Skipping Christmas [Hardcover]

John Grisham (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Doubleday & Company; First Edition edition (2001)
• ASIN: B001FGDFB4
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (947 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,380,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, John Grisham was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby--writing his first novel. Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Realizing he didn't have the right stuff for a pro career, he shifted gears and majored in accounting at Mississippi State University. After graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. One day at the DeSoto County courthouse, Grisham overheard the harrowing testimony of a twelve-year-old rape victim and was inspired to start a novel exploring what would have happened if the girl's father had murdered her assailants. Getting up at 5 a.m. every day to get in several hours of writing time before heading off to work, Grisham spent three years on A Time to Kill and finished it in 1987. Initially rejected by many publishers, it was eventually bought by Wynwood Press, who gave it a modest 5,000 copy printing and published it in June 1988.That might have put an end to Grishams hobby. However, he had already begun his next book, and it would quickly turn that hobby into a new full-time career. When he sold the film rights to The Firm to Paramount Pictures for $600,000, Grisham suddenly became a hot property among publishers, and book rights were bought by Doubleday. Spending 47 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, The Firm became the bestselling novel of 1991.The successes of The Pelican Brief, which hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and The Client, which debuted at number one, confirmed Grisham's reputation as the master of the legal thriller. Grisham's success even renewed interest in A Time to Kill, which was republished in hardcover by Doubleday and then in paperback by Dell. This time around, it was a bestseller. Since first publishing A Time to Kill in 1988, Grisham has written one novel a year (his other books are The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, The Partner, The Street Lawyer, The Testament, The Brethren, A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, The Summons, The King of Torts, Bleachers, The Last Juror, The Broker, Playing for Pizza, and The Appeal) and all of them have become international bestsellers. There are currently over 225 million John Grisham books in print worldwide, which have been translated into 29 languages. Nine of his novels have been turned into films (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Chamber, A Painted House, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas), as was an original screenplay, The Gingerbread Man.

Photo credit Maki Galimberti

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 85 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BOOK TO BE READ "BEFORE" CHRISTMAS, November 19, 2001

By 

Nancy Martin (Pennsylvania (orig. NY)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skipping Christmas: A Novel (Hardcover)

OK, it's not your typical Grisham courtroom drama but, once again, he makes a plausible argument for "skipping Christmas" in his latest book of the same title. "Bah Humbug", I said, when first hearing about the book's premise until the plans surrounding the main characters' scheduled departure for the Caribbean sounded so enticing that it left me wondering if they might take me along.

While this book is not about doing away with Christmas forever, it's one couple's desire to just skip it, for just one year, and spend the money on a cruise instead. And, why not? Their only child Blair has just left for a stint in Peru with the Peace Corps and they are looking at spending their first Christmas alone in a very long time. But skipping Christmas entirely means not doing anything "holiday" related at all - no cards, no presents, no holiday parties and, most importantly, no rooftop Frosty...the "symbol" of Christmas in their Hemlock Street neighborhood in Illinois. But Luther and Nora KRANK are about to find out what the true "symbol" of Christmas really is -- whether they like it or not.

While their friends and neighbors are appalled at their decision to forego the Christmas festivities, Luther and Nora remain stalwart in their resolution of "no Christmas for the Kranks." Grisham throws some humor into many of the scenes as he has the Kranks hiding out in their own home as carolers sing Christmas songs on their lawn and then has them eating lettuce leaves in an effort to lose weight for the trip.

But it's the end of the book where the true meaning of Christmas will be exhibited. It's not money spent or gifts bought or Frosty's on the roof. It's much simpler and easier than that. The Kranks will find out that the true meaning of Christmas, in Grisham's story, is that of giving...giving of yourself. And, you'll have a good time reading how they get to this point and hoping, just as I am, that all of us will come to this realization during this upcoming holiday season.

98 of 109 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All I want for Christmas..., December 4, 2001

By 

Jody Thomas "Cookie Whisperer" (Pasadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skipping Christmas: A Novel (Hardcover)

...is to be able to skip it.

Who hasn't said one time or another something to the effect of "next year, let's keep it simple...let's go away for Christmas without family and friends." John Grisham's "Skipping Christmas" is a fantastic, light-hearted story about how we all feel every Christmas...rushed and broke. This pleasant and quick-to-read tale is a MUST for anyone who needs to take some time out during the holidays for a little bit of "brain candy." I took this book with me on vacation with me last week and was able to read it within a day.

Grisham is a comedian, it's a nice breath of fresh air. Everyone should read it...because in the end there's a positive message ringing to the tune of "this is what Christmas is really all about."

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can't help but be touched by this one!!!!!!!!!, December 6, 2001

By 

Jeffrey S Schmidt (Clovis, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skipping Christmas: A Novel (Hardcover)

We've all been fed up with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season at one time or another. This book shows that feeling this way isn't necesarily a bad feeling but it's not what the holidays are all about. The lead character is Luther Krank, a man totally mad that he is going through another boring, debt-filled Christmas. He thinks if he ignores the holiday completely and goes on a cruise instead that it will pass un-noticed. He learns through trials and tribulations that money and crowds and last minute shopping are not at all what Christmas is about. Rather, friendship and family makes our lives worthwhile!! A treasure of a book that i'd highly reccommend to all and I will probably find myself reading every year at this time!