And suddenly it is the last Six Degrees of the year. Once again, I’ve had fun with this meme – with doing my own and seeing what others have done. Thanks muchly to Kate for running the meme and offering us such a varied selection of titles to start from. For those of you new to this meme, please check her blog – booksaremyfavouriteandbest – to see how it works.
We start with the book chosen by Kate, and this month it’s Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome. I read this book in 1991, and loved it (gut-wrenching though it is.) It started me on a Wharton reading journey that I am still on because, not only did she write many novels, but she was also a prolific short story writer and journalist. I’ve reviewed a couple of her short pieces on my blog. Wharton also created one of my all-time favourite female character names, Undine Spragg (The custom of the country). How good is that!
Anyhow, as you will all be aware, we have hit the silly season, and time is short – for me to write posts and you to read them – so this month I’m doing a title-based “poem”, again. The links are to my reviews.
For Ethan Frome,
A very normal man,
Things fall apart
when Love and freindship collide,
and one In whom we trust
becomes A window in the dark.
Such is The love procession.
With thanks to our sponsor authors, in order: Vincenzo Cerami, Chinua Achebe, Jane Austen, John Clanchy, Dymphna Cusack, and Suzanne Edgar.
(Apologies for the variable image sizes, mostly due to the Gutenberg Gallery editor. I’m not keen to try reloading resized images into my media library with no surety of that fixing it! So, it’s either this or nothing folks!)
So, this month we have travelled the globe – at least to North America, Europe, Britain, Africa and Australia, and we’ve achieved gender quality with three male and three female authors. What better way to end the year.
Now, the usual: Have you read “Ethan Frome“? And, regardless, what would you link to it?
Whispering Gums 
Hi Sue, I have read Ethan Frome and many short stories by Wharton. I love your linkage to your connections. Mine were: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia ; The Awakening by Kate Chopin; Daisy Miller by Henry James; Madame Bouvrey by Gustave Flaubert; The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
Thanks Meg … love your links, particularly because I know them all and have read all but two (not Daisy Miller or Madame Bovary)
O very clever! You even managed to include an Austen!!
Mine is scheduled for tomorrow because I’ve already published today, a review for Brona’s #RumerGoddenReadingWeek.
I’ll look out for it Lisa. I started on the traditional approach and then thought nope, I haven’t got time so let’s do something quick!
Haha, and yes, Austen in there!
This is really cool… a poem from the titles! I read Things Fall Apart in High School and it has stayed with me to this day (I’m talking 47 years here, by the way). Did you know he wrote two sequels to it?
Thanks Davida. I did know but I haven’t read them. Have you?
This is excellent! Love your poem.
Thanks Cathy. It’s fun to mix it up every now and then.
What a great idea! Perhaps you should do this every month
Haha, thanks, Susan this is about the third time I’ve done it, but the first time in over a year. I enjoy doing it … so am sure I’ll do it again.
I have always thought that Ethan Frome is the very essence of Edith Wharton. The sadness and horror at the heart of it is an articulation of the dread that lurks in all her finest works. I am not so good at the linking thing. Maybe Edwin Drood?
It was good to see the appearance of In Whom We Trust on your list.
Thanks Carmel. Yes, I like the way you put that re “the dread that lurks in all her finest works”. It’s so tight and powerful.
Re the linking thing … that might be because you think too deeply. Edwin Drood sounds perfectly justifiable to me.
Re In whom we trust, Field of poppies was in my first draft, as in “life is no field of poppies” but it didn’t quite work.
I love your clever approach!
Thanks Mary. It’s fun to mix it up.
Neat that it’s an author you have read so much.
I so so love your chain, so original and so well done!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31678149-murder-under-the-christmas-tree
Thanks Emma … so glad you enjoyed it. It didn’t take much time to read did it?
oops, wrong copy and paste!! My apology. My chain is here: https://wordsandpeace.com/2021/12/04/six-degrees-of-separation-from-new-england-to-paris/
I did wonder what that was about … but it’s a cute link and so will leave it. I was going to visit you anyhow.
Very clever!!! Did it take ages to work it out?
Actually no, RJ. That’s why I did it! About 10-15 minutes. The longest time was trying to get the darn images in. The gallery wouldn’t work as I wanted so I tried the slide show which was not much better! Haha.
SO clever – am envious of your creativity! And yes, I too have trouble with galleries and slide shows…
Oh wow, Marina … I’m not known in my circle for my creativity so I will take this as a little gold star!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who has challenges with images on my blog. This is why I usually just do single images.
How fun! I’ll have to try this meme sometime. I read Ethan Frome close to when you did, in 1993 or 94 for an Edith Wharton seminar. The class was small but tight and we joked about having an Ethan Frome sledding party at the send of the semester. The professor did not share our sense of black humor.
What a miserable professor, Chris. What’s wrong with a bit of fun?
Very clever, Sue.
I loved Ethan Frome too, so much so that I re-read it again immediately after I finished it. I would link it to Anne of Green Gables because that is probably the last book that 1. I re-read again immediately after finishing it (at the age of ten or eleven) and it also left me with a massive lump in my throat after the death of a character.
Thanks Rose… and I love your link. Good one.
Such a clever way to deal with the December time shortage!
I haven’t read any of your titles apart from Ethan Frome itself, which I very much enjoyed as an audiobook. I especially appreciated Wharton’s skill at creating a scene with small details that stay with you.
I couldn’t face a miserable theme so I linked first to another Edith, namely Nesbit of Railway Children fame, though I chose The Treasure Seekers because I love Oswald Bastable: https://sconesandchaiseslongues.blogspot.com/2021/12/six-degrees-of-separation-december-2021.html
Oh thanks Rosemary. And what a good link to get away from the bleak theme!
PSi tried to comment on your post. Did it go into moderation? Anyhow, I wrote this: The good thing is I’ve heard of a few of your choices, but have only read the Lewis! Loved your determination to get away from doom and gloom, particularly in December!
How odd – I don’t think I have ‘moderation’! I’ll investigate. Thanks for trying – and for letting me know.
I’m sitting here clapping my hands and giggling in delight at this one. Well done!
Thanks Stefanie. If I can make someone clap their hands and giggle I’m a happy blogger.
Hah! Well done.
As for a link with Ethan Frome, the copy I read had a woman in an old-fashioned sleigh, so I would choose The Night before Christmas. Just to mess with people.
Haha, The night before Christmas! Love it!