Skipping Christmas

Rating:
Summary: Skipping Christmas? NOT!!
Review: I viewed the first 2 chapters on the net. I admit, I was hooked! I couldnt wait to get my hands on the book. When I finally received it, I was alittle disappointed that the book was so small, I read it in 3 hrs. The beginning was excellent, but as I got to the end, boy was I disappointed! I find myself feeling like Luther Krank, just wanting to skip it all together. The way he describes the hassle and expense of the whole over-rated, commercialized (def. to exploit for profit) holiday, I surely related to all this. As I approched the end, I thought "Oh no, NO NO No! But I guess the moral of the story is, Christmas is not the hassle and expense that comes with the holiday, but the spirit of sharing and Love.

Rating:
Summary: A real treasure!
Review: I can't say enough about this book! I laughed so hard in some spots I almost cried. I totally related to the main character. He is so pathetic, and yet so lovable at the same time. This book is a MUST READ!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely delightful!
Review: I loved the story, but having read some of the negative comments I can't help but wonder what has happened to our sense of humor?
True, this little book is not written in the typical Grisham style but nonetheless, it's a refreshing change and a short but sweet read. Exaggerated comical satire, with shades of the late whimsical Erma Bombeck, prevail throughout the story as a former yuppie couple are suddenly faced with the cold hard facts of 'empty nest syndrome'. The husband conjures a brainstorm scheme to skip Christmas the year their daughter leaves the nest to embark on a new adventure to Peru with the Peace Corps. He convinces his wife that in lieu of spending the usual astronomical sum for Christmas commercialization in the way of expensive gifts, elaborate outdoor lighting, lavish dinners and parties to instead indulge themselves in a luxury cruise to the Caribbean. However, the neighbors in this tight knit community are diehards in their Christmas traditions and spirit. When they find out, they rebel and subtley do everything possible to make their life miserable. Despite my many outbursts of hearty laughter as the story unfolds, the unpredictable ending actually left me with misty eyes and a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Rating:
Summary: Skip this one right onto the compost heap
Review: This book would never have been published had it not been written by John Grisham. The characters in this book were one dimensional and lacked appeal. The story was predictable & boring. I couldn't wait for it to end.

Rating:
Summary: Skipping Christmas - Hey! That's not a Bad Idea!
Review: Well, I guess all the John Grisham fans might find this story so totally outside his usual genre, that they won't like it, but I really enjoyed it. It's a cute, funny story that left me laughing, feeling good and even plotting how to pull it off, successfully!

Skipping Christmas, when considered immediately after the Holiday, is a very attractive concept! And, of course I can see all the mistakes Luther and Nora Krank made. Maybe, just maybe, it can be done.

The story starts a little slow and seems a bit repetetive for the first half of the book, but come Christmas Eve, the action (and the laughs) pick up considerably. It all sounds so simple at first. Luther's and Nora's daughter is off to the far lands for Christmas and for the first time, they will have the Holiday to themselves. Under the emotional stress of this big change, Luther, an accountant, can't sleep and decides to total up the costs of last Christmas. $6100! What a waste! The genius latches onto the notion that the whole thing can be done without and Nora gets taken in by the idea. Unfortunately, neighbors, Boy Scouts, merchants, and miscellaneous other charities, business associates and friends, see this as more of a personal insult than a great idea! The pressure builds. Every day brings some new test to the Kranks' resolve. But Luther is determined to get on that cruise boat, if it costs him every relationship he has. The deeper he digs in his heels the funnier it gets.

Skipping Christmas is clever, witty and the way it both appeals and repels is really interesting. It was a good read!

Rating:
Summary: Recommend Skipping "Skipping Christmas"
Review: Some hack writer has taken over John Grisham's body and wrote this junk to make a quick buck. Don't pay for this book. It has a great premise - the protaganists are "skipping Christmas" and travelling instead. How will their friends and neighbors handle it? But then the characters began behaving in ways that made little logical sense and the story becomes very repetitive and it just didn't go anywhere. It's just boring and implausible and disrespectful of the reader. Skip it.

Rating:
Summary: not typical, but good
Review: This book is not what you would expect from Grisham, but it's still pretty good, lite reading. I enjoyed it very much, and found myself laughing out loud. It's great that Grisham can explore with the different genres and still be this entertaining. I recommend this book as easy reading while you are on vacation, or before bed time reading.

Rating:
Summary: Skipping Christmas
Review: This book is best skipped! What a disappointment. I've read every book John Grisham has written and know that he is a fine story teller, so I'm wondering what happened to this one? It was boringly predictable and very disappointing. I hope his next effort lives up to his talent!

Rating:
Summary: Skipping Christmas
Review: Absolutely wonderful!! My husband and son and I traveled from New Mexico to Grand Juction, Colo. for New Years and read this book aloud. Half of it on the way up and the other half on the way back. We found ourselves actually laughing out loud! The typical culdesac where everyone is into everyone elses business. Yea, for Luther, for trying to do something different,and trying to stick to it, for himself and his wife for their 1st Christmas together without their daughter. And thank goodness for all those neighbors that like to stick their noses in each other's business!!

Rating:
Summary: Lots of Holiday Fun!!!
Review: Never having read a Grisham novel before, I found this book completely entertaining with a heartwearming ending. I went from laughing out loud to crying at the end with this sentimental story. I think it is a wonderful book and an easy read for "non" readers like myself. I intend to send a copy to my mother for her November birthday next year! What a delightful way to start the Christmas holidays!! I'll be waiting for the movie to come out!!