Hour 1: Two Books Completed!

I gave myself a jump start on the read-a-thon: I read deeply into about fifteen books. It's quite possible that I could finish a lot of books today!

At the end of the first hour, I've already finished two.

The first is Good-bye, Mr. Chips. It's the gentle story of a man who taught in a British private boys' school for many decades. I love the way Chips starts out as a very average sort of person and teacher. It's the experiences of life---the death of his wonderful wife, the tragedies of the war, the days, years spent teaching children---that transform Chips into a thoughtful, clever, and exemplary human being.


The second is A Streetcar Named Desire. Whew! What a ride. What a terrible ride into the lives of three sad, miserable lives. Blanche comes to stay with her sister, Stella, after Blanche's life deteriorates. Stella has married and is expecting a baby, but her life is anything but cozy and warm. Stella's husband, Stanley, beats his wife and drinks heavily. Everything in this story echoes, No Way Out, and You are Doomed to Misery.

Whew. Two powerful stories to start this read-a-thon.

Whole truth and nothing but the truth: 47 pages of Mr. Chips and 40 pages of Streetcar Named Desire

So Good-bye, Mr. Chips and A Streetcar Named Desire will be available for prizes when I start my mini-challenge later in the day.