And just like that, it’s autumn. I can’t believe summer here downunder is already over, but this is what happens. Summer comes and goes, and then I have to wait months and months for it to come again. Oh well, Six Degrees will continue, so let’s continue get on with it … but first, the usual reminder that if you don’t know this meme and how it works, please check Kate’s blog – booksaremyfavouriteandbest.
The first rule is that Kate sets our starting book. This month, she nominated a book I have read … though a long time before blogging. It was once a favourite classic, but I haven’t read it for a LONG time, and I haven’t seen the movie. Still thinking about that one. Oh, the book, you say? It’s Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.
Wuthering Heights, as I’m sure you know, is named for a house. So, my first link is going to be another book named for the house in which its characters live, Jo Baker’s Longbourn (my review). If Longbourn sounds familiar but you can’t quite remember, I’ll put you out of your misery: it’s Elizabeth Bennet’s home in Pride and prejudice. In fact, I nearly did the whole chain on Austen or Austen-related books that are titled for the name of a house, but I didn’t.
Longbourn is a Jane Austen sequel/spin-off about the servants downstairs in the Bennet household. Another story with an upstairs-downstairs theme is Sarah Waters’ The little stranger (my review). Of course, it’s not hard to find novels with this topic, but I chose this one because I don’t think I’ve featured it before, and I haven’t heard much of Sarah Waters lately. Have any of you read her? If so, do you have a favourite?
Anyhow, moving on while you ponder that question … The little stranger is a Gothic novel, also classified as horror. It was shortlisted for the Shirley Jackson Award for Fiction, so my next link is the only Shirley Jackson I have reviewed, her short story, “The lottery” (my review). It’s one of many short stories that turn on some idea involving lotteries – after all what a rich vein that idea can produce – and I’ve read a few here.
So, as I hinted above, my next link is another of those stories. The one I’ve chosen is Marjorie Barnard’s “The lottery” (my review). I chose it because it’s a great story about a woman taking control of her life, and it is in a favourite short story collection of mine, Barnard’s The persimmon tree and other stories.
And now, I’m sorry MR, but this next link will not be obvious unless you know a bit about Marjorie Barnard’s life. She was a significant person in Australia’s literary world, particularly through the 1930s and 40s. She and her collaborator, Flora Eldershaw, held salons in a flat in Sydney, and with Frank Dalby Davison they were know for some time as “The Triumvirate“. Consequently, my next link is to Frank Dalby Davison and his novel, Dusty (my review).
Dusty is about a dog, and part of the story is told from the dog’s perspective, albeit third person. Another novel I’ve read recently which is told (completely in this case) from a dog’s perspective is Sun Jung’s My name is Gucci (my review). Both dogs are bitzers (at least Gucci is at the beginning), but as their names imply, Gucci is far more sophisticated than Dusty. Both dogs have good stories to tell, however, stories which have something to say about who we are. They are great reads.
This month’s books are diverse in time, setting and genre, though all were written in English. There are rough cabins on farms and there are grand houses. There are working dogs and more pampered ones. There’s horror, and not only of the occult kind, because people will sometimes just behave badly. And there’s love and loyalty.
As for linking back to the starting book? Well, in the very first chapter of Wuthering Heights, we meet Heathcliff, and he has a dog!
Have you read Wuthering Heights and, regardless, what would you link to?
Whispering Gums 
Huh! I remember another infamous scene in Wuthering Heights with a dog, too. Gucci and Dusty’s stories were probably happier.
I don’t think I’ve read any Sarah Waters’ books. Horror in an upstairs/downstairs house sounds good, though.
Thanks Rose. Waters was very popular in the 90s and 2000s I think, with a couple at least of her books turned into miniseries – Tipping the velvet and Fingersmith. I didn’t read those but I read The night watch and The little stranger. I particularly liked the former (a WW2 novel) but I did like this one too. I don’t like horror or creepy stuff but there wasn’t much in it and the upstairs-downstairs was interesting.
Oh, I have read Tipping the Velvet. It was more of a love story set in Victorian times in a theatre setting. I think I liked it well enough, but never went back for more. The Little Stranger with mild horror would probably have suited me better.
I think she has written across genres a bit, which makes her interesting. The night watch is WW2 historical fiction with an interesting timeline as I recollect. I think Fingersmith is a more Dickensian era historical fiction. I went to an author talk with her at the ANU for The little stranger. She was engaging.
Hearing an author talk in person is fabulous, such a great way to engage with a book.
Would you have read The Little Stranger otherwise? I don’t think it’s your usual type of book.
Yes, I had read it which is why I went to the talk. You are right that it’s not my usual fare but I’m not completely closed-minded! It’s good to test the comfort zone occasionally,
I might, following the revenge aspect, start talking about that (_¤_) Trump !!!
Hi Sue, I like your links to the dog stories. My links are The Sufferings of Young Werther by Goethe; Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier; Love in the Times of Cholera by Gabriel Marquez; Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy; Saragasso Sea by Jean Rhys, and Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.
Good ones Meg, and I’ve read them all except the Goethe. I rather like it when I recognise the books.
Thank you for the reminder about Jo Baker’s Longbourn – I have it in my TBR stack. Perhaps next time I feel like something historical (which doesn’t happen all that often!), I’ll give it a go.
And I love your dog links 🙂
I wouldn’t say it’s a must read Kate, but if you know P&P it’s an entertaining one.
Glad you enjoyed the dog links.
Excellent chain. I’ve also only read The Lottery by Jackson, which is a real classic.
Thanks Davida … I feel I should read more, even though I’m not a big reader of horror.
I also dislike horror, so that Jackson was my “been there, done that” story! That said, I did read some horror short stories when I was in school, like The Monkey’s Paw, and some Poe stories. That was enough for me.
Completely understand Davida. Melanie keeps trying to convince me – and does tempt me occasionally with a possibility but with so many sorts of books I do like out there it’s hard to make the leap.
I hear you! Far too many books in genres I love to go out of my comfort zone on ones I don’t care for.
I’ve read and enjoyed all of Sarah Waters’ books. The Little Stranger is one of my favourites – I loved the atmosphere and the ambiguity!
Great list! I’ve read and loved The Little Stranger and The Lottery
Thanks Cathy. I was hoping with this list that I might find a few more people who knew and had read the authors!
Dusty makes me think of André Alexis’ Fifteen Dogs in which they can all talk. I do hope Dusty has a long and happy life unlike Isabella’s dog.
That would be telling Susan! I think I’ve heard of Fifteen dogs but I definitely haven’t read it.
And I meant to say Fingersmith is my favourite Sarah Waters.
Oh thanks Susan. I think that one would interest me, but I did really like The night watch.
Oh come on! Please–“books that are titled for the name of a house” do a post!! Interesting about the lottery stories–I’ve only heard of ths first one, but haven’t read it.
Haha Lisa … I’ll think about it.
As for lotteries, I have reviewed three short stories, the other being by Chekhov.
Wuthering Height I have never read and wonder if I will ever get the time to. This leads to hills though so I will add Beneath Hill 60 by Will Davies a Great War history book I read many years ago. And beneath leads to below and another book I have not read but do have on the TBR and that’s Below Deck by Sophie Hardcastle. And that leads to under so with that I will link to Uptight : The Story of the ‘Velvet Undergound by Victor Bockris about a band I am fond of with Bokris being an insider it is a useful read for anyone that likes the Velvets and inside leads to another book I have read and that’s Gut: The inside story of our body’s most underrated organ by Giulia Enders. A read about everything you ever wanted to know about the gut. And as to underrated I present another book about a band, XTC: Chalkhills and Children by Chris Twomey about the excellent British art pop rock band XTC who I think are far too underrated and never reached the heights with the public that they deserved.
Love it John … you have conveyed a lot about your passions here. Love you segue the “Gut”.
I’ve read Sarah Waters’ two famous books – I preferred Fingersmith to Tipping the Velvet, but didn’t feel compelled to read more by her. I like the sound of The Little Stranger, though. It’s Gucci on your list that draws me the most – I do love books written from a dog’s perspective. The 101 Dalmations started that off, but my favourite is Timbuktu.
Oh thanks Jan … I haven’t heard of Timbuktu.
I will add it to my list. Gucci is a strange but really enjoyable read because of the dog’s voice. Have you read Andrew O’Hagan’s The life and opinions of Maf the dog and his friend Marilyn Monroe?
It’s by Paul Auster and is brilliantly done. I haven’t heard of Maf but I love Andrew O’Hagan, so that’s going on the list, too.
It’s an enjoyable book either way an u forgettable title once you know it! If you like dig voices and O’Hagan you will like this I think.
I haven’t read Auster but he’s been popping up in my firmament lately which is maybe telling me something!
I haven’t read Waters but The Little Stranger does sound interesting, as do the two dog books, though it is what Heathcliff did to the dog that put me off him (and most likely the book too) entirely. I loved your idea of using house names, though the first that always pops into mind Manderlay was not the book’s title : ) Very interesting links as always, Sue 🙂
Ah yes, Manderley, Mallika, memorable but not the title unfortunately.
You know I had completely forgotten what Heathcliff did to the dog, just remembered that he had one. That’s terrible of me but then it’s over 50 years since I read the book. And I haven’t ever really wanted to read it again.
We had to read the Lottery in about grade 10 and I still remember it as though I read it this morning. A good collection of books.
I know I was assigned Wuthering Heights in college, though I don’t believe I finished it. The names of the kids confused me to pieces. Last night, I watched a version of Wuthering Heights, the 2011 version written and directed by Andrea Arnold. There’s a lot of interesting camera work, and I think the film is rather bleak, as it should be. Why people call Wuthering Heights the “greatest love story” is beyond me, though.
Lovely chain!
Thanks W&P.
I started Tipping the Velvet but it took too long to get going and it lost me (although this was around the time we moved house two years ago, so perhaps it was bad timing?)
P.S. I meant to say we are getting VERY mixed reviews about the movie at work. They all agree it is very different to the book (those who have read the book) and I think it depends on how much they loved the book as to how they feel about the movie. Curiously quite a few of the younger viewers (the 20 somethings) strongly dislike the male actor from previous outings and were prejudiced against him from the get-go.
I don’t know him so that’s interesting Brona. I’m seeing quite a few anti posts on Instagram and it does sound like the director has gone with a 14 year old’s romantic reading of the novel rather than an attempt to grapple with what it’s about. That’s fine. It’s not the book. But I don’t think I’m interested in a 14 year old’s perspective really? I’m a bit older now and have other interests I’d rather focus on.
I didn’t ask what the problem was with the actor (I’m really out of the loop these days with movies and actors), but yes it does seem to be all about the romance aspect…and the clothes!
And that’s fine-ish. I’m not a purist though I can see arguments against the approach. I really don’t think I’m interested.
Nothing anyone has said has tempted me either.
Timing is all – well, almost all, as we know isn’t it Brona. I can’t comment as it’s not one I’ve read but I don’t recollect finding that an issue with the two I have read.
From Wuthering Heights to a book narrated by a dog, never saw that coming!
Haha Stefanie … I’m glad! I like keeping you on your toes!