The Classics Club Readathon

I couldn't keep myself from taking part, even if I know that cannot read the whole day because unfortunately I have some meetings in the afternoon and evening.

Anyway, I will just read through the night! And, yes, I am mightily excited! Let the classics-reading begin!

On the Classics Club blog there is a starting post with a few questions to kick off the event. I will answer them here and then update this post every few hours with my progress.

1. Snacks and Beverages of Choice?
2. Where are you reading from today?
3. What are your goals for the Readathon?
4. What book(s) are you planning on reading?
5. Are you excited?

1. Any Christmas leftovers I can find. There are still lots of cookies and chocolates left from the holidays and it is high time I eliminated them and started eating healthy again. As for the beverages I will probably be dependent on coffee, but a few cups of tea are always nice.
2. My family's livingroom, in an armchair right next to the Christmas tree. For those who don't visit my blog regularly: this is in Graz, Austria. Thanks to the American time the readathon starts at 2 p.m. for me and I will hopefully read until 2 p.m. on Sunday.
3.  Simply to read as much as possible, visit other blogs and have fun. Oh, and to dutifully finish Faust.
4. The second half of Faust, the beginning of Mrs. Dalloway but mostly J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. I read very slowly, so that's probably more than enough.
5. I think I've already answered this one...

The readathon starts in five minutes, so happy reading everyone! I'm looking forward to updates on your progress.

3.20 p.m.
The first hour is over and I have finished Faust. The end was much better than the beginning, but my pleasure in having read it is mostly the pleasure of conquest.
Now I have to take a break from reading and go to the city for a meeting, but I'll be back in two hours to start The Hobbit.

10.20 p.m.
The break took longer than expected, but I actually managed to squash in an hour of reading between my afternoon meeting and my invitation to dinner. I read the first 50 pages of The Hobbit and got completely sucked in. How could I ever start this book without finishing it? It is so perfect! The light, amusing but still deeply moving writing and on top of that the setting in my beloved Middle-Earth...I can't even describe how utterly right it feels to read it. So the plan for now is pretty much to spend the whole night with Tolkien in front of the Christmas tree. We'll see if I can bear the sleep deprivation.

1.00 a.m.
Sunday has now officially arrived here and keeping my eyes open is getting a little tough. Usually I would just drink more coffee, but my whole family is already fast asleep and the coffee machine is dreadfully loud, so I'll have to do without...
My reading progress is slow but steady, I'm on page 104 of The Hobbit and still enjoying it immensely. Also, I am almost at the end of the part that has been adapted into the recent movie and know virtually nothing about the storyline later, so things are getting exciting. I'd love to read until the morning. There is not anyone reading this who by chance knows a super-effective secret trick for keeping awake without caffeine?

3.20 a.m.
Still awake, which already is an achievement! I am only halway through the Hobbit since I read at a tortoise's pace, but I would love to finish it. I'll probably read for another hour or two and then catch a few hours' sleep before tackling the rest of it in the morning. After all I have time until 2 p.m. before the readathon is over.

4.40 a.m.
I can't believe I have made it so far! I'm on page 218 of my dear Hobbit, who is a lovely companion for this readathon and about to take a nap before hopefully finishing in the morning. Good luck to everyone still bearing up!

8.30 a.m.
I slept for about 3 hours, which was more refreshing than I thought. Now I'm curled up with The Hobbit again, (although most others seem to have given up?). I hope I can finish before the readathon is over!

1.30 p.m.
The readathon is almost over, which leaves me exhausted but proud and very happy. I have just finished
The Hobbit with perfect timing, if I may say so. It is such a shame that next to The Lord of the Rings this book is so often overlooked! It is heart-warming and told in a light way, but absolutely beautiful and far from childish.
With this I am closing off the readathon and saying thank you to the wonderful organizers for their great work. It was an amazing experience and tomorrow I will write a wrap-up post.