Rating: 
Summary: (4 1/2) A Delightful Christmas Fantasy
Review: The numerous reviews already posted for this delightful book by John Grisham clearly obviate the need for me to weigh in with my comments. Nevertheless, I have decided that there is such a wide diversity of opinion that I might as well add my voice to the mix and hopefully provide a slightly different perspective that perhaps might be of value to a potential purchaser. Several summary points - first, this is not at all a typical Grisham book, it is more a novella than a novel and a satire/ comedy that expands the range of his accomplishments as a writer. (In the latter regard but not in tone it is similar to BLEACHERS - see review of 10/6/03.) Second, while it is very engaging and there are certainly some moments of tension, it is light and easy reading - only 177 pocket book sized packages. Third, it encompasses a wide range of emotions but is a feel good story exploring the meaning of Christmas, the complexity of our interpersonal relationships and the unexpected twists of fate. Last, some aspect of the story will undoubtedly provoke a spark of recognition in most readers regarding some similar incident in their own lives.The plot is simplicity itself - Thanksgiving weekend Blair Krank waves goodbye to her parents (Luther and Nora) and boards a plane to begin her service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru. Nora is consumed with worry about her daughter's safety, and Luther soon realizes that the family's Christmas routine of the past twenty-three years has now been completely altered. Being an accountant, Luther soon performs a cost/benefit analysis and reaches the conclusion that the costs of Christmas (financial combined with the psychological and physical stress) outweigh the benefits, especially given Blair's absence. Therefore, he plots how to convince Nora that they should consider SKIPPING CHRISTMAS and enjoy a holiday cruise instead. While she is initially resistant, they eventually agree and plan to avoid the usual Christmas routine (parties, gifts, decorations, etc.) and instead prepare for their holiday respite. However, Luther soon finds that he has forgotten the other side of the ledger and there are hidden costs to forgoing their Christmas celebration and some overlooked benefits of the usual routine. While a few of Luther's associates are supportive and he suspects many more are secretly envious, Nora's friends view their decision with suspicion and she remains very ambivalent about their plans. Also, they become neighborhood outcasts as their yard remains devoid of decorations and (as depicted on the bookjacket) their rooftop alone on Hemlock Street remains without Frosty the Snowman to celebrate the season. And just when it seems they have successfully overcome all hurdles and their departure is within sight, as is often the case fate takes one last unexpected twist. Any doubts about the tone and message of this book should be dispelled at the very beginning; after all, who except a Krank would decide not to celebrate Christmas? And yet, there is undoubtedly some aspect of the decision to which every reader can relate. And the ending was close to perfect, with the outcome reflecting the human condition and our relationships very poignantly. The final two brief sentences captured the ambivalence of the book extremely well. The book can be read during a plane or train trip or while relaxing during a winter evening, and its cleverness and Grisham's ability to perfectly capture the essence of the character types involved caused me to round up my rating to five stars despite its brevity and its lack of any true surprises. As an aside, I also recommend David Baldacci's THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN (review 11/20/02) as another out-of-type story by another well known author for any readers who want a delightful and uplifting Christmas story with a somewhat more complex plot and less predictable storyline. Tucker Andersen
Rating: 
Summary: Could not stop reading!!!!!
Review: When I started to read this book, I didn't like it. I think it's because of the stubbornness of Luther Krank. Luther and Nora Krank are skipping Christmas, for their daughter, Blair, is away from home for helping other people in Peru with the Peace Corps. Luther decides to take the Caribbean cruise instead of doing Christmas. The way Luther determines not to celebrate Christmas bored me. I was like tired of reading how he acts. But as I continued with the book, I found it interesting to see how Luther has done to show he won't do Christmas this year, and they are going to the luxury Island Princess, then everything is like "....bboooommmm...." Blair is calling from Miami airport that she is going to take her fiancée, Enrique, a Peruvian doctor, home for "American Christmas." When I read that, I was like " Yeahhh! " Everything is changed since that call, for Nora does not tell Blair the truth. Poor Luther, who was so eager with his cruise, now has to do what he determined not to do several days earlier. I was really laughing when I read Chapter 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. I won't tell what happens. You check it out yourself so that you could enjoy the book... And I don't know why, but when I read through chapter 18, I felt the warmth and kind of neighbors. I felt like I wanted to be there, in Hemlock Street.
Now, I have just finished the book. I can say I love it. I just could not stop reading since the call of Blair in chapter 12. I usually love to read books having contents with a lot of thinkings or books that make you think about life, about facts, or books that you could end up with something meaningful. But this book is different. You don't have to think a lot or go deeper into the ideas of the author to find another meanings or whatever... But..Yes, this's a good book. You'll enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: The Book of Christmas
Review: John Grisham was successful in Skipping Christmas. It was strange and interested "Skipping Christmas". Because of the leaving of their daughter, Blair, and the big amount of money they had spent on the previous Christmas. Our characters, Luther and Nora decided to skip Christmas for a trip 10 days to Princess Island in Caribbean. So many chaos things happened around their plan. The author would lead the reader's emotion down to the bottom by Bev's cancer, and went up to the top by the Blair's phone call. Just a phone call, it changed whole plane, Luther and Nora had to do Christmas in 6 hours. They had to have Christmas tree, frosty on the roof, dinner and decorated the house. You will find out the most interesting part of the book in chapter 13 to 20. Luther was arrest by the officers and he was hung up on the roof...
You will find out who will be the meaningful friends in your life, when you are in hardship. And what Christmas means to you. I don't like to read a lot, I would through the book away if it was boring. But with Skipping Christmas, I read it from the beginning to the end without stopping; it was a good one to enjoy.
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Summary: A humorous look and the frenzy of Christmas
Review: John Grisham presents Skipping Christmas as a season of joy and much celebration, through an entirely different perspective. Skipping Christmas shows us just how insanely chaotic the holiday has become.
Luther, a grumpy accountant, and Nora, his obliging wife, are the Kranks, a wealthy couple who have a beautiful daughter named Blair off in Peru and a season of restlessness, headaches and mayhem fast approaching. So, Luther, who hates christmas comes up with an idea, to skip the holidays all together; to skip the crowded malls, hectic schedules and enormous bills, $6100, and take a cruise down to the Caribbean, Island Princess. However, there is only one problem, their neighbors. Being that the Kranks' house will be the only one on Hemlock Street without a Frosty on the roof, or even a Christmas tree, the neighbors are horrified and you will laugh out loud as the Kranks go through the pressures to conform and finally conclude in a tense, yet comical ending.
This is not one of the funnniest story i ever read. Skipping Christmas is quick and fun and can be enjoyed by even teenagers like myself. It is a delightfully amusing book for those who understand the chaos and that have become a part of American holiday tradition.
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Summary: wonderful book enjoyed by everyone
Review: This is the cutest book. I am getting a copy for everyone! It is so entertaining and a quick, enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Must read
Review: After reading this book when it first came out I gave it as Christmas presents to friends and relitives. It truly is a joy to read with great humor for all.
Rating: 
Summary: K's Review
Review: Skipping Christmas is a really good book. It is short and to the point. Has a wonderful twist at the end and is heartfelt and enjoyable. I will say it is not the most interisting most adventurious or most gripping books i've read, but I really did enjoy it. I could sit down and read it in a day. The reader doesn't do much thinking in this book, but on a large scale the issue at hand makes a suprising impact. (Especially since i read it on December 3rd) The characters are delightfully average and really hit home. Like i said before i liked this book. It was corkey, fun, and an overall nice story.
Rating:
Summary: A delightful little tale
Review: Skipping Christmas is a wonderfully invigorating little tale from Grisham - and most people who think differently seem to be missing the point. They seem to be expecting serious literature, either that or they are Grisham fans disappointed because this is not a legal thriller and is nothing like one. Of course its not! This claims to be nothing, not literature, not a legal thriller. And just because this is a departure from Grisham's style does not mean it is a bad book in any way. Because it is not what you're expecting does not merit a negative review. The preconceieved notions that people come to before they begin a book can spoil it entirely for them... This is, basically, the story of a couple who, their daughter having gone away to do chairty work in Peru, decide to give themselves a break; to skip Christmas for this year, save the money and go on a small cruise instead. However, they've not bargained for the attitudes of their neighbours... This is a lovely little story, wonderfully crafted, simply but well-told in Grisham's normal ludicrously-easy-to-digest prose. It shouldn't take you much more than a couple sittings, short as it is. It may not be literature, but it does actually really make you think. Some of Grisham's observations are slightly facile, but that doesn't mean they aren't valid or true. Indeed, they are the same observations most people make every single day to one another. This develops into quite a complex tale, actually. It takes on kindness, community spirit, diverging from the pack, and, of course, the commerciality of Christmas and, in the end, reveals a simple yet warm heart. It's got a little suspense, too, in the "Will they or won't they make their cruise?" aspects of the story. This is a lovely little read, ideal for the run-up-to Christmas. Ideal for anyone. Anyone at all. Amusing and entertaining, people with sympathetic characters, it should serve as the perfect relaxation for anyone who wants to take a little break from all the bustle of Christmas preparation! Read it, and judge it entirely as what it is: a good little story to at least make you reconsider some of the routines of Christmas.
Rating:
Summary: Great, fast read when you need some humor
Review: This book was a great read. It was fast and funny. It's different from other Grisham books as it is not about lawyers. It's great how all the characters are over the top and how their situation gets worse as Christmas approaches. This book is a definite recommend.
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Summary: Fun Book - Stop Taking It So Seriously
Review: I find that the negative reviewers have missed the point that this is just a fun little story about how commercialized Christmas has become. This is not a story to take too seriously - the characters are intentionally over-the-top and the situation is supposed to be overly silly just to emphasize the point that people who take Christmas very seriously are silly themselves.
Most of us don't live on a street that competes with other streets to win the best light display but many of us have seen them. Initially, our impression is wonder and awe at the grandiose displays. But then reality sets in and we think about the type of people who would engage in such meaningless contests. We think - aren't they taking this a little too far? Can they sleep at night with all the "festivities" and attention. And most importantly, would I ever want to live on a street like this? Could I escape if I did? Welcome to the Krank's world. What was once a peaceful community has now become obsessed with Christmas. Look around you though, how many obligations do you have that you wish you didn't have to deal with? Would you really be able to tune everything out or would the guilt and pressure of Christmas obligations ultimately prevail?
In short, this book pokes fun at how we have become obsessed with trivialities that have nothing to do with what Christmas is supposed to be about. At the same time, it has a cute message that speaks about Christmas spirit and what it is supposed to be about, not what it has actually become.
It's a well written satire with an interesting commentary about the world we live in. This is a fun book that shouldn't be taken too seriously. Anyone who does probably takes Christmas too seriously and has missed the whole point of why this book is funny. I laughed out loud many times. This book is very funny if you just lighten up.
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