Wednesday, the 24th of April 2024, and time for Shelf Control once again! Shelf Control is a weekly feature created by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies, and celebrates the books waiting to be read on your TBR piles/mountains. Since early January 2023, Shelf Control has moved base here to Literary Potpourri. To participate, all you do is pick a book from your TBR pile, and write a post about it–what it’s about, when/where you got it, why you want to read it and such. If you participate, don’t forget to share your links in the comments. I’ll check out your picks of course, and also add you to the list of participants in this post!
Today’s pick is from an author I’ve enjoyed before and a sequel/companion book of sorts to a book I’ve read by him. To You, Mr Chips (1938) is a collection of short stories featuring Mr Chipping or Mr Chips, the classics master at Brookfield School created by James Hilton in his novel Goodbye, Mr Chips (1934). In the first book we trace his journey from when he joins the school as a young man, and his experiences over the years with his students as well as the people who come in and out of his life.
To You, Mr Chips is a short volume with some 6 short stories featuring the same character and an additional nonfic chapter–an essay on Hilton’s own experiences with the education system. The collection includes a Christmas story as well.
I enjoy Hilton’s work that I’ve read, especially Random Harvest (the film could have never given one the surprise the book did) and Lost Horizon both of which I thought were excellent and based on these alone I would read his other books. As to Mr Chips himself, I have read the first book but a little too long ago to remember any details. So while I want to read this second collection, perhaps a revisit of the first before it would make more sense.
Have you read anything by Hilton? Which one/s and how did you like it/them?
If you’re joining in with Shelf Control this week, do leave your links in the comments so I can add you to the participants’ list.
Literary Potpourri 
I’ve been realizing that after the two series I’ve mentioned in my own Shelf control posts that I really don’t have anything else to make use of this. I only add books to my tbr that I plan to read and I’ve been really good about sticking to it.
Which is good on one hand, but makes participating in stuff like this a real bear 😀
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That’s absolutely fine; mine are ones I’d like to read too when I add them but sometime down the years, I do lose interest in some and there are those that I’ve added based on a looser interest rather than the book blurb so those get knocked off more easily.
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I read Lost Horizon when I was a teenager and fascinated by Tibet. The idea of a Utopian Shangri-La was very appealing.
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Much the same with me; I read it when I was in college I think and thought it very intriguing indeed–in the background of the war, it was all the more relevant looking for a utopian space.
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I’ve read Goodbye, Mr Chips but didn’t even know these short stories existed! I also loved Lost Horizon and Random Harvest (and I agree that the twist in the book wouldn’t work in the film).
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Wasn’t Random Harvest wonderful–I never saw that twist coming at all; hope you can find a copy of these–they look lovely and the older eds have illustrations too!
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I’ve never read Goodbye, but I’ve seen three different film versions of it. This is one I really should get for my Classics Club spin! Such a heartwarming story.
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