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Skipping Christmas (Hardcover)

~ John Grisham (Author) "The gate was packed with weary travelers, most of them standing and huddled along the walls because the meager allotment of plastic chairs had long..." (more)
Key Phrases: Merry Christmas, Walt Scheel, Christmas Eve (more...)
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (911 customer reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

John Grisham turns a satirical eye on the overblown ritual of the festive holiday season, and the result is Skipping Christmas, a modest but funny novel about the tyranny of December 25. Grisham's story revolves around a typical middle-aged American couple, Luther and Nora Krank. On the first Sunday after Thanksgiving they wave their daughter Blair off to Peru to work for the Peace Corps, and they suddenly realize that "for the first time in her young and sheltered life Blair would spend Christmas away from home."

Luther Krank sees his daughter's Christmas absence as an opportunity. He estimates that "a year earlier, the Luther Krank family had spent $6,100 on Christmas," and have "precious little to show for it." So he makes an executive decision, telling his wife, friends, and neighbors that "we won't do Christmas." Instead, Luther books a 10-day Caribbean cruise. But things start to turn nasty when horrified neighbors get wind of the Krank's subversive scheme and besiege the couple with questions about their decision.

Grisham builds up a funny but increasingly terrifying picture of how this tight-knit community turns on the Kranks, who find themselves under increasing pressure to conform. As the tension mounts, readers may wonder whether they will manage to board their plane on Christmas day. Skipping Christmas is Grisham-lite, with none of the serious action or drama of his legal thrillers, but a funny poke at the craziness of Christmas. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.uk --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

For all its clever curmudgeonly edge and minor charms, no way does this Christmas yarn from Grisham rank with A Christmas Carol, as the publisher claims. Nor does it rank with Grisham's own best work. The premise is terrific, as you'd expect from Grisham. Fed up with the commercial aspects of Christmas, particularly all the money spent, and alone for the holiday for the first time in decades (their daughter has just joined the Peace Corps), grumpy Luther Krank and his sweeter wife, Nora, decide to skip Christmas this year to forgo the gifts, the tree, the decorations, the cards, the parties and to spend the dollars saved on a 10-day Caribbean cruise. But as clever as this setup is, its elaboration is ho-hum. There's a good reason why nearly all classic Christmas tales rely on an element of fantasy, for, literarily at least, Christmas is a time of miracles. Grisham sticks to the mundane, however, and his story lacks magic for that. He does a smartly entertaining job of satirizing the usual Christmas frenzy, as Luther and Nora resist entreaties from various charities as well as increasing pressure from their neighbors (all sharply drawn, recognizable members of the generic all-American burb, the book's setting) to do up their house in the traditional way, including installing the giant Frosty that this year adorns the roof of every home on the block except theirs. And when something happens that prompts the Kranks to jump back into Christmas at the last minute, Grisham does slip in a celebration of the real spirit of Christmas, to the point of perhaps squeezing a tear or two from his most sentimental readers (even if he comes uncomfortably close to It's a Wonderful Life to do so). But it's too little, too late. The misanthropy in this short novel makes a good antidote to the more cloying Christmas tales, and the book is fun to read. To compare it to Dickens, however, is...humbug. 1.5-million first printing.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 177 pages
  • Publisher: Doubleday; First Edition edition (October 29, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0385508417
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385508414
  • Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (911 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #296,550 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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John Grisham
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First Sentence:
The gate was packed with weary travelers, most of them standing and huddled along the walls because the meager allotment of plastic chairs had long since been taken. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Merry Christmas, Walt Scheel, Christmas Eve, Vic Frohmeyer, Island Princess, Luther Krank, Ned Becker, Spike Frohmeyer, Bev Scheel, Christmas Day, Peace Corps, Santa Claus, The Pumpkin Seed, Boy Scout, Grand Cayman, Jingle Bells, Mitch Underwood, Frosty the Snowman, Jude Becker, Swade Kerr
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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (911 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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61 of 66 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.

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96 of 107 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."

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23 of 24 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!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Christmas Classic
Skipping Christmas is a delightful novel that will make you laugh out loud! The book on cd is even more funny because you can hear the inflection that the Author intended. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Avid Reader 1966

5.0 out of 5 stars delightful book!
this is a delightful book! It is funny, believable, and probably what we all, at one time or another, wished we could do! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Pamela Hengst

3.0 out of 5 stars Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Skipping Christmas is one of John Grisham's shorter books at 177 pages. It tells the story of a husband and wife known as Luther and Nora Krank who decide to skip Christmas and go... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Charles Hamilton Sr.

3.0 out of 5 stars Charming and funny
With the Kranks only daughter, Blair, in Peru with the Peace Corps, they find themselves not feeling very festive this holiday season. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Baker

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy read
If you are looking for a light, easy read, this is the ticket! I am a preschool teacher and belong to several groups. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Riley Vermilya

3.0 out of 5 stars Skipping Christmas is a Light and Fun Holiday Story
John Grisham has made a comfortable living writing legal thrillers for the past couple of decades. Over the years I have read most of his books and, for my money, you can't beat... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Matthew P. Cochrane

4.0 out of 5 stars A great book for the holidays.
John Grisham, as most of you know, can really tell a tale. In this short book (less than 200pp) he introduces us to the Kranks, Luther and Nora, and their daughter Blair. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Alan Holyoak

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Christmas Book!
I really enjoyed this book. Its something I would definitely recommend to read right before Christmas!
Published 3 months ago by Laura Flannery

5.0 out of 5 stars A lot of fun and quite a bit of heart...
I'll admit right off I am not much of a John Grisham fan, but I thought this book was laugh-out-loud funny. Read more
Published 3 months ago by K. Cline

5.0 out of 5 stars ONE MAN'S SOLUTION TO HOLIDAY STRESS....
Refreshingly different kind of book from the John Gresham.

A modern version of "A Christmas Carol",(not as good as dickens tho)
Portrays one man's... Read more
Published 3 months ago by L.K.

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