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Skipping Christmas: A Novel
 
 
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Skipping Christmas: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

by John Grisham (Author)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (801 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 9.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over CDN$ 39. Details
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Product Details

Product Description

From Amazon.com

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 the Hardcover edition.



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 the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews

801 Reviews
5 star:
 (322)
4 star:
 (207)
3 star:
 (81)
2 star:
 (62)
1 star:
 (129)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (801 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most helpful customer reviews

 
2.0 out of 5 stars Not a Usual, Dec 16 2005
By A Customer
This is out of the norm for John Grisham. Had nothing to do with a law firm. The idea was great. It kept you reading, got you all worked up and then crashed at the end. Not the best ending that could have happened.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Not one to skip, Feb 1 2005
This review is from: Skipping Christmas / Christmas with the Kranks (Mass Market Paperback)
In all my 30 plus years of reading fiction, I have never laughed as hard as I did when I read this story. I literally had to put the book down due to being in stitches from the comical situations in this book. If you are a little down this Christmas and are in need of some good cheer, then get this novel. Get ready to laugh and cry...sometimes at the same time. This was also a fast read for you folks who are too busy to read. Enjoy! Also recommended: THE CHILDREN'S CORNER by McCrae
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5.0 out of 5 stars Tis the season, Dec 2 2004
This review is from: Skipping Christmas (Hardcover)
Not your usual Grisham (what is?) SKIPPING CHRISTMAS is a little bit of eccentric fun and worth every cent! I bought this along with THE CHILDREN'S CORNER by Jackson McCrae and haven't been sorry. The story of CHRISTMAS centers on Luther and Nora Krank, a middle aged couple that are sending their only child, 23 year old graduate student Blair, off to Peru to work with the Peace Corps. With the holidays coming, and Luther realizing that they spent $6,100 on Christmas last year, he devises a plan. With Blair gone, he suggests they skip Christmas this year, and by saving that money, treat themselves to a 10 day cruise to the Caribbean. Whether you're a Grisham fan or not I highly recommend this little book. Also check out the McCrae book as it has a very funny story titled "Christmas Comes But Once a Year." A real hoot!
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Funniest Christmas read I've had in a long time!
Absolutely hilarious story line. Is this not the book that the movie "Christmas With The Kronks" is based on? Read more
Published on Nov 26 2004 by Nancy Whyte

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites
Grisham's SKIPPING CHRISTMAS seems to make the rounds each year at Christmas time for the obvious reasons. Read more
Published on Nov 13 2004 by Bebe Miller

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring, Boring, Boring
If this message saves just one person from reading this book, then I know I have done my job. What a waste of time. Read more
Published on Sep 16 2004 by Kimberly Buckley

5.0 out of 5 stars Love John Grisham
Know what I like about Grisham? His book have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Think that's the norm? Then you don't read very much. Read more
Published on Jul 27 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book. Good ending.
I enjoyed this one although I do wish it had been a bit longer.
Good story and excellent finish. John Grisham did it again!
Published on Jul 4 2004 by H. D Morphew

4.0 out of 5 stars Skipping Christmas
I thought this book was hilarious! I felt for the poor guy in the book knowing how sometimes Christmas can become ridiculous and not focusing on the things that it is supposed to... Read more
Published on Jun 22 2004 by shawnmacd

1.0 out of 5 stars Skip It
Unrealistic, materialistic, we-are-all-the-same neighbors (must have plastic snowman on roof! big brother is watching you! Read more
Published on Jun 22 2004 by TawnTawn

3.0 out of 5 stars Cute but not quite what I'd consider side-splittingly funny
3 1/2 stars. I read this slight Christmas story as an unabridged audiobook in the balmy month of June. Read more
Published on Jun 14 2004 by DogsDeserveCompassion

5.0 out of 5 stars Hysterical!
OK, first thing you need to understand is that this isn't typical John Grisham. Those Grisham fans who read this book looking for courtroom drama or suspense simply because it's... Read more
Published on Jun 8 2004 by Tom

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Skip this book!
A friend of mine read this book to me over the phone, a chapter at a time. It is the perfect book to read aloud, and it doesn't even have to be Christmastime to enjoy it. Read more
Published on Jun 3 2004 by L. Dunn

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