The Six Degrees of Separation meme is hosted by Kate at booksaremyfavoriteandbest. The idea behind the meme is to start with a book and use common points between two books to end up with links to six books, forming a chain. The common points may be obvious, like a word in the title or a shared theme, or more personal. Every month Kate provides the title of a book as the starting point.
The starting book this month is Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser. This book won the Stella Prize, a major literary award celebrating Australian women’s writing, and championing diversity and cultural change. Theory & Practice is described as autofiction; thus it is a blend between autobiography and fiction. When I was looking into this subgenre of fiction, I was both confused and interested in all the descriptions and various interpretations.
1st degree:
My first link will be to Outline by Rachel Cusk, which is also described as autofiction. I have that book on my shelves, unread. So I hope to give it a try soon.
The main character in Outline is a novelist who goes to Athens, Greece to teach a writing course during the summer. She has ten conversations with people she meets on the way to Athens and during her stay there.
2nd degree:
The second link is to The Messenger of Athens by Anne Zouroudi. This book takes place mainly on the fictional Greek island, Thiminos. A woman is found dead at the bottom of a cliff; the local police call it an accident. Then a stranger comes to Thiminos from Athens, with the intention of solving her murder.
This is another book I have on my bookshelves. The Greek Detective series gets good reviews and I should read it soon.
3rd degree:
The Light of Day by Eric Ambler starts in Athens and ends up in Turkey. Arthur Simpson, thief and con man, is hired to drive a car to Turkey. He does not know that he is smuggling illegal weapons in the car, and he is caught by border guards. The authorities force him to deliver the weapons to the people who hired him, in order to uncover their nefarious plans.
The book was adapted to screen as Topkapi. Peter Ustinov won an Oscar for Supporting Actor for the role of Arthur. Maximilian Schell and Robert Morley also starred.
4th degree:
The James Bond spy thriller From Russia with Love (1957, Ian Fleming) is set in Instanbul, Turkey. The Russians plot to rid themselves of James Bond by faking the defection of a female cipher clerk. Bond is sent to Istanbul to help the defector escape. They take the Orient Express from Istanbul to Paris, where the story ends. Also made into a very successful film, starring Sean Connery.
5th degree:
A good portion of the last book took place on a train and it ended in Paris. That takes me to The Sleeping-Car Murders by Sébastien Japrisot, a French author, screenwriter and film director. This novel was first published in French in 1962. The night train from Marseilles arrives in Paris. In the sleeping car, the body of a young woman is found dead. This is a police procedural and the investigation takes place in Paris.
6th degree:
My last link is to a book that also takes place in Paris. The Paris Diversion by Chris Pavone is an espionage thriller which begins with a terror attack on Paris. It is the second book featuring Kate Moore and her husband Dexter. The first book was The Expats. This is a very fast-paced thriller (at times) but the story is told very well.
This is another Six Degrees where I rediscovered some books on my own shelves that I have not read yet.
My Six Degrees took me from Athens, Greece to Turkey and then ended up in Paris, France. Have you read any of these books?
If you did this month's Six Degrees, where did your list take you?
The next Six Degrees will be on August 2, 2025, and the starting book will be the 2025 Women’s Prize winner, The Safekeep by Yael Van Der Wouden.
16 comments:
I've just come from Rose's blog and as always, I love seeing what different approaches you take. I've not read any of these. What a great bonus that it caused you to "rediscover" books you've been meaning to read! Good job!
Sometimes I can like autofiction, other times I despise it, ha. I have read Rachel Cusk's Outline ... back in 2017 (my blog says). I know others love Cusk but her characters seem rather cold to me. Too bad as she's sort of Canadian born but Britain lived or something. See what you think of it. I still gave it a favorable review but not sure it entices me to read her others. hmm.
Kelly, this one was relatively easy to put together and I liked the result, which doesn't always happen. I liked that it turned up some books I have had a while, now I just have to act on reading them.
Susan, now that I have a little more of an understanding of what autofiction is, I can understand why it could work sometimes and not others, and reactions can vary from person to person. I don't remember why I was attracted to Cusk's book initially, but I am more interested in it now just to get a taste of autofiction.
An appetising looking chain from which I've read ... nothing so far. I too have far too many unread books on my shelves. I must do something about it!
A great chain, I've read Ambler, Fleming and Japrisot. Particularly loving the Ambler. I've read some Pavone but not that one, so shall look out for it.
I've read a few of Anne Zouroudi's Greek Detective books and enjoyed them, but I haven't read that one yet. Thanks for reminding me I need to get back to that series!
Lovely, and I'm just starting to read Fleming, starting with his Casino Royale. I don't have a copy of From Russia With Love, though.
What a great chain you've made here, Tracy. I really do hope you try Anne Zouroudi's series; the Hermes Diaktoros character is very interesting, and the setting is very effectively done, in my opinion. And I'm glad to see some Eric Ambler on your list; he created some solid suspense novels.
Same here, Margaret. Too many books I own but have not read. I do work on that in the first eight months of the year, but between September and December, I buy too many new (to me) books.
I love that you have travelled around in your chain this month! Great job!
AnnaBel, I had a project to read all of the Bond books by Ian Fleming but still have a few left. I would like to read more by both Ambler and Japrisot.
Auto fiction an interesting genre where the author takes their own life and then changes it a bit. And since my father was born in Athens the Greek setting interests me. Maybe I will give Rachel Cusk a try
I think I'd like to read The Messenger of Athens. I have a few two many books out from the library at the moment (I have actually lost one and hope it turns up before it is due) but will try it in August perhaps.
My father used to read Eric Ambler, although I don't remember specific titles.
Surely a lot of fiction is either autofiction or the opposite - wishful fiction? I had a book by Rachel Cusk but think I gave it away without reading it.
I thought I had read all of Chris Pavone's books but missed that one. I liked his recent book set in Lisbon.
Constance, you will probably read The Messenger of Athens before I do. I just hope I get it read before the end of the year.
That is an interesting approach to autofiction and I think I understand what you are saying. Most of the books that are labeled as autofiction seem to go beyond just including events and experiences from the author's life.
I don't like all of Pavone's books equally, but I haven't read one that did not entertain me. And even if they are not all truly spy fiction, they feel like it.
Helen, it is good to hear more good things about the Greek Detective books. I went to your blog and read two of your reviews of the books. I look forward to trying this first one in the series.
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