Rating: 
Summary: I expected more - although it is still entertaining
Review: Honestly, I expected more. Granted, I wasn't expecting the meaning of life or anything, but I did anticipate a better resolution.The story does start to develop in a satisfactory Grisham way. As I read about the Kranks and their struggle to opt out of the commercialism that infest the current American Christmas season, I really began to root for the underdog. I got sucked into sharing the feeling of pressure placed on each family by societal expectations, and I really wanted to see the Kranks prevail against that. If they didn't win in the race against the Christmas machine, at least I wanted to see them unveiled as aliens from outer space or something that lives up to the anticipation that is built in the first 3/4th of the story line. Instead, what you get it is a (theoretical) feel-good ending that left me feeling disappointed. There is a paragraph that almost achieves a "gift of the Magi" sentiment when Krank makes a dying neighbor's year, but it's over before it begins. In fact, that really sums up a lot of the story for me - it was over before it really began. I was left with the feeling that Mr. Grisham had a wonderful idea for a christmas story, started writing it and suddenly realized about 2 weeks before publication that "oh no, I have to finish that story", so he quickly whipped out the rest of the book without putting anymore thought into the complexity of the plot. Its worth a quick read for the struggle to stay out of Christmas, but don't expect to put the book down saying "ah, that was worth the money I spent on it". I'd check it out from the library and use your money to buy something else.
Rating: 
Summary: Unfit for publication. Skip this book.
Review: Do not read this expecting a smart, insightful or philosophical exposition of modern Christmas rituals. The premise sounds promising: with 23-year old daughter off in the Peace Corps, Mr. and Mrs. Krank decide to skip Christmas and take a cruise -- but Mr. Grisham simply fails on the following accounts: 1. None of the characters were the least bit sympathetic. Luther Krank complains. A lot. He hates his wife. He hates his neighbors. He hates the people he works with. He gloats to himself. He repeats $6,100 (the amount of money spent on last year's Christmas) at least 30 times in the first few pages. It appears that Mr. Grisham was attempting a cross between Chevy Chase/Mr.Griswold (Christmas Vacation) and Ebenezer Scrooge -- but he failed. The reader feels neither sympathy nor joy for Krank. We just plain dislike him. 2. Poor/nonexistent motivation. Motivation for skipping Christmas, literally, comes from walking through a crowded airport and stepping in slush. It's really that weak. 3. Predictable & hackneyed. After rejecting the Boy Scouts, firemen, policemen and neighbors, the storyline quickly becomes self-evident. 4. Unbelievable stupidity. The Kranks do some very dumb things. They refuse to buy a tree ($75), fruitcakes, calendars, etc. But instead of simply donating the money to the charities, the Kranks repeatedly promise to give $100 in the spring. This makes zero sense - especially because it defeats Mr. Krank's self-stated goal of saving money (Grisham made a big deal out of his occupation as an accountant in the first chapter and a VERY big deal out of the amount of money spent, but then promptly forgets all about it). Everyone in this book (except Blair & her fiance, who only make cameos) act like walking morons. 5. Stereotypes. Everyone gets drunk at the office Christmas party. The secretaries are all women. No one in this world is Jewish, Buddhist, or Muslim. Krank plays reggae music commenting "That's what those people down there listen to." The Kranks are relieved that their daughter's fiance's skin color is not dark and that he was educated in London. Is this Mr. Grisham's actual perception of the world? Or is this Mr. Grisham's perception of the views of middle-class Americans? Or is this just an exceptionally poor attempt at satire or dark comedy? Ultimately, the reason doesn't matter -- this book was simply unfit to publish. In sum, if you enjoy thoughtless stereotypes, if you hate your spouse, if you hate your neighbors, if you hate your job, if you hate your colleagues, if you incessantly complain about all this in your head and if you spend more than $6,100 on Christmas -- than this book is probably for you. If you were looking for some thoughtful social commentary -- skip this book.
Rating:
Summary: Just plain not good
Review: I normally enjoy John Grisham's books, but I really didn't like this one at all. I'm actually surprised to see so many people liked it. The book seemed more like a sad attempt at a screenplay for the next beloved Christmas film (along the lines of National Lampoon's Christmas), but everything was so cliched and easy-to-see-coming that it would make a terrible movie. Plus, everyone cared way too much that the "Kranks" (please!) were skipping Christmas, to the point of not even being fun-fiction-believable. I would recommend skipping this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Short and sweet
Review: Skipping Christmas is a different type of book by John Grisham. It's not about law and there is not one court scene. It's about a small family of three, two parents and a young daughter. The book starts out with the departure of Blair, the daughter of Nora and Luther (the two parents). Blair is going off into the jungles of South America for a goodwill mission. Luther and Nora, the two parents, are dismayed that their beloved daughter is gone into the mysterious jungles. Luther, the father, realizes that this Christmas season will be different. Much different. He gets an idea when he realizes how much stress, money, and pain go into Christmas. Why not skip the whole ordeal. No office party, no gratuitous and unsolicited Christmas cards, and no wasted money on gifts. His plan is to skip Christmas all together, and he tells his plan to his wife. If you haven't ever read a John Grisham book before, this would be a great start. It's a short read, with only 177 pages. The story is wonderful, and the ending is superb. This was also the funniest John Grisham book I've ever read, and I truly enjoyed it. It's similar to "A Painted House" in that it's not about law or the legal genre. That's a refreshing change of style for Grisham, who incorporates a humorous dose of wit and sarcasm in "Skipping Christmas." This is a great story by John Grisham, and if you haven't read it I suggest you do. The beginning might seem a little slow, but don't worry-the book starts getting really interesting (after Chapter 5). "Skipping Christmas" was a great Christmas novel that changed the way I thought about the unique American and Christian tradition.
Rating: 
Summary: Christmas in July!!
Review: I have had this book on my bookshelf like many of my other ones, that I have no read yet. I finished it in 3 hrs. Luther is such a tan BAH-MUMBUG' in this book until the one fateful call from his daughter, that makes his wife spin into action on Christmas Eve to get the Christmas spirit going, in a not so cheerfull house. With the help of their neighbors and the community, they are able to pull it off with out a hitch. My only question for this book is. Did they get the tree back to the rightful owners, before they returned and did his wife and family find out about it??? Cute little book, you can definatly tell this was written from a males point of view. Nice to read about Christmas in July, my own little treat.
Rating:
Summary: FAST
Review: IF YOU ARE TIRED OF BORING COURTROOM STUFF YOU WILL LOVE THIS
HUMOROUS BOOK. THE BOOK ACTUALLY HAS TWO PARTS AND THE SECOND
PART STARTS HALF WAY THROUGH WHEN HE PUTS ON THE HAWAIIAN SHIRT.
PART ONE IS WRITTEN FROM A MAN`S PERPECTIVE AND PART TWO A WOMAN`S. THIS ALSO IS A BOOK THAT I SHARED WITH FRIENDS AND THEY
LOVED IT.
Rating:
Summary: Puzzled
Review: As someone who hates the commercial aspect of Christmas, I was delighted to read Skipping Christmas, and was actually rooting for the Kranks to get out of town as fast as possible. Just a concern though, and I hope someone can answer this. Why are the Kranks so relieved to find out that their daughter's Peruvian fiance's skin colour is "not dark at all, but actually, two shades lighter than Luther Krank's"?
Rating:
Summary: Hysterically funny.
Review: We listened to this while driving across country at Christmastime and it was hysterically funny. I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: enjoyable
Review: This is not one of his serious mysteries, but a fun one about a couple who decides to skip all the hoopla of Christmas because their daughter isn't going to be home for it this year. They decided that they would use the money for a trip instead. They run into all sorts of censorship and problems from their neighbors and everyone over the deal. It is quite entertaining. Buy the book if you want something that is light to read and leaves you smiling.
Rating:
Summary: they gotta make a movie of this!
Review: This would be a perfect story for a movie. And it would probably become a holiday tradition in some families. The story is about a couple who decide to skip Christmas because their only child has gone to Peru for two years. They decide to take a cruise instead and enjoy the money they spend for a change. People in their town, and especially on their street just don't get it. And it only gets worse when their daughter suddenly shows up on Christmas Eve, new fiance in tow, wanting to show him all the great things her family does at Christmas. It's a scream in places and in others, you begin to understand that, commercial as Christmas has become in our world, it's just as hard work (and a lot less fun)to NOT have it. You'll love it!
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