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Skipping Christmas  By  cover art

Skipping Christmas

By: John Grisham
Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
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Publisher's summary

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 the 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 couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences - and isn't half as easy as they'd imagined.

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

©2001 Belfry Holdings, Inc (P)2001 Random House, Inc.; Random House Audio, a Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Clever...fun to read." (Publishers Weekly)

Featured Article: Christmas with the Kranks—Book vs. Movie


John Grisham may be best known for his legal thrillers, but he's also been known to deviate from form every now and then and write something completely different. Skipping Christmas is one such book. It was adapted into a 2004 film called Christmas with the Kranks, starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, which gained the story an even wider audience. If you're familiar with the film but don’t know much about its literary inspiration, read on.

What listeners say about Skipping Christmas

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

I Great Holiday Tradition

Skipping Christmas is a wonderful book for the season. There is more then enough humor is the story, but it isn't just slap-stick humor. And while it is a very different story from the normal Grisham books, it is great. The ending also leaves one feeling lifted, and brings a "true spirit of Christmas". I loved the book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

We laughed out loud!

This is a hilarious Christmas book! It has heartfelt sentiments and contains thoughts we have all had at one time or another. You will love it!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What a great story…lol

The story was one that I did not get distracted from. I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys listening to homely stories that contain comical things that we all could be in the mist of experiencing when we decided to skip Christmas. I gave this audiobook five stars because the entire performance was entertaining and engaging. A must listen if u enjoyed the film then u’ll love this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Christmas book

This is a book I love to read every year! It’s a favorite! Love the laugh out loud moments and the tender and sweet ending. Such a good one.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

You will lol

Great, funny, easy holiday listen. Movie’s very similar. Many lessons to be learned from this story, such as how to bring back Christmas spirit when it seems lost!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The old cost of Christmas.

Watching "Christmas With the Kranks" gave a face to the characters but the book fleshes it out.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

great book

I read this book 14 or 15 years ago and decided this year to listen to it during the holiday. It was just as good as the first time. And it was great getting to listen to it on Christmas eve on the way to our family.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Must read before decorating at Christmas!!

If you could sum up Skipping Christmas in three words, what would they be?

I love it, everyone experiences this at some point

What did you like best about this story?

The neighbors and the feeling of being stuck because of same neighbors

Which character – as performed by Dennis Boutsikaris – was your favorite?

Main character

Who was the most memorable character of Skipping Christmas and why?

Frosty

Any additional comments?

Read every year by thanksgiving!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Christmas

very nice christmas story with funny and sad parts. great to see christmas spirit through a neighborhood.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Skipping Christmas

This audiobook is one that I listen to almost every year sometime during the weeks leading up to Christmas. It helps to center me, to realize that I don’t have to go crazy at Christmas time, and that the really important things in life aren’t found in the malls or the specialty stores.

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