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Summary: What a great message done in humor
Review: I did not realize that John Grisham had such a great sense of humor! I enjoyed reading this book a great deal last year. He was a great sense of humor in providing a great message about what the season is really about and how that message sometime gets obsecured still resides in people's hearts!
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Summary: warm and fuzzy
Review: Give the guy a break! Grisham came up with a novel idea and turned it into an entertaining story. Not the sort of book that will give birth to a Cliff's Notes or a full-length feature film, but a very cozy read that will make you smile if you let it (made me laugh out loud at least once - and that's not as easy as it sounds). Like a warm and fuzzy forties movie, the corn is plentiful, the funnies tend toward slapstick and the laughs are telegraphed first. But, this time of year especially, it doesn't hurt to take a vacation from books with sharp edges and deep points.
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Summary: Should be called 'The Emperor¿s New Clothes'
Review: Perhaps this book should be called 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' since people seem that think that if something is written by a ''good'' author (and John Grisham certainly is), then it somehow must be good.This book is barely readable, and if it were J.G.'s first book, I'm sure he would still be working as a lawyer. Formulaic characters (caricatures, really), plots get no thinner than this, and is about as predictable as a 'Barney' TV episode. Perceptions and attitudes change without cause or reason, and the plot goes very straight in one direction (with no twists, surprises, or revelations), then suddenly changes and goes in another very straight direction. Possibly could have made a good short story.
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Summary: Fun!
Review: I see that so many reviewers disliked this book. It is just a quick read that was laugh out loud funny. Of course it is not Grisham's usual genre- but it is a cute story that really put me in the mood for the holidays. It was funny- the descriptions of upscale stationary "boutiques" and nosy neigbors are caricatures, but very funny ones. Grisham captured modern America quite well. He satirizes the cost and lack of meaning in too many Christmasses, realy making the reader think (while laughing). The happy ending was truly heart warming not at all contrived. Yes it does seem a little like a tv movie (W/Chevy Chase) especially when Luther finds himself hanging from the roof by Christmas lights, but you need a few of those moveis every year- they make Christmas waht it is. I am glad that I ignored the negativity and read this. It was fast- two sittings and very enjoyable!
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Summary: It's a different "John Grisham" novel. Has a funny touch.
Review: I read "The Partners" and this one is totally different from Grisham's other lawyer stories. This one has a funny touch to it. I love it.
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Summary: A perfect gift book!
Review: Skipping Christmas tells the story of a couple who decides to boycott the expense and hassle of Christmas. By their calculations, taking a ten-day Caribbean cruise over Christmas will actually save them money! They quick learn that skipping this monumental holiday is easier said than done. Skipping Christmas expresses so well what many of us feel around the holidays -- frustration, hassle, worry, not to mention the strained pocketbooks. Grisham has done a fantastic job of keeping the story light and simple, and at the same time entertaining and humorous. It is the perfect book to help get you through the stress of the holidays!
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Summary: Put This on Your Christmas Gift List
Review: I loved Skipping Christmas and have added this book to my list of books I give as holiday gifts: The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans and The Gravel Drive by Kirk Martin. Thanks to John Grisham for an extra special book!
Rating:
Summary: A Different Side to J. Grisham
Review: I picked up this book for the holidays, expecting to see what Grisham could develop aside from law. This book had me laughing on every page. One of the best comedies I've read, and I'll read over in each coming christsmas year. Funny and an entertaining read
Rating:
Summary: An unsmiling, grim little tale
Review: A Grisham fan, I looked forward to a different style of novel from him. What I found was an interesting premise but a really mean story. I found the characters hypocritical - those who were "in the spirit" demanded conformity from all and terrorized those who didn't. Without missing too much, I skipped a chunk of the story in the middle and read the ridiculous ending. Unfortunately, it was as slapstick as any "Christmas Vacation" movie and as unbelievable. The only skipping I would recommend is this book altogether.
Rating:
Summary: Not The John Grisham We're Used To
Review: This book is a walk on the light side for John Grisham. It's very different for him. I enjoyed it. His presentation reminds me a lot of the already well known "Its A Wonderful Life" and the becoming well known "West Point:.." by Norman Thomas Remick. Like those two stories, "Skipping Christmas" cleverly informs an important contempory issue by using an easy, refreshing presentation. Hats off to Grisham for being so clever to recognize the irony that Americans would love to skip the hassles of Christmas and therefore will read about skipping Christmas but, in the end, will show their true colors by buying his "Skipping Christmas" ----- for Christmas.
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