Book review: Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

This year Luther and Nora Krank are considering skipping Christmas all together. With their daughter, Blair, on her way to Peru for two years and having examined last year’s expenses under a magnifying glass, Luther is convinced that they can spend their money in a more meaningful way than buying fruit cakes, unwanted presents and hosting big, fancy dinner parties on Christmas eve. No, this year there will be no Mr Frosty, no Christmas lights and much less stressful times in overcrowded malls with last minute shoppers. Instead there will be trips to the travel agent, the tanning salon and a Caribbean cruise setting sail on 25th December. How delightful! Or maybe not.

The Kranks soon find out that it is not that easy to swim upstream, but they are determined to succeed until the phone rings on the 24th. All of a sudden the sun beach tan feels awfully ridiculous in snow and subzero temperatures. This is a Christmas that they will surely not forget. Whether it will be with laughter or tears they will find out soon enough, but the reader is certainly offered a hilarious look at the frenzy and chaos that have become one with holiday tradition. It is a heart warming reminder of what Christmas is really about.

This holiday (probably for the first time I can remember) I did a little holiday reading. This book was a splendid choice indeed! It is very witty - very intelligently written, while all along a simplistic story that most readers can probably identify with. (The movie Christmas with the Kranks is based on this book.)

Author John Grisham has a wonderful gift for telling stories and he certainly did not disappoint! At times I was crying, I was laughing that much! The characters are original and funny. He doesn’t just make you chuckle for their sake, but also for your own and the pain and suffering we put ourselves through so unnecessarily. You would imagine that breaking away from the hustle and bustle routine would bring relief, but you soon realize, just like the Kranks, that Skipping Christmas can be quite the effort. This book is a wonderful expression of the Christmas spirit as well. All is well that ends well and sometimes people can be full of pleasant surprises.

I found this book to be a very easy read. It is in a fairly large print and widely spaced, but the book is a size that fits so comfortably in your hand (or even your handbag – for the ladies), and it is easy to read bits and pieces whenever you get a chance, all awhile leaving you looking forward to the next opportunity you’ll have to get your hands on it. It is a very good topic to provoke fun conversation with friends and for everyone to share their memories and stories of Christmases gone by.

Skipping Christmas is a delightful read - especially at Christmas time. I thoroughly enjoyed it!