I am not a Christmassy person. However, in the spirit of Christmas I am dedicating this week’s blog post to a Christmas related subject, namely Christmas books. Here are 10 books about Christmas from the last 170 years. They are presented in chronological order.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (1843) – This iconic novella is about a miser called Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge learns to embrace the joys of Christmas after being visited by the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come.
The Admiral’s Caravan by Charles E. Carryl (1891) – This story’s protagonist is a girl called Dorothy. Dorothy goes on a journey with three wooden statues. On Christmas Eve the statues come alive. The book features pictures by Reginald Bathurst Birch.
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry (1905) – This is a sentimental story with a moral lesson about giving presents. The subjects of the tale are an impoverished married couple who plan to buy secret Christmas gifts for each other.
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie (1938) – Having invited his family for Christmas, millionaire Simeon Lee plays a sadistic game with them, which culminates in murder. It is left to Detective Hercule Poirot to sift through the evidence and solve the crime.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss (1957) – This illustrated children’s story written in rhyming verse is about a creature called The Grinch, who disguises himself as Santa in order to steal a family’s Christmas presents. The Grinch comes to embrace Christmas.
The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth (1975) – A De Havilland Vampire pilot is heading home on Christmas Eve when his aircraft suffers an electrical failure. He ends up being shepherded to a disused RAF dispersal field by a WWII fighter-bomber.
The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans (1993) – In this sentimental story a man called Richard finds a Christmas box in the attic of an elderly lady’s home. The letters in the box lead to Richard discovering the true meaning of Christmas.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham (2001) – This comedy novel features a couple called Luther and Nora Krank. The Kranks set out to ignore the Christmas furore. However a series of unforeseen events see their plans go awry.
The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore (2004) – An angel called Raziel is sent to earth to grant the wish of a child. Raziel ends up accidentally raising zombies from their graves. The zombies attack the local town’s residents.
The Gift by Cecelia Ahern (2009) – This magical, fable-like Christmas story is about a successful executive who is frustrated that he has to spend more time at work than with his wife and two young children.
Happy Christmas.
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