Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Description
Whether careening through town propelling cars like long-range missiles, or laying waste to a costumed July Fourth parade, Wheezie and Juts Hunsenmeir are Runnymede's most irrepressible, mule-headed sister scat. together these unrivaled Southern siblings cheerfully raise hell-and a hell of a family-among some of the most colorful townsfolk you're ever likely to meet. Chief among them is elegant Celeste Chalfonte. As exquisite as she is fearless, Celeste kills a man and marries a woman, sloe-eyed Ramelle Bowman. And when Ramelle has Curtis Chalfronte's child, no one bats an eye-even though Ramelle has no intention of leaving her beloved Celeste. Then there's Fannie Jump Creighton who runs a speakeasy in her mansion. And activist Fairy Thatcher, who disappears into Hitler's Germany. Through it all run Wheezie and Juts, heading pell-mell into the future with their hands firmly gripped around each other's throats. spanning more than fifty years of the tumultuous twentieth century, Six of One is a joyous celebration of the human sprit-and the ties binding even the unlikeliest families.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member richardderus
The Book Report: The life and times of a matriarchal clan made up of a mixture of lesbians, hell-raisers, and goody-two-shoeses in the fictional town of Runnymede that sits smack on the Mason-Dixon line. From 1909 to 1980, Cora Hunsenmeir and her daughters Julia Ellen and Louise live, love, fight,
My Review: There is a lot of pleasure to be had in re-reading books that once made an impact on you. If, of course, they hold up well. This novel holds up well. It's not perfect, it's got small inconsistencies and this 1984 printing wasn't ever corrected for some minor textual flubs, but even the Pieta has chisel marks.
The women in this story are heroes and role models for me. I wish with all my might that they were my sisters, mothers, the crones who ruled my town. CERTAINLY not my wife, not a one of 'em, who needs the tsurres? I'll take a nice, easy man any day. (Which I now have the *legal* option to do!) But damn, is it fun to watch Julia Ellen get revenge on Louise for stealing her birthday hair ribbon on her fourth birthday in 1909...revenge served up in 1980! Had this been my own sisters, the revenge would've been a knife in the ribs, or a tchotchke smashed on the head...real hatred and sibling rivalry taken to a toxic extreme. Which is why, when I discovered this book in 1978, I loved it so immoderately.
I yearned to be witty, worldly Celeste Chalfonte, and also wise, simple Cora Hunsenmeir...but suspected deep down that I was already fated to be alcoholic sex addict Fannie Jump. (Which bit of self-knowledge changed nothing, thank GOD.) I was sure I would find redemption in these characters. (Redemption, like happiness, can't be pursued. It's not a grouse. {That's a quote.}) It was clear to me that this was a road map, a way to live my life, if I could just...Well, I never could, darn it, but the book lost none of its impact for all that. It's a real pleasure to come home to Runnymede and sit on Cora's porch listening to crickets and Idabelle's accordion from the porch of her own house at the bottom of Bumblebee Hill. Then wander over to Celeste and Ramelle's back porch to have magnolia droppings (aka gin, in discreet frosted glasses) with the ladies. Join in the tutting as Minta Mae Dexter assaults good taste with her brigade of soiled doves, the Sisters of Gettysburg. Rejoice heartily when Brutus Rife, the town's robber-baron industrialist, is ushered off this mortal coil in one of my very favorite literary homicides.
The magic of the book for me is that I can and do...these pleasures haven't faded for being re-experienced. I still sob at the loss of sweet gentle souls whose lives are lived in honest labor, and the inevitable passing of the ladies grand and common of the early generation in their various ways. Characters like this are a real pleasure to discover. This level of investment in the fictional lives of fictional people indicates a very high level of writerly ability is at work. The plot, the execution of the life-patterns of the women, is in a way secondary. The events chosen by the author to illuminate the spirits of the characters are the important criteria...though there are a lot of wonderful lines and zingers in here, make no mistake: "Who cares who you fuck in Pittsburgh?" demanded of a rigidly conventional sourpuss by a hearty old bawd is a favorite; but of them all, the reason I truly treasure this novel is the sad, sad glory of Cora Hunsenmeir's final moments: As she knows she is dying, she, this unlettered laboring daughter of a working man with no pretensions to status or learning, reaches up for the sun one last time and says, "Thank you, God, for all of it."
I hope that, when my time comes as it surely must, I can say that line with as much gratitude and sincerity as Cora did. I will live my life so as to make that a reality.
Show More
make up, and generally enjoy themselves hugely, often to the detriment of though never at the expense of their fellow-travelers and employers Celeste Chalfonte, Ramelle Bowman, and Fannie Jump Creighton, that horny old dipsomaniacal hussy. (She's my hero.)My Review: There is a lot of pleasure to be had in re-reading books that once made an impact on you. If, of course, they hold up well. This novel holds up well. It's not perfect, it's got small inconsistencies and this 1984 printing wasn't ever corrected for some minor textual flubs, but even the Pieta has chisel marks.
The women in this story are heroes and role models for me. I wish with all my might that they were my sisters, mothers, the crones who ruled my town. CERTAINLY not my wife, not a one of 'em, who needs the tsurres? I'll take a nice, easy man any day. (Which I now have the *legal* option to do!) But damn, is it fun to watch Julia Ellen get revenge on Louise for stealing her birthday hair ribbon on her fourth birthday in 1909...revenge served up in 1980! Had this been my own sisters, the revenge would've been a knife in the ribs, or a tchotchke smashed on the head...real hatred and sibling rivalry taken to a toxic extreme. Which is why, when I discovered this book in 1978, I loved it so immoderately.
I yearned to be witty, worldly Celeste Chalfonte, and also wise, simple Cora Hunsenmeir...but suspected deep down that I was already fated to be alcoholic sex addict Fannie Jump. (Which bit of self-knowledge changed nothing, thank GOD.) I was sure I would find redemption in these characters. (Redemption, like happiness, can't be pursued. It's not a grouse. {That's a quote.}) It was clear to me that this was a road map, a way to live my life, if I could just...Well, I never could, darn it, but the book lost none of its impact for all that. It's a real pleasure to come home to Runnymede and sit on Cora's porch listening to crickets and Idabelle's accordion from the porch of her own house at the bottom of Bumblebee Hill. Then wander over to Celeste and Ramelle's back porch to have magnolia droppings (aka gin, in discreet frosted glasses) with the ladies. Join in the tutting as Minta Mae Dexter assaults good taste with her brigade of soiled doves, the Sisters of Gettysburg. Rejoice heartily when Brutus Rife, the town's robber-baron industrialist, is ushered off this mortal coil in one of my very favorite literary homicides.
The magic of the book for me is that I can and do...these pleasures haven't faded for being re-experienced. I still sob at the loss of sweet gentle souls whose lives are lived in honest labor, and the inevitable passing of the ladies grand and common of the early generation in their various ways. Characters like this are a real pleasure to discover. This level of investment in the fictional lives of fictional people indicates a very high level of writerly ability is at work. The plot, the execution of the life-patterns of the women, is in a way secondary. The events chosen by the author to illuminate the spirits of the characters are the important criteria...though there are a lot of wonderful lines and zingers in here, make no mistake: "Who cares who you fuck in Pittsburgh?" demanded of a rigidly conventional sourpuss by a hearty old bawd is a favorite; but of them all, the reason I truly treasure this novel is the sad, sad glory of Cora Hunsenmeir's final moments: As she knows she is dying, she, this unlettered laboring daughter of a working man with no pretensions to status or learning, reaches up for the sun one last time and says, "Thank you, God, for all of it."
I hope that, when my time comes as it surely must, I can say that line with as much gratitude and sincerity as Cora did. I will live my life so as to make that a reality.
Show Less
LibraryThing member CBJames
One of the more original book blogs to come around in the past year is Books Are My Boyfriends. Kit, who keeps Books Are My Boyfriends, reviews books as though they were real people, boyfriends whom she has loved and lost, or whom she has had to dump for some reason or another. Kit often features
You know the type of guy who ought to be perfect. Good looking, talented, gainfully employed, intelligent. But somehow lacking that one little thing that you can't quite name. Your friends all love him. Your parents love him. There's nothing really wrong with him, except for that one little thing that you really wish you could ignore since you're the only person bothered by it.
That's just how I felt about Six of One by Rita Mae Brown, the book my book club will be discussing today. I read just over 150 pages before stopping. I liked it, but I would have liked it better as a short story. I felt the same way about the Eudora Wealty novel we read last year, The Optomist's Daughter. But I think the things about each that I didn't like, are things other readers will love.
Both books are very Southern, steeped in the South. If you're a fan of Southern writers, you should probably read Six of One. I was constantly reminded of my very Southern relatives, though not in a good way. Not for me at least. When my Southern relatives tell you they have a good joke, you may as well sit down and put your feet up because the punch line is going to be a long time coming. They beleive that any story worth telling is worth embellishing, a lot. This tendency towards gab, is something Rita Mae Brown portrays very well, with natural dialogue that both builds her characters and brings laughter. It's funny stuff. But it does go on. Just like Eurdora Wealty. This is fine in a short story like "Why I Live at the P.O." or "Petrified Man," but it can become a chore in a novel length work.
Six of One is about two feuding sisters, their friends and family, and the "daughter" that one of them raises. I think the book would make a nice pairing with Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford. Both novels create a town without men. There are men in both books, even some interesting characters, but in both books it's the women, the two sisters in particular, who really count. Both books have two sisters and the two sets of sisters have a matching dynamic. Ms. Gaskell's sisters get along with each other while Ms. Brown's do not, but other than that, they were remarkably similar. Each features a cast of women spanning social classes, each has a 'sort of' daughter, each has an admired brother who leaves town. I'd be interested to know if anyone out there has read both books and found them to be the matched set I did.
So, I broke up with Rita Mae Brown's, Six of One on Thursday. It was me, all me. It's a terrific book. I'm sure there are many people out there who are perfect for it. Maybe even you, dear reader. I just didn't see a future for us together. I really needed to see other books. It's the best thing for both of us.
Show More
pictures of herself as she goes through the emotions each boyfriend brings about. It's very funny. If you've never read her blog, you should. I mention Books Are My Boyfriends because I intend to "borrow" the idea just for today. You know the type of guy who ought to be perfect. Good looking, talented, gainfully employed, intelligent. But somehow lacking that one little thing that you can't quite name. Your friends all love him. Your parents love him. There's nothing really wrong with him, except for that one little thing that you really wish you could ignore since you're the only person bothered by it.
That's just how I felt about Six of One by Rita Mae Brown, the book my book club will be discussing today. I read just over 150 pages before stopping. I liked it, but I would have liked it better as a short story. I felt the same way about the Eudora Wealty novel we read last year, The Optomist's Daughter. But I think the things about each that I didn't like, are things other readers will love.
Both books are very Southern, steeped in the South. If you're a fan of Southern writers, you should probably read Six of One. I was constantly reminded of my very Southern relatives, though not in a good way. Not for me at least. When my Southern relatives tell you they have a good joke, you may as well sit down and put your feet up because the punch line is going to be a long time coming. They beleive that any story worth telling is worth embellishing, a lot. This tendency towards gab, is something Rita Mae Brown portrays very well, with natural dialogue that both builds her characters and brings laughter. It's funny stuff. But it does go on. Just like Eurdora Wealty. This is fine in a short story like "Why I Live at the P.O." or "Petrified Man," but it can become a chore in a novel length work.
Six of One is about two feuding sisters, their friends and family, and the "daughter" that one of them raises. I think the book would make a nice pairing with Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford. Both novels create a town without men. There are men in both books, even some interesting characters, but in both books it's the women, the two sisters in particular, who really count. Both books have two sisters and the two sets of sisters have a matching dynamic. Ms. Gaskell's sisters get along with each other while Ms. Brown's do not, but other than that, they were remarkably similar. Each features a cast of women spanning social classes, each has a 'sort of' daughter, each has an admired brother who leaves town. I'd be interested to know if anyone out there has read both books and found them to be the matched set I did.
So, I broke up with Rita Mae Brown's, Six of One on Thursday. It was me, all me. It's a terrific book. I'm sure there are many people out there who are perfect for it. Maybe even you, dear reader. I just didn't see a future for us together. I really needed to see other books. It's the best thing for both of us.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mckait
I love the characters in this book! They are quirky, interesting and funny. I have read this one several times.. and found pleasure with each read.
LibraryThing member Carol_M_in_NJ
My all-time favorite book with multiple time periods is SIX OF ONE by Rita Mae Brown. This is a fabulous book that tells the story of two sisters, Julia (aka Juts) and Louise (Wheezie). When they aren't fighting each other, they take on all comers. The timeline jumps back and forth between "present
By turns, this book will have you laughing hysterically and sobbing uncontrollably, but in an incredibly good way. When their phenomenal mother Cora dies, I sobbed like a baby. Cora is one of the most beloved of all book characters in my thousands of books of reading.
I cherish this book, and re-read it on a regular basis.
There is a sequel, BINGO that is good. But it does not live up to SIX OF ONE. Despite that fact, I love these characters so much that I've re-read SIX OF ONE dozens of times, and have re-read BINGO more than once as well. Check it out. You will NOT be sorry!
Show More
day" around 1980 or so, and the 1910s through 40s.By turns, this book will have you laughing hysterically and sobbing uncontrollably, but in an incredibly good way. When their phenomenal mother Cora dies, I sobbed like a baby. Cora is one of the most beloved of all book characters in my thousands of books of reading.
I cherish this book, and re-read it on a regular basis.
There is a sequel, BINGO that is good. But it does not live up to SIX OF ONE. Despite that fact, I love these characters so much that I've re-read SIX OF ONE dozens of times, and have re-read BINGO more than once as well. Check it out. You will NOT be sorry!
Show Less
LibraryThing member willowcove
One of the funniest books I've ever read. I really miss this side of Rita Mae.
LibraryThing member mashley
Best of her works. Best character development and story.
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
Lough out loud funny, strong characters and hilarious moments without being absurd. Heartwarming with some real lessons underneath the humor - highly recommend it!
Subjects
Original publication date
1978
Other editions
Six of one by Rita Mae Brown (Paperback)