taichi Yamada’s Strangers (transl. Wayne P. Lammers)
In which Scott played opposite Paul Mescal who shot to fame in the BBC’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People.
Comparisons with Rooney abound in publishers’ blurbs. I made my own in my review of Johanna Hedman’s The Trio (transl. Kira Jossefson)
Leading me to William Boyd’s novel, Trio, whose three main characters are involved in making a film in 1960s Brighton.
Which is the setting for Graham Greene’s gripping Brighton Rock with its 1930s gangland backdrop.
This month’s Six Degrees has taken me from an eighteenth-century French epistolatory novel about depravity and corruption to a classic thriller featuring one of twentieth-century fiction’s most memorable characters, taking in lots of screen adaptations along the way. 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.
As ever, a nicely and cleverly constructed chain, which includes a William Boyd that I haven’t read.
Thank you! I have to say it’s not his best.
OK. Bottom of the pile then.
Wise decision.
Oh, snap with Brighton Rock!
I know! Can’t quite believe that popped into both our minds.
I used the film adaptation as my first link too, then went in a different direction after that. I haven’t read anything in your chain but I do want to read the Ripley series as I’ve enjoyed some of Patricia Highsmith’s other books.
I have to confess I’ve not read that particular Highsmith but John Malkovich was so good in both parts I couldn’t get it out of my head!
Oh what wonderful movie links you’ve made! I’ve still only read the first Ripley and although I saw Strangers, I’d love to read it too.
Thank you, Annabel. I did wonder if I was stretching things a bit, wandering off into a film rather than a book meme!
Great chain! I loved John Malkovich as Valmont in the 1980s movie adaptation of Laclos’s novel, so good in the part!
Thank you! He was brilliant in it, wasn’t he.
Fun chain!
I only read book 1 in the Ripley series. Great writing but despicable character.
Here is mine: https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/02/01/six-degrees-of-separation-french-classics/
Despicable indeed! Thanks for the link.
At least I’ve heard of Highsmith, Rooney, Boyd and Greene even if I’ve not read any of those works. So often I’ve not even heard of authors people choose! I notice a couple of people have used film as their first linking idea, which is a good idea. I did what several others did, which was go the epistolary route. I love seeing the different ideas people use to get started.
Anyhow I enjoyed your chain.
Thank you. That’s part of the fun for me, too. We all take such different routes. Once I had John Malkovich in my head I couldn’t seem to stop!
I like your film connections!
Have a great week!
Thank you, and you! It’s all down to John Malkovich who was superb as both Valmont and Ripley.
Enjoyed the movie links you’ve used this time, Susan. An interesting chain, as always.
Thanks, Mallika.
Ha, I love the film links – such a fun way to make connections between books!
Once I started, I couldn’t stop! Where would the film industry be without books.
And where would the book industry be without films, authors can get more exposure through adaptations.
That’s true!
Any blog post referencing a Patricia Highsmith novel is a good one! And, can you believe, I still haven’t read Normal People? Am I the only person in the world who hasn’t gotten around to it yet? I know just where it is on my TBR shelves, but its time just hasn’t arrived yet.
I’m sure you’re not! I thought John Malkovich was a brilliant Ripley but so was Andrew Scott in very different way.
I haven’t read Normal People either, the TV adaptation was enough for me….too much angst! I am hoping Intermezzo is going to be better as it’s the next one I have lined up to read. To give Rooney the benefit of the doubt.
I’m a Rooney fan but I know many readers are far from keen. I’ll be interested to hear how you get on with Intermezzo, Lucy.
Nice chain 🙂
Thank you!
An interesting comment from your tutor: I feel like it could go either way and either immediately make you want to read it, or not!
Made to make us think, and it did! The deliberate intention to deprave and debauch a young person is shockingly portrayed.