[Review] Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham 
Publisher: Doubleday
Publishing Date: 2001
177 Pages
Format: hardcover

Synopsis 

Imagine a year without Christmas. No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents. That's just what Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they'll skip the holiday altogether. Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty; they won't be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren't even going to have a tree. They won't need one, because come December 25 they're setting sail on a Caribbean cruise. But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences - and it isn't have as easy as they'd imagined.

A classic tale for modern times, Skipping Christmas offers a hilarious look at the chaos and frenzy that have become part of our holiday tradition.

My Review

I've had this book for a while, but just never read it, so I figured with the holiday approaching, it was the perfect time to take it off my TBR shelf. I know that this story has been made into a movie with Tim Allen, called Christmas with the Kranks, but I haven't seen the movie either. This was a really fun book for the holidays. I love that the Kranks wanted to skip Christmas because their daughter was out of the country. They just wanted to relax and not worry about all the stress that often comes with the holidays. However, they soon find out that this isn't that easy (or socially acceptable, at least in their city). They get quite a shock when they are just a day away from their cruise....

There have been many times when I've just wanted to forget about all the fuss with Christmas. My family is always so incredibly busy on Christmas Eve and Day, running from one family's house to another. I had told my parents once that I was just going to skip Christmas Eve festivities, and only attend Christmas Day ones, just to take out some of the stress. I really just wanted to relax and spend the time with my immediate family. Then I met my fiance and we spent Christmas Eve at his parents, and I realized how nice it is when we don't have to run around to different houses. We will went to my family's activities on Christmas Day, but that one day of a low-key Christmas makes a big difference. I think we all need to realize that its more about spending time with family and friends, and not so much about the material things that Christmas often brings. Sometimes I just wish more people would think about this (:

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Watch the trailer for Christmas With the Kranks!