Customer Reviews

The Christmas List: A Novel

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I look forward to Evans' books every year and even with Christmas in the title I couldn't wait until December to start this one. In three words: I loved it. I've already read it more than once and cried every time. There is a beautiful love story between a husband and wife (which is unfortunately a rarity in the world of literature and other media) and even though it made me cry I put down the book feeling inspired, uplifted and grateful. What more could I ask for? I am planning to give this away for gifts this year. One of Evans' best.

This book will touch you in your own unique personal way. It is a book that reminds me about the true meaning and spirit of Christmas which is unconditional love and the peace that comes from seeking forgiveness. This is an inspirational book that deeply touched me and that I will always cherish.

I knew it was going to be good, but it was great! Richard Paul Evans never disappoints and this book is a page turner! Keep up the great work! I am recommending this book to all of my friends who don't know who he is yet (not too many...) Loved it!

UPDATE: MAJOR MOVIE PRODUCTION BEING DISCUSSED--book signing announcement.
True, I'm a bit prejudiced in Fort Wayne, IN, area Richard Paul Evans Christmas book loving territory. The anticipated book was expected to be another 5 star, like all each year's Christmas book back to "The Christmas Box." Hoosiers are not disappointed--neither will you be.

Taking a page from Charles Dickens and his character, Scrooge, other authors have penned their own version of redemption based on this holiday classic's theme. A nasty rich man's eternity and reputation is saved by an honest look at what the world thinks of his integrity. But Evans has done it in a contemporary manner that's is literary and Christmas blessed. But it's not quite as puffy-feel-good in the end as Tiny Tim's blessing that has echoed over the holiday since Victorian days. No, Evans gets brutally honest with integrity, true grace, and Joy to the World. This book is as real as fiction can get.

Since I expected a best-seller, the book was Amazon pre-ordered. It arrived two days after returning home from urgent surgery and the hospital due to a heart attack. My own heart. The second page in chapter one talked about a man, James Kier, who died in an accident. "Authorities believe Kier may have had a heart attack prior to swerving off the road." Needless to say, I was hooked after the second page of story in the first chapter. It only gets better from there. It is not a book to begin and set aside--you will read through to the end.

Kier's death is a case of mistaken identity (not a plot spoiler fact) but only after Kier learns of much of the sentiment against him. What would YOU do?

It's an easy fast read, but emotional, motivational, inspiring, and will likely move you more to doing for other's at Christmas rather than adding to the tinsel on your own tree. Even in the busy Holiday months, it's short enough for everyone's schedule. The pages will knot your heartstrings. Does Mr. Evans have another "Christmas Box" in publication? YES, no doubt, even before the book signing tour started.

If you don't find yourself as one of the characters of this book, or on James Kier's "Christmas List", at least you likely will be rewarded with finding a truer meaning for this year's Christmas, located in the final pages of this book. But between chapter 1 and the Epilogue, is a rugged journey a different Scrooge of 2009, and you'll be thanking God it is Kier's life, not your own. Or if you mirror Kier, you've time to change.

Have a Blessed Christmas.

I'm a HUGE fan of Richard Paul Evan's books. Every year I look forward to curling up in front of a fire with his latest, and disappearing into it and a box of truffles. Richard's books always entertain me and make me cry. (That's a given.) BUT...this time I reemerged a better person, with a purpose: to find forgiveness for myself; and to make right my wrongs. Never has a book inspired me in such a way. This book was escapism, but also much, much more. It was a journey into questions I needed to ask myself about my life and what I truly want to leave behind when I'm gone. Sounds heavy, but it wasn't. The Christmas List is told with a flowing mastery, leading me through just as many laughs as tears. Not to mention, this love story is the truest example of true love (bar none) that I have ever read. My husband is absorbed in The Christmas List even as I write. It's the first time he's read a RPE book, and he's reading it over watching Letterman. Good choice!

Richard Paul Evans knows how to write wonderfully inspirational books with a strong message of love, redemption & hope. His latest effort is no exception, and it's just in time for the Holidays. Struggling to figure out what to give Aunt Betty & Uncle George for Christmas this year? Here you go!

Aside from being a nice Christmas gift or stocking stuffer for your obstinate teenager, this is a book that lifts the reader's spirit while making the eyes a bit misty. Of course I cried; and you will too. But you'll feel good about life; and you'll appreciate things you may have previously taken for granted.

Above all else, you'll have a better attitude about society in general; even the guy who cut you off in traffic the other day. He didn't mean it, and you didn't mean it when you lost your temper. Life's too short to worry about trivial details. Enjoy it and let those who are important to you understand how much you care; then read this book again.

If you want to feel good about the upcoming Holiday season, here's a great value. I loved it.

James Kier, the main character in The Christmas List, is such an awful person that I was certain there was no way that Richard Paul Evans could redeem him. In fact, Kier tends to get worse even as he is trying to get better--truly the man you love to hate. But when he discovers that nearly everyone in his life despises him, he is finally shaken enough to attempt to make amends. And does Richard accomplish this the way I, who am often able to predict the outcome, think he will? No. And THAT is why I love this book. It is not predictable and keeps you guessing, and stressing, and hopeful all the way to the end. I'll read this one twice because it just made me feel so good. Bestseller? I should say so!

All of Richard Paul Evans's novels are exceptional, as is The Christmas List. Very moving and inspirational story. He is a wonderful storyteller. I would give it ten stars if that were an option!

This book was very inspirational, just as all of Richard Paul Evans' other novels. I could not put it down!

I chose "The Christmas List" by Richard Paul Evans as my one Christmas book to purchase for 2009. When I got to page 108, I knew I had made the right choice because on that page is mentioned my very favorite book "Man's Search For Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. One of the most profound truths that I've learned comes from Frankl's book. It is "There is always only one right answer to the problem posed by the situation at hand." In my own second chance at life, I have come to accept that life and love bring pain as well as joy and that, one does not come without the other. As William Blake so wisely wrote "Man was made for joy and woe." I wrote much of what appears in this review directly in a recent letter to the author Richard Paul Evans and thanked him as well for pouring his heart and soul into his books. I've read nearly every one of them.