Rating: 
Summary: You probably shouldn't skip this one.
Review: Christmas time means many things to many people, even Jewish people. Grishim manages to capture the frantic, craziness of the holiday season on this thin little book that one can read in one night, providing they are all through with their Christmas shopping -- UGH!
Definitely, pick this one up next time you're out spending way too much money on everyone except yourself. Drop the few bucks $$$ and splurge on a little literary enjoyment just for little ole YOU! I think you're in for a treat.
Reading a short book is such a great diversion during Christmas time, and you'll be tempted to do what the main couple do in the story.
Oh yesssss........once you see how they plan on skipping Christmas, you'll plan your escape as well.
Happy Holidays!
Rating: 
Summary: Laughingly Bad
Review: I was on my way to thinking this book was hokey but tolerable, much like It's A Wonderful Life, when it hit me: this story is supposed to take place in the present. I think I read that one of the characters spoke into her cell phone or something, and realized that this goofy, preachy, Reader's Digest-style short story was supposed to be swallowed as if we heard about it occurring to our own neighbors or co-workers now, and not 60 years ago. At that point, I went from desperately struggling to suspend disbelief to all-out disgust. The idea that anyone in today's world even knows what his neighbors are doing for the holidays, let alone cares about the degree to which they are observed, is absurd. No one pays attention to this kind of thing, and certainly reserves their neighborly gossip for more pressing, twenty or 21st century fare like shootings, terrorism, and sex between school-aged kids. The only community that would be rocked by the scandal of someone skipping Christmas to save money and evade commercialism is that of pre-color Pleasantville (you know, the Toby Maguire movie?). This tale is such a one-trick pony, too. Every plot device comes in bunches: it's not enough to have the police come to the Kranks' house looking for annual contributions and doing double-takes upon hearing that they're skipping Christmas- the boy scouts have to do the same thing later that week. Every character is an unbelievable cliché, from the uptight neighbor who insists on putting a plastic snowman on the roof of every house on the street, to the silly jealous coworkers who envy the Kranks for taking a Carribean vacation. The only reason Nora Krank isn't a cliché is because she is outright crazy: she eagerly goes along with Luther's plan until it backfires due to unforeseen circumstances (to everyone but the Kranks, that is- any reader over the age of 7 will see them a mile away); at that point, she turns around 180 degrees and attacks her husband as if she weren't a willing accomplice. [By the way, "The Kranks?" Please. Why not just call them Mr. and Mrs. Evil McNasty, or something equally transparent? This is the level of sophistication Grisham is working with here, perhaps to keep things simple enough to get his goofy, subtle-as-a-pie-in-the-face moral message across to an audience he clearly underestimates (or better yet, condescends to).] There's so much more to tell, but I can't even go on describing this book's shortcomings. If you need to know more than all of these negative reviews are saying, pick the book up from your local bookstore or library, open to any page, and read just two paragraphs. I have no doubt that you will find enough wrong with this book by following those few simple steps- that's all it takes, folks. Observe Christmas, and skip this book instead.
Rating: 
Summary: a great concept
Review: Luther Krank (love the last name!) has crunched the numbers and found they spent $6100 on last year's Christmas. So this year, with their only daughter Blair (a selfish whiny dislikable creature) on her way to the Peace Corps, Luther asks his wife Nora that they simply skip Christmas this year and go on a cruise --- they will actually save money because the cruise doesn't cost nearly as much as Christmas. As Luther points out, Christmas is not about having a Frosty on their roof or going to the mall, they aren't skipping the MEANING of Christmas! But it is so much harder because their neighbors simply won't let them do it. There is talk both behind their back and to their face, they are given pressure to buy trees, etc, are hit up for donations, are caroled with a vengeance. I liked the perspective because, being from a religion with no overcommercialized holidays but having heard Christian friends bemoan how much shopping and obligation they had for the season (they liked the actual Christmas day, spent with family and the true meaning, just not the days beforehand), I wondered what would happen if someone just said no. In the same vein, I disliked when Nora was upset with their lack of Christmas lights "as if they were Hindus or Buddhists, some strain that didn't believe in Christmas". Strain? Excuse me? Nora is borderline Stepford, and coddles their overgrown baby of a daughter. Yuck.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: John Grisham does a fantastic job in describing the role of Christmas in a consumist middle high class America. As a couple whose daughter has just left them to live for a year in Peru as a missionaire chooses to skip christmas and instead go for a 10 day cruise on the caribe, the world around them seems to pull them towards the tradition. Despite the high expenses, the long lines, traffic and exhausting preparations required for the Christmas dinner, their whole world seems engulfed by the Christmas euphria, and their attempts of scape become far more complicated than they first thought. An absolutely enjoyable reading, this is one of those books you soar through anxious to know how it ends without missing a single detail.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!!
Review: The story is about the not so classic idea of skipping the Christmas season chaos. How many of us have thought of doing something different in Christmas? Well, the character does it and encounters himself with a funny situation after another.
This book portrays the battle of doing what you want when you want and how far society will let you go to accomplish it.
It's a great and entertaining read that I recommend to all of you who want to have a good laugh and dare to do something different with your holidays. Enjoy!!
Rating:
Summary: Anna's Favorite Christmas Book
Review: Skipping Christmas is a funny and short book about Nora and Luther, an older couple. When their daughter goes off to South America with the Peace Corps, Luther wonders how much money they spend on Christmas. He crunchers numbers for days and finally comes up with a huge amount. He decides that this year, they will skip all the Christmas festivities and go on a cruise instead. Luther believes this is a full proof plan because it will only be himself and Nora home for Christmas, and the will miss all the crowds, stress, and putting up the dreaded Frosty on the top of the roof. He picks a wonderful cruise that sounds like paridase. He and Nora go to the tanning salon and both get nice tans in the middle of the winter. Will their plan work? Read the book to find out! I know you will love it!
Rating:
Summary: Santa's Favorite Book!
Review: If you want to read a book that will keep you laughing, read Skipping Christmas. John Grisham did an amazing job of taking an average tale of Christmas chaos, adding a couple of hysterical characters, and creating a masterpeice enjoyed by all ages. When Luther Krank's daughter decides to join the Peace Corps, he decidies to take advantage of the time and convinces his wife to take a cruise with him. Sounds good...right? Well here's the catch. The ship departs on December 25. So, Luther decides to blow off the holiday all together. But, Luther soon realizes that skipping Christmas is a lot harder than it sounds.
Rating:
Summary: Skye's Rippin Review
Review: Skipping Christmas is a good book because of several reasons. First of all, this book is so different from all the books I have ever read. A family of three is the main focus in the book, but the daughter is not mentioned as much as the parents because she decides to take a trip that goes over Christmas. So, the husband and wife decide to simply "skip" Christmas. Basically, a riot breaks out in the neighborhood when the neighbors find out that the plane tickets are even bought already. I can only compare this book to other Christmas books because they both focus upon Christmas. But really, there is not a book that I can think of to compare to Skipping Christmas. This book is one of the best I have ever read. Also, at the end there is a twist that I don't want to ruin for anyone. I think that this book is directed towards anyone who is willing to read it. It is kind of hard to describe what kind of book this is, or what category it would be placed in. Skipping Christmas is extremely good and you should definately read it!
Rating:
Summary: Christmas relief
Review: A quick read, well written, and enormously funny. If you're a middle age suburbia rat racer, this little book will make you laugh out loud. I gave several copies of this book for Christmas presents especially to those who aren't avid readers. A delightful book for young and old.
Rating:
Summary: A Departure
Review: No lawyers, no murders, no theft, no drama. Well, some drama...brought on by our protagonist, Luther. This is a fun, sweet, quirky read that somehow had me rooting for Luther and his plan to skip Christmas altogether, even though he came off sometimes as a jerk; quite the accomplishment for the writer. I have always liked Grisham's work, and this is a completely different sound for him. All poor Luther wants to do is avoid the trappings of the holiday. But in the classic "no man is an island" sense...it won't be easy for him to explain his sudden departure from the holiday to his friends and neighbors. The twist at the end was the clincher for me...and made me decide that this little read was a delight. Don't wait until Christmas to check it out.
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