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Summary: Only a Krank Would Try to Skip Christmas
Review: Specifically, Luther Crank---mild-mannered accountant who decides enough is enough. His only child is off in the jungles of Peru working with the Peace Corps, so why should he and his wife blow another $6,000 on useless gifts, gaudy decorations, and tossing a party. For only half that amount they could spend ten glorious days sunning in the Caribbean. And so Luther's plan is set in motion. For this one year, the Kranks will skip Christmas, skip the hassle, skip the frantic shopping, skip all the commericalized glory that has cast a shadow on the true meaning of Christmas.Can they do it? Can they forego buying a tree? Can they break it to the neighbors they will not mount their Frosty on the roof? Can they turn down all the charities that want a helping hand? Can they disappoint their friends and not toss their annual Christmas Eve bash? Grisham does turn a bit sappy at the end, but I loved the beauty of Luther's final scene with the Scheels and his satisfaction in delivering the perfect gift. This is a witty, clever, fast-paced read that made me laugh out loud in many parts. It has "made for TV movie" written all over it and if it provides half the smiles the book did, it will be a success.
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Summary: You can't help but be touched by this one!!!!!!!!!
Review: We've all been fed up with the hustle and bustle of the holiday season at one time or another. This book shows that feeling this way isn't necesarily a bad feeling but it's not what the holidays are all about. The lead character is Luther Krank, a man totally mad that he is going through another boring, debt-filled Christmas. He thinks if he ignores the holiday completely and goes on a cruise instead that it will pass un-noticed. He learns through trials and tribulations that money and crowds and last minute shopping are not at all what Christmas is about. Rather, friendship and family makes our lives worthwhile!! A treasure of a book that i'd highly reccommend to all and I will probably find myself reading every year at this time!
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Summary: Amusing Tale of Christmas Stress~
Review: John Grisham has broken his mold in this amusing tale of holiday stress. Luther & Nora Krank decide to skip Christmas this year. When Luther crunches numbers and realizes how much money the holiday season costs him, they decide to forgo their traditional holiday rituals and opt for a Caribbean Cruise. How this affects Luther & Nora, their friends & co-workers and particularly their neighborhood provides some light hearted laughs. Filled with little stereotypes of nosy neighbors, how out of control the holidays can get and some of the craziness we will all go to in the spirit of the season, Grisham delivers a unique and entertaining story. Skipping Christmas is a light, fun read that will gear you up for some Christmas cheer.
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Summary: Don't skip this Grisham Novel
Review: While not one of his legal thrillers, the short 175 page book has the charm of his "A Painted House." Typical of Grisham the novel is a light easy read. The story depicts the tale of an accountant tired of spending so much money on Christmas not to have anything to show for it. It follows him and his wife along as they encounter many obstacles of the season on their way. The feeling I got in the final chapter of the book makes it a must read for the holiday season when we all take too much for granted.
Rating: 
Summary: Skip This Book
Review: If you are expecting the depth of character and story line of a typical John Grisham novel, you are going to be sadly mistaken. This is an absolutely inane book based on petty, self-absorbed, small-minded characters in a ridiculously overbearing neighborhood. This book is far from funny, if that's what it's supposed to be. I couldn't force myself to even finish this extremely small (in many ways) book. Save your money and buy yourself something else for Christmas.
Rating:
Summary: Not worth it even at 40% off
Review: John Grisham isn't Hemingway but I have always found his books entertaining. However, I thought this one was painful to read - obvious, trite, and boring. There was no mystery, no suspense (hard not to guess that the daughter would come home from Christmas, and that his neighbors wouldn't save the day) and old fashioned without any of the charm. Take my advice and skip this one. I gave mine away and even then wanted to warn the recipient that I wasn't doing her any favors.
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Summary: A light Christmas confection
Review: For the legions of fans anxiously awaiting John Grisham's latest thriller, this will probably be pretty unsatisfying. Me, I'm not a big fan of his thrillers, and am glad to see him branching out more and writing the sorts of books I enjoy reading, with The Painted House, and now this. Plus, I'm a sucker for Christmas stories. Like most Christmas stories, this isn't groundbreaking literature. It's as familiar and comfortable as watching a rerun of It's a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street while a yule log blazes away in a stocking-bedecked fireplace, and in the corner of the room you can see the lights twinkling on the Christmas tree. It's the story of Luther and Nora Krank, who, with their daughter having joined the Peace Corps, decide to avoid their usual Christmas hassles and expenses and take a cruise instead. Of course, this shocks their neighbors, who are completely bound up in annual Christmas traditions. Told in an easy, breezy style, this story feels like the novel-length version of something that would appear in the New Yorker, poking fun at the pointlessness of all the surface trappings of Christmas in a slightly condescending but good-natured way. There are few real surprises in this story, but that isn't the point. We aren't reading this book for the shocks or the plot twists. We're reading it to smile as Luthor finds himself under siege by neighborhood carolers. While this story ultimately does nothing more than reinforce traditional Christmas values, Grisham gets points for not having someone stand up and state the obvious. Indeed, upon first finishing this story, I felt sort of irritated. I had the impression that Grisham had ended up endorsing the sorts of activities he had initially lampooned. However, upon further reflection, I saw how he had subtly underlined a more important message: it isn't important what you do or don't do for Christmas, but the reasons why you do it are important. For sticking to his guns without being too obvious about it, this novel earns four stars as a Christmas story.
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Summary: Skipping Christmas Skipped an Ending
Review: Let me start by saying I enjoyed the introduction of each of the characters in the story. But, the story made everyone out to be angry, caniving, or just plain idiots.
The idea of skipping Christmas was great, but the ending seemed to be without thought. As if the deadline from the publisher came around before the ending was thought up.
The story had no meaning or moral. This will definatly not be a holliday read like; A Christmas Carol, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, or A Christmas Box.
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Summary: What's In A Name!
Review: What's in a name? The answer is --- money! As the three most important ingredients in selling real estate are: location, and location, and location, the three most important ingredients in selling books have become: name, and name, and name. And this book has all three of those ingredients. John Grisham, and Doubleday Publishing, and --- the great title, "Skipping Christmas". This is the second book I have read recently that reminds me of "It's A Wonderful Life". The first one, which by the way I also highly reommend when you finish "Skipping Christmas", is "West Point" by Norman Thomas Remick. Meanwhile, Grisham wrote this one shallow enough and transparent enough so you can fly through reading it. Yet, I found it enjoyable and refreshing. It's a Christmas treat that has those other three famous ingredients for selling, well, anything: timing, and timing, and timing. Read this book now. You'll appreciate Christmas more than ever. A merry Christmas to everyone!
Rating:
Summary: Sorry I couldn't Give It Zero Stars
Review: I kept waiting for it to get interesting. The only thing it was, was predictible.
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