An absolute horror-show of a book. The two worst people in the entire world decide to not celebrate Christmas for a year and their Nazi suburban beehive neighbors treat them like they're hosting a donkey show in the front window. There isn't a single character in this book who passes the basic test of decency. The couple lie to their daughter and treat her like a non-person. The husband is a hateful a-hole. The wife is shallow and defeated. The neighborhood men are bullies. The neighborhood women are a backbiting hen house. Despite the faint glimmer of kindness in the last chapter, this book is a contemptable look at contemptable people. Merry Christmas, shitheads.

Awful assholes living in a suburban, “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” nightmare being absolutely ridiculous. Only very slightly redeemed by the act of genuine generosity that takes place in the last ten pages.

I read this slight Christmas story as an unabridged audiobook in the balmy month of June. I must say that reading this in the summer did not make me all gushy and wistful for the hectic Christmas season which I suppose is the point of this book.

Luther Krank is quite disgusted by the commercialism of Christmas and the thousands of dollars he wastes every year on the season. This year, since his daughter is out of the country, he decides to skip it altogether and spend the holiday with his wife on a Caribbean cruise. He’s looking forward to the trip and counting up all of the money he’s sure to save. His wife, Nora, reluctantly agrees to Luther’s plan and the two embark on a diet to shed a few pounds before their trip. Unfortunately, Luther's nosy neighbors and co-workers can't seem to understand the whole "skipping Christmas" concept and nag him to reconsider.

Between the nagging neighbors, the solicitors hounding him for money, and his ravenous hunger pangs, Luther is a man living on the edge. When the fire department arrives at the door peddling fruitcake Luther is so ravenous he actually considers grabbing one of the noxious things for himself. Little episodes like these fill the book with a sense of fun despite the often irritating plot twists and even more irritating friends and neighbors. Poor Luther just can't get a break and I plugged away hoping he’d eventually escape the madness and get to enjoy his well deserved vacation.

This is a cute story about the ridiculousness of the Christmas season and the foolishness of rushing around like mad-people. Though the ending isn’t quite what I was hoping for it was written with a lot of heart. I’m a bit too grumpy to appreciate the gushing sentiment and the feelings of goodwill but I’m sure the ending will satisfy those looking for such things.

Delightful and different. I re-read this every year at Christmas time!

Well, the Kranks aren’t very likeable, but that’s kind of the point! This was an enjoyable Christmas book and one I’ll likely return to. The end warmed up all their crankiness. Overall, not my *favorite* Christmas read, but a good time was mostly had. Sort of like the movie, come to think about it!

I thought this book had a few funny parts, but I was also bored at times. Nothing really happened that you didn't expect. It was just an ok Christmas tale. I think if I could I would give it two and a half stars. In the Christmas spirit, I will push it up to three.

This was a cute little Christmas themed book. Very much looking forward to watching the movie, and could very distinctively feel Jaimie Lee Curtis losing her s@#t!

I like to read a theme book every festive season, and this filled the spot nicely. Regardless of calling off Christmas or not (which is what this couple decided to do), the Christmas they do do every year is way over the top. I'm quite boring and love a tree, some nice decorations and a few tasteful lights.

No street themed snowmen and keeping up with the Jonses for me, thank you very much!

Light hearted, fun and a little silly - just what you want at Christmas!

This is a very fun and short Christmas book from John Grisham. Its a bit of a departure for him, but it still has some of his classic writing styles and characters.

The book is a bit absurd and ridiculous with its premise and execution, but its meant to be a fun, silly read. Definitely the type of book that can be read in a day or two, depending on how fast a reader you are.

The movie is fairly faithful to the book, with only a few scenes added or changed, but overall felt very faithful.

I did enjoy seeing the tallies of how much people spend on Christmas for various things, and I think the book has a good message about balancing the material nature of Christmas with the idea of participating in events to spend time with people.

Overall, a fun quick read. More like a Novella than a novel. I'll give it a 7.5 out of 10. Very fun and cozy.

Lame. Pointless. Pathetic. Unworthy.
Instead of Skipping Christmas, skip this book.

I barely enjoyed the movie and it was way better than the book. I read this ASSuming that the film was based on a funnier, better characterized, more in depth holiday story of a couple attempting and failing to skip Christmas. Wrong. That ASSumption made an ASS out of me and I'm hoping to spare you the same fate.

Every character was as unlikable as the next. The entire presumptuous town basically abused this couple for not conforming to the status quo of commercialized Christmas and then only came to their rescue once they supposedly saw the light. I would definitely choose to be an atheist amongst those people. Blair was an over indulged flighty brat. Vic, a self important blowhard who ran the neighborhood like a Mafia boss. Luther was portrayed as a grinch like character who needed an attitude adjustment. Dude just wanted a freaking vacation with his wife alone after 25 something years of her obsessing over their daughter. What was wrong about that? Nora was the worst however. She basically only cared about appearances with the community and her daughter. The book's ending should have been Luther running off with another woman to the Bahamas.
Lastly, what was with all the racist comments regarding the Peruvian fiancé? How dark was he? Oh, what a relief he's 2 shades lighter than us? Wow, his English is good. He is only smart because he was educated in England. Really!?!

Totally sickening book. Not heart warming in the least. Actually confirmed for me why I hate the spectacle of Christmas. Disgusting people like these have ruined it. Tis the Season.

This is a fun read, but personal, I think it was frustrating. This because the main-character acts totally different then I would have.

Social-control at it's worst, grrrr anyhow, I can't stand it..

A family decides to skip christmas for a year to visit (Florida?). The neighbourhood which every year celebrates this with a certain tradition, can't stand the fact the family "just" not participate.

I caught myself getting mad, little by litte, how the people around intervene and show their disapproval, without really pronounce it.

How many times I thought, I would *#*@!!$#*!!!
hehe.. but after all I liked this book. Totally different as The Firm (which is good, but is also more serious), and it reads easily.

Unfortunately I bought a secondhand "Skipping Christmas" where pages were loosening while reading. This bothers me and I will buy another edition. This says enough I liked it. ;)

This was great jolly old fun!

This is the swedish edition of John Grisham`s "Skipping Christmas", a christmas comedy story inspired by the classic "A Christmas Carol".Luther Krank is an accountant who is deeply bitter about the coming Christmas where he will have to waste several hundred dollars for everything traditionally needed for Christmas.So he persuades his wife to skip Christmas so they can go on a cruise across the Caribbean together.But one thing after another becomes an obstacle to their dream trip.My first book by this best-selling author and certainly not the last.He is so good when it comes to comic relief and i found Luther Krank`s inner distateful thoughts about christmas,his hatred that grew minute by minute. Ah, he hated everything about it. It was so fun!I also plan to watch the movie adaption someday!

Format Read: Paperback
Review: This is a fun short holiday read filled with action and adventure. The movie is also very good.
Recommended For: Those who want a Christmas book with crazy characters.