Six Degrees of Separation: From Vanity Fair to 1984

Six Degree of Separation is a monthly meme hosted by Kate @ Books Are My Favorite and Best.

This month’s chain begins with Vanity Fair by William Thackeray which I have read and loved; however, I also used Vanity Fair in the August version of six degrees. So, I will force myself to a different path. 

Vanity Fair is subtitled A Novel Without a Hero. So, I decided to follow the “no hero” path, but it was a bit difficult, as I have read many novels that had no hero. I decided on, one of the greatest novels of all time, and yet without a hero…

The Great Gatsby – which has a certain vibe that reminds me a little of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I think it’s partially the café society, opulence, and hedonism, but more so, it was a similarity between Jay Gatsby and Holly Golightly; both shamelessly pursuing their goals, aloof to the disapproval of others. Holly, as an intrepid female lead, reminds me of…

Dagny Taggert from Atlas Shrugged (just the intrepid part, they are very different otherwise). Nonetheless, in Atlas Shrugged there is a hidden civilization – a sequestered utopia, which reminds me of…

Shangri La in Lost Horizon. In fact, there is a very distinct similarity. Both authors depict someone hearing music that they find unmistakably in the style of some dead or missing composer – and the reader later learns it is indeed from the very composer – who isn’t dead after all, with a piece of their music leaking to the outside world. James Hilton should maybe sue Ayn Rand. But, back to six degrees: in Lost Horizon, utopia isn’t really all that, much like the…

Brave New World – one of the great dystopian novels ever. But if I follow that tack, THE greatest dystopian novel is probably…

1984.

And that – is how you get from Vanity Fair to 1984.

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