For the last two Six Degrees I was away from home – first in outback Queensland and then in Melbourne – but this month we are back in our little apartment enjoying Canberra’s spring. And, I’m rarin’ to go with this month’s Six Degrees. If you don’t know how the #SixDegrees meme works, please check host Kate’s blog – booksaremyfavouriteandbest.
The first rule is that Kate sets our starting book. This month, again, it’s one I haven’t read. Indeed – sorry Bill – but I haven’t yet read any of this author’s books. I’m talking Sally Rooney, and her latest novel, Intermezzo.
The word Intermezzo refers to a particular type of music, so for my first link I’m choosing a book titled for another type of music, Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nocturnes (my review). It’s a collection of somewhat connected short stories, and music features strongly in the stories.
I have decided, in fact, to stick with a music theme for this chain. My next link also has a type of music in the title, but, in addition each of the book’s chapters is titled with a piece of music, starting with Nocturne for Chapter 1! The book is Julie Thorndyke’s Mrs Rickaby’s lullaby cosy mystery, (my review) which is set in a retirement village.
My next link has of course a music theme, as I said all my links would, but it also links to Thorndyke’s novel because it is set in a specific sort of community,. The book is Christine Balint’s Water music (my review), an historical novel set in the 18th century in one of Venice’s musical orphanages for girls. (And, in a little shout out to Novellas in November, Water music is a novella, having co-won the 2021 Seizure Viva La Novella prize.)
My next book has a musical term in the title and the word “music” in its subtitle. It is Emma Ayres‘ (now Ed Le Brocq) travel memoir, Cadence: Travels with music (my review). And, with a little six-degrees licence, I’m going to lay claim to another link, which is that Ayres’ next memoir, Danger music, is partly about his working in the Afghanistan National Institute of Music which was created primarily to teach music to disadvantaged children. (The book also chronicles Ayres decision to come out as a transgender man.)
Staying with memoirs (and the word “music” in the subtitle, my next link is an another musician’s memoir, this one by singer-songwriter and Aboriginal activist, Archie Roach. His book is Tell me why: The story of my life and my music (my review).
My last link is not a book but an article written by the American composer and critic, Virgil Thomson. Titled “Taste in music” (my review), it was published in 1945 in The musical scene, a book containing a collection of his articles and reviews. I loved this article because Virgil Thomson had composed the music for two wonderful, classic documentaries, The plow that broke the plains (1936) and The river (1938), and because he had some interesting things to say about reviewing/criticism. What he says, I realise now, is similar to what James Jiang said in the CWF session I attended on critics (my post). He said that “in order to be a reviewer, you have to forget whether you liked it or not and tell your reader what it was like”. As I wrote on my Thomson post, and again on the CWF session, this approach is for me. I prefer reviews/criticism that focus on analysing what the work is like, what makes it tick, more than whether the reviewer/critic liked it.
So, we started with Sally Rooney in contemporary Dublin, and moved to contemporary England and Australia, before time-travelling to 18th century Venice. Back in more contemporary times we went on the road from England to Hong Kong with Ed Le Brocq (as Emma Ayres), and experienced Archie Roach’s moving journey from Stolen Generation child to successful musician. We ended in mid-20th century America with a composer who also had some interesting things to say about developing our taste in music (or, by extension, any art form I think).
Now, the usual: have you read Intermezzo and, regardless, what would you link to?
Whispering Gums 
So funny that I didn’t even think about music as the basis for a first link (despite knowing what intermezzo means!).
Different things just pop out at us don’t they Kate. That’s the fun of this meme, and why it’s the only one I do.
I like how you have used music as your theme in this chain! The only one I’ve read is Nocturnes, but I have Intermezzo on the TBR.
Thanks Kimbofo … I loved that it was fairly easy to do too!
I nearly did my chain with the music link but instead went with grief then bushfire. I read your review of Archie Roach’s book and went to add it on Borrowbox and found it was already on my reading list.
Haha re Archie Roach. I do that all the time – that is forget I have already noted something to read.
Grief then bushfire eh? I will come read your chain (of course).
I love your music theme! Water Music sounds fascinating.
Thanks Helen, and yes, Water Music is a really lovely book.
All new to me titles here and like Helen, I love how the music theme runs all through your chain 🙂 Mrs Rickby and Water Music sound great reads–will look them up!
Love that a couple interest you Mallika. Water music is attracting a few which pleases me greatly. And I think you’d enjoy Mrs Rickaby.
Will look them up 🙂
Good for you for going full-on music! I started out with that, but then got sidetracked. No matter, great chain!
No matter indeed, Davida… it’s all fun isn’t it.
Good chain! Water Music sounds interesting–I’ll look for it.
Thanks Lisa, I’m glad I mentioned it as a few commenters have expressed interest… and I do think it is good.
I have not read Intermezzo, or any of Sally Rooney’s work. I will throw in some poems, as I find it easier to remember poems with musical themes than novels.
So degree one will be The Iliad, since the second word is “sing”. (We could add the The Aeneid, where sing is the third or fourth word, depending on how one counts; but enough is enough.)
Degree two will be Tolstoy’s novella or long short story The Kreutzer Sonata.
Degree three will be James Joyce’s volume of poetry Chamber Music. Of course this is for the title, but Joyce had a good tenor voice.
Degree four will be Jean Rhys’s Quartet, chosen wholly for its title. I have read other of her works, but not this one.
Degree five will be Anthony Burgess’s The Napoleon Symphony. Again, this a novel I have not read by an author I have read a good deal of.
Degree six will be Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem When Malindy Sings, chosen simply because I like it.
Oh, The Kreutzer Sonata and Quartet, Good ones George. I don’t know Joyce’s poems so you have me intrigued.
I have heard of Dunbar, but not read that poem, so I went looking and found it on an American Academy of Poets website, and read it. I understood it, but then I found a YouTube reading by Dr Mabel Grimes and it came alive in a way my reading to myself couldn’t do! Thanks for ending with it.
Hi Sue, I have not read Intermezzo, but I have reserved it at my library. I like your links, and my books also have music as a theme. You are Here by Dave Nicholls; The Woman in Me by Brittany Spears; Bel Canto by Ann Patchett; The Commitments by Roddy Doyle; Lessons by Ian McEwan; and The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce.
Good ones Meg. The only one I’ve read of these is Bel canto … but I’d like to read a few of these in your list.
Julie Thorndyke is a fellow member of the Society of Women Writers NSW. I imagine she read your review of her book at the time, but I suspect she will be thrilled to hear you reference it again here. I will send her the link.
Oh thanks Gwendolyn. I like to use this meme to give books another airing.
I followed a theme this week, too. I really enjoyed your musical one!
6-Degrees
oh wow, brilliant chain!
Thanks Emma
I’m reading Intermezzo now. But I’m not sure how far I’ll get before it’s due back. We’ll see! Have you avoided her? Or just not gotten to her?
The latter, Marcie. Just not gotten to her – along with many other writers (like Elizabeth Strout, whom I’d probably read first if I had to choose between them. Not sure what I base that on except that what I’ve heard of Strout’s characters attracts me.)