Grisham, John "Skipping Christmas: A Novel" - 2001
To say it right away, I am not a thriller reader, so John Grisham is not on top of my list of authors I want to read before I die. However, this novel was recommended to me by a friend who said I had to read it because "it's not like the usual Grisham books".
True, well, I suppose it's true. It is not a thriller. It is a comedy, and quite a hilarious one. A couple decides not to celebrate Christmas this year. Their daughter is away, they want to spend the money on a cruise instead. But - they didn't count in their neighbours, the Christmas committees, the church, the Scouts, and any other person who wants to make Christmas that special time of the year where you part with all your money for the benefit of others ... If you didn't think the hype at Christmastime is overdone, you will certainly get the idea when you've read this book.
The movie, on the other hand, is awful, even the lovely Jamie Lee Curtis couldn't save it.
From the back cover:
"Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That’s just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty, they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash, they aren’t even going to have a tree. They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences - and isn’t half as easy as they’d imagined.
A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition."
No comments:
Post a Comment