Luther and Nora Krank are fed up with the chaos of Christmas. The endless shopping lists, the frenzied dashes through the mall, the hassle of decorating the tree… where has all the joy gone? This year, celebrating seems like too much effort. With their only child off in Peru, they decide that just this once, they’ll skip the holidays. They spend their Christmas budget on a Caribbean cruise set … set to sail on December 25, and happily settle in for a restful holiday season free of rooftop snowmen and festive parties.
But the Kranks soon learn that their vacation from Christmas isn’t much of a vacation at all, and that skipping the holidays has consequences they didn’t bargain for…
A modern Christmas classic, Skipping Christmas is a charming and hilarious look at the mayhem and madness that have become ingrained in our holiday tradition.
BONUS: This edition includes an excerpt from John Grisham’s “The Litigators.”
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Charming book to get you into the spirit of Christmas. I think we are all overwhelmed by the holidays sometimes, so when the Kranks’ only daughter will be away, they decide to skip the hassle and take a vacation. But when circumstances change on Christmas Eve, they discover the power of friends, family, and neighbors.
Couldn’t put it down. Laugh out loud funny!
I read this book every Christmas! I love how they start out wanting to ignore the holidays because they’re depressed because their only child left for the peace corps and then they realize how important the holidays are and the true meaning of Christmas.
This is a good funny book to read during the Christmas holidays.
I have read this book every Christmas since it was published, and it remains a treasured holiday tradition. The novel features Luther and Nora Krank, a couple facing their first Christmas without their daughter. Blair has joined the Peace Corps and leaves for Peru the weekend of Thanksgiving. Luther, an accountant, already despises the financial toll of Christmas, but his daughter’s absence makes the emotional aspects of Christmas hard to bear. His solution- skip the holiday altogether and take a cruise. Friends and neighbors don’t really understand his decision, but Luther convinces his wife to stick with his plan. Of course, life doesn’t always go as we plan, and Luther finds himself in a real mess when Blair surprises them by coming home for Christmas.
I’m sure many people have seen the movie adaption, Christmas With the Kranks. I enjoy the movie, but the book outshines it by far. While the movie tends towards slapstick comedy, the book has a richness and emotional quality that shouldn’t be missed. Skipping Christmas is a holiday classic.
Great story about taking Christmas to the extreme and how one couple tries to adjust their plans and how their plans change as circumstances change around them and the people who are important in their lives. Good humor, good expression of how society views Christmas traditions and how different people treat these traditions. Very quick enjoyable read.
I love this book and the movie based on the book. Fun and very well written characters.
Loved it!
Have you ever dreamed of skipping Christmas altogether? Luther and Nora Krank forego Christmas traditions and rituals for a cruise since their only daughter will not be there and Christmas will not be the same. The idea is dreamy at first until the season kicks off and the neighborhood and all its many casts of characters immerse themselves into the annual Christmas decorating, planning parties, and celebrations and the Kranks are not taking part. Luther is a typical Grinch or Scrooge when it comes to the holidays and Nora is a Martha Stewart. What will happen when Scrooge Luther gets his way and Nora reluctantly agrees though her Martha Stewart tendencies kick in at every turn. Skipping Christmas turns out not to be what the Kranks had thought and the hilarious and redemptive conclusion is just what the doctor ordered in this season of hope and giving.
This book was adapted for the movies and called “Christmas at the Kranks” in 2004. I had not seen the movie, so reading this book was one of delight and without expectation. It did read like it should be a movie, which kept the pace up. The characters and setting are well defined and there are enough scenes of simple intrigue and tension to move the story along. I actually listened to this book through Audible while on a five-hour drive to the Blue Ridge Mountains for a writer’s conference. It made the tedious journey a delight. It was like listening to an old-time radio show. I highly recommend the audiobook and I would probably enjoy reading the book. Do not watch the movie first, read or listen to the book first.
(3.5 / 5)
This was a quick, easy read that was mostly enjoyable. I can’t really say I connected with the main characters, but I did identify with them in some areas. There were some parts near the end that I didn’t predict, though I suspect many would, and one thing that I saw coming a mile away. Probably the most frustrating thing about the book is how unrealistic it seems.
To be fair, I can’t personally judge how realistic some parts of the book are, because the Kranks live in a type of neighborhood that I’ve never been part of, and run in circles the likes of which are foreign to me. However, much of what happened seemed quite over the top. But where that was a huge problem for others, I took it as a farce. Even if it is exaggerated, I think a lot of this might not be far from how a family (one that normally celebrates Christmas) would be treated if they tried to completely skip the holiday. There were also some things that the Kranks did in their quest to completely cut out all things Christmas that I felt were a bit ridiculous. However, I also agree with some of the commentary this book offers on how commercial Christmas has gotten, and how people seem to think that they can push certain boundaries during this season, just because it’s Christmas.
In the end, I am glad I read the book. The ending made me smile, even while I knew that it was trite and a bit too easy. There were some heartfelt moments in there. I do recommend this to anyone who wants a decent Christmas-themed read, especially for those who want to avoid the romance and sap of the more prevalent stories.
Relaxing, festive and funny. A nice and different John Grisham. To read!
Different for him. Liked it a lot
Always enjoy Grishom!
Not as good as most of his books!
Dicembre,la cittadina è in fermento per prepararsi al Natale: decorazioni, biglietti auguri,tacchino e cibo vario,beneficenza, visite, albero.
Anche la famiglia Krank si prepara, anzi no! quest’anno senza l’amata figlia sarà tutto diverso. Breve storia natalizia,leggera,divertente,ma che fa pensare ai veri
valori dimenticati,a causa del consumismo,fretta,esibizione.
I’m on a Movie to Book kick, and checking out the base for some of my favorite films. I never knew Christmas with the Kranks was a book first, so I was super excited to listen to this book. I absolutely loved it. As a writer, I learn so much listening to wordsmithing and knowing the story by heart, as in this case, is very helpful to hear the transition from book to film. This is a very sweet, funny, and entertaining story, both the Grisham audiobook/novel and the delightful holiday movie.
Laughed out loud all the way through and completely identified with the character’s dilemmas. Not as wild about the movie it inspired. The book was worth it. Good to read at this time of year.
Stupid
Quick easy read
This was a fun read. A surprise written by Grisham!