Six Degrees of Separation ~ Dangerous Liaisons

Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
"Dangerous Liaisons" - 1782

#6Degrees of Separation:

from Dangerous Liaisons (Goodreads) to Corinne: Or Italy

#6Degrees is a monthly link-up hosted by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best. I love the idea. Thank you, Kate. See more about this challenge, its history, further books and how I found this here.

The starter book this month is Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. I had never heard of him, even though I love classics. So, I have not read the book.

Here is a description:

Published just years before the French Revolution, Laclos's great novel of moral and emotional depravity is a disturbing and ultimately damning portrayal of a decadent society. Aristocrats and ex-lovers Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont embark on a sophisticated game of seduction and manipulation to bring amusement to their jaded lives. While Merteuil challenges Valmont to seduce an innocent convent girl, he is also occupied with the conquest of a virtuous married woman. Eventually their human pawns respond, and the consequences prove to be more serious—and deadly—than the players could have ever predicted.

But, as I have read many classics, I thought I'll start with the one from one of the following years and carry on like that.

Schiller, Friedrich "Intrigue and Love" (GE: Kabale und Liebe) - 1784

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (Goethe German) "Iphigenia in Tauris" (GE: Iphigenie auf Tauris) - 1787

Austen, Jane "Lady Susan" - 1795

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (Goethe German) "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship" (GE: Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre) - 1795/96

Austen, Jane "The Watsons" - 1803/05

Staël, Anne-Louise-Germaine de "Corinne: Or Italy" (F: Corinne ou l'Italie) - 1807

We always try to find a connection between the first and the last degree. This time, the books are both in French.

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Happy February!

Happy February to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch

"Schneemann bauen im Park"

"Winter Flowers"

Frank says to this picture:

"... there are fewer and fewer days on which such a winter dream really comes true. The question keeps coming up: When will it really be winter again?"

"… es gibt immer weniger Tage, an denen so ein Wintertraum wirklich in Erfüllung geht. Immer wieder stellt sich die Frage: Wann wird es wieder richtig Winter?"

Read more on their website here. *

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I remember a German song from the Seventies: "When will it be a real summer again?" And that summer was scorching hot. So, who knows what Frank's wish will bring us. Though, we haven't had a real winter here for ages.

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Which reminds me of a good joke:
What do you call a very old snowman?

Puddle

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January is supposed to be the longest month of all. I mean, we have seven months with 31 days, so December, for example, ought to be as long as January. It just seems shorter because there is so much going on and we all try to be ready for Christmas and then we feel the month is over before it has even begun.

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This month, I have two German words/expressions for you. 

"Morgenmuffel" and "bis in die Puppen".

If you stay up "until the dolls" (bis in die Puppen, i.e. you don't go to bad early), you will certainly become a "Morgenmuffel" which means you are grumpy in the morning. However, if you are like me, you can be a Morgenmuffel any day, no matter when you went to bed the night before.

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And here is a great Christmas present I received from one of my sons: Hitster. We played it several times already and love it. You have to guess songs and where they fit in the timeline. If you like music and games, check the link here.

 

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My favourite book of last month was 
Tartt, Donna "The Secret History" - 1992

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* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

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🌼 I wish you all a Happy February 🌼