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Classic Christmas Stories
Catch the holiday spirit with this magical collection of beloved Christmas tales. Christmas favorites from Mark Twain, O. Henry, Willa Cather, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Bret Harte and others are lovingly recorded and presented here in one enchanting volume.
This collection includes:
The Fir Tree, by Hans Christian Andersen
The Burglar's Christmas, by Willa Cather
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, by Arthur Conan Doyle
How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's Bar, by Bret Harte
The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry
A Christmas Inspiration, by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Christmas in Poganuc, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Christmas at Thompson Hall, by Anthony Trollope
Susie's Letter from Santa, by Mark Twain
This collection includes:
The Fir Tree, by Hans Christian Andersen
The Burglar's Christmas, by Willa Cather
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, by Arthur Conan Doyle
How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's Bar, by Bret Harte
The Gift of the Magi, by O. Henry
A Christmas Inspiration, by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Christmas in Poganuc, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Christmas at Thompson Hall, by Anthony Trollope
Susie's Letter from Santa, by Mark Twain
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2009
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About the author
Willa Cather
880 books2,777 followersWilella Sibert Cather was born in Back Creek Valley (Gore), Virginia, in December 7, 1873.
She grew up in Virginia and Nebraska. She then attended the University of Nebraska, initially planning to become a physician, but after writing an article for the Nebraska State Journal, she became a regular contributor to this journal. Because of this, she changed her major and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English.
After graduation in 1894, she worked in Pittsburgh as writer for various publications and as a school teacher for approximately 13 years, thereafter moving to New York City for the remainder of her life.
Her novels on frontier life brought her to national recognition. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, 'One of Ours' (1922), set during World War I. She travelled widely and often spent summers in New Brunswick, Canada. In later life, she experienced much negative criticism for her conservative politics and became reclusive, burning some of her letters and personal papers, including her last manuscript.
She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1943. In 1944, Cather received the gold medal for fiction from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, an award given once a decade for an author's total accomplishments.
She died of a cerebral haemorrhage at the age of 73 in New York City.
She grew up in Virginia and Nebraska. She then attended the University of Nebraska, initially planning to become a physician, but after writing an article for the Nebraska State Journal, she became a regular contributor to this journal. Because of this, she changed her major and graduated with a bachelor's degree in English.
After graduation in 1894, she worked in Pittsburgh as writer for various publications and as a school teacher for approximately 13 years, thereafter moving to New York City for the remainder of her life.
Her novels on frontier life brought her to national recognition. In 1923 she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, 'One of Ours' (1922), set during World War I. She travelled widely and often spent summers in New Brunswick, Canada. In later life, she experienced much negative criticism for her conservative politics and became reclusive, burning some of her letters and personal papers, including her last manuscript.
She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1943. In 1944, Cather received the gold medal for fiction from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, an award given once a decade for an author's total accomplishments.
She died of a cerebral haemorrhage at the age of 73 in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 17, 2022
I thought this was going to be a nice book of Christmas short stories by famous authors and the first few were. However about 1/2 way through it became very odd stories with just a mention of Christmas. Additionally the audio book version did not have chapters indexed to fast forward or rewind. Nor was there any written information about who was writing the stories if you did not catch the author in the intro of each new story.
Not much Christmas cheer in this one.
Not much Christmas cheer in this one.
December 21, 2018
This short story collection from beloved authors such as Mark Twain, Hans Christian Anderson, Willa Cather, L.M. Montgomery, Harriet Beecher Stowe (and others) was my favorite of the Christmas short story collections I read this month. I particularly enjoyed Mark Twain's absolutely adorable "Susie's Letter from Santa", which was a creative and hilarious letter he wrote to his daughter, Arthur Con Doyle's Sherlock tale, "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle", O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi", and the longest (and not very Christmas-y) yet so hilarious at the cringe-worthy plot, "Christmas at Thomson Hall".
February 11, 2023
2.5 estrellas
December 25, 2021
Listening to the audiobook of
Classic Christmas Stories: A Collection of Timeless Holiday Tales
kind of literally put me to sleep many times, which wouldn't really be a bad thing, except for the fact that I was driving to work at the time. oops.
A few of the stories were extremely dull and not even very overly festive, but a couple of them were pretty darn special. My favorites were The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Anderson. The life lessons those two stories contain are universally relevant, timeless, and heartfelt.
A few of the stories were extremely dull and not even very overly festive, but a couple of them were pretty darn special. My favorites were The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Anderson. The life lessons those two stories contain are universally relevant, timeless, and heartfelt.
December 17, 2024
Some stories from well-known olde writers.
A Christmas Inspiriation by L.M. Montgomery-- some boarding house girls take the resident old bat into their care.
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry-- because, of course
The Burglar's Christmas by Willa Cather-- an almost surreally sappy story, but you could not ask for a more early-century Americana Christmas story. A robot uprising would make me like it better.
The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen-- this dude does not pull punches about how depressing life is. (The audio on this one cuts out in the last line. Which is lousy.)
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes finds the owner of a blue ruby hidden in a Christmas goose.
Susie's Letter From Santa by Mark Twain-- Damn, Santa sure does threaten death a lot. Very Twain. But it's a personal note to his kid, not really meant for a stranger two centuries removed.
Christmas in Poganuc-- by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Sappy. Heartwarming? It's a couple of Christmases from a girl growing up in increasing poverty.
How Santa Claus came to Simpson's Bar by Bret Hart-- my favorite of the stories. Tongue-in-Cheek humor about how some bar flies try to give a Christmas to a child from an abusive family.
Christmas at Thompson Hall by Anthony Trollope-- British humor before British humor was a thing. Mildly amusing and you're mostly there for the writing, but good, classic Christmas.
A Christmas Inspiriation by L.M. Montgomery-- some boarding house girls take the resident old bat into their care.
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry-- because, of course
The Burglar's Christmas by Willa Cather-- an almost surreally sappy story, but you could not ask for a more early-century Americana Christmas story. A robot uprising would make me like it better.
The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen-- this dude does not pull punches about how depressing life is. (The audio on this one cuts out in the last line. Which is lousy.)
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes finds the owner of a blue ruby hidden in a Christmas goose.
Susie's Letter From Santa by Mark Twain-- Damn, Santa sure does threaten death a lot. Very Twain. But it's a personal note to his kid, not really meant for a stranger two centuries removed.
Christmas in Poganuc-- by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Sappy. Heartwarming? It's a couple of Christmases from a girl growing up in increasing poverty.
How Santa Claus came to Simpson's Bar by Bret Hart-- my favorite of the stories. Tongue-in-Cheek humor about how some bar flies try to give a Christmas to a child from an abusive family.
Christmas at Thompson Hall by Anthony Trollope-- British humor before British humor was a thing. Mildly amusing and you're mostly there for the writing, but good, classic Christmas.
December 3, 2022
A good variety—both the stories & the readers Some didn’t seem exactly Xmasy, e.g. the Sherlock Holmes story—it’s a “Xmas story” just because it happened on Xmas Day?? Not really. Some I wasn’t fond of, e.g. the Bret Harte western story, where I found the dialect hard to understand what was meant. And I thought I liked Hans Christian Andersen, but The Fir Tree was depressing! When I consider that & his story The Little Match Girl (not in this collection), I wonder if he suffered from depression! I would give the exact titles of all these, but I see no list of all the stories & their authors in the description, & on the audiobook I listened to on Hoopla, there weren’t even tracks or chapters that I could skip right from the start of one story to the start of the next! It seems it was just one unbroken track!
Correction: I see the titles in the expanded description here now; it’s in paragraph form, not list form.
Correction: I see the titles in the expanded description here now; it’s in paragraph form, not list form.
December 19, 2024
I was luke warm on most of these stories. Perhaps it's because they were written long ago and didn't transcend well to 2024, especially the letter Mark Twain writes to Susie. I remember reading the Gift of the Magi and The Fir Tree in Junior High. The Fir Tree provides an excellent message about appreciating what you have at different points in your life and not to wish your life away. But it is a sad story to read at Christmas. Actually, I found most of the stories to be sad even if they had a more uplifting ending. To summarize, read this book if you are interested in classic stories, not if you are looking for some Christmas cheer.
October 31, 2023
Of course I chose this audiobook for the animated, but deadpan, reading by Robin Sachs of Trollope's Christmas at Thompson Hall. A comedy of manners, mistaken identity, false pride and wounded egos! Sachs is an exemplar in getting to the gist of Trollope's social commentary, and humour is not foresaken. This story would have resonated with contemporary British society as does Stuart McLean's "Dave Cooks the Turkey" for Canadians. Droll, familiar, easily related to, can be listened to and read again and again, for great pleasure!
December 20, 2023
A collection of not-your-usual Christmas stories other than The Gift of the Magi which is still so stunningly beautiful in its simplicity.
The rest of the stories often were set in and around Christmas without Christmas necessarily being the main point. But all were good listens in the week leading up to Christmas.
The rest of the stories often were set in and around Christmas without Christmas necessarily being the main point. But all were good listens in the week leading up to Christmas.
December 17, 2021
What's not to like? Talented authors sharing holiday joys via story is a gift anyone will enjoy for years to come. This is my favorite time of year and as I prepare the house for Santa, this will be my annual soundtrack. Wonderful!
December 16, 2022
I think someone went out of their way to collect the worst Christmas stories they could find into one book. I think there were only 3 stories that I didn’t actively hate in this collection. It might just be because I frequently hate classic short stories.
December 4, 2024
This collection is great! From charming children's stories, to hardscrabble tales of finding Christmas joy in difficult times, to the downright hilarious and satirical, there's a wide range of classic lit in this little compilation.
December 30, 2025
This was such a weird compilation. Besides a couple in the beginning like “Gift of the Magi” and “The Fir Tree” these barely had anything to do with Christmas. They were either completely pointless, creepy, or sad. Would not recommend
December 26, 2024
Old Fashioned Christmas Stories.. They were good. Very different.
December 28, 2024
I enjoy the old stories. I've always been attracted to them. If you prefer modern stories, this might not make you happy.
December 25, 2018
This was an incredible collection of Christmas stories including some of Hans Christian Andersen's, so worth the read with the last one being hilarious. Definitely on my every year list to read from now on.
December 18, 2024
Do you enjoy classic Christmas stories from days gone by? Do you appreciate the works of Mark Twain, O Henry, Willa Cather, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Hans Christian Andersen, and more? Then Classic Christmas Stories by Dreamscape Media is a book to which you should listen.
While looking for affordable and quick Christmas reads, I found Classic Christmas Stories published by Dreamscape Media, which features numerous holiday tales from well-known authors. With classical piano music playing before and after these delightful stories, various narrators read:
"A Christmas Inspiration" by L. M. Montgomery,
"The Gift of the Magi" by O Henry,
"The Burglar's Christmas" by Willa Cather,
"The Fir Tree" by Hans Christian Andersen,
"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
"Susie's Letter from Santa" by Mark Twain,
"Christmas in Poganuc" by Harriet Beecher Stowe,
"How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's Bar" by Brett Harte,
and "Christmas at Thompson Hall" by Anthony Trollope.
The narrators did a fine job recording these stories, and many were just as charming as I remember them. Montgomery's, O Henry's, and Twain's were some of my favorites. Though I had never read/heard "Christmas at Thompson Hall" before, I had the plot figured out by the middle of the story. Mrs. Brown was especially annoying, but she is made a great character because of it.
The reader should keep in mind the times in which these Classic Christmas Stories were written, as gender roles were specifically noted in a story or two and some words or phrases may not hold up well with our more enlightened generations. It's still nice to appreciate the storytelling abilities of these authors in their seasonal short stories.
While looking for affordable and quick Christmas reads, I found Classic Christmas Stories published by Dreamscape Media, which features numerous holiday tales from well-known authors. With classical piano music playing before and after these delightful stories, various narrators read:
"A Christmas Inspiration" by L. M. Montgomery,
"The Gift of the Magi" by O Henry,
"The Burglar's Christmas" by Willa Cather,
"The Fir Tree" by Hans Christian Andersen,
"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
"Susie's Letter from Santa" by Mark Twain,
"Christmas in Poganuc" by Harriet Beecher Stowe,
"How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's Bar" by Brett Harte,
and "Christmas at Thompson Hall" by Anthony Trollope.
The narrators did a fine job recording these stories, and many were just as charming as I remember them. Montgomery's, O Henry's, and Twain's were some of my favorites. Though I had never read/heard "Christmas at Thompson Hall" before, I had the plot figured out by the middle of the story. Mrs. Brown was especially annoying, but she is made a great character because of it.
The reader should keep in mind the times in which these Classic Christmas Stories were written, as gender roles were specifically noted in a story or two and some words or phrases may not hold up well with our more enlightened generations. It's still nice to appreciate the storytelling abilities of these authors in their seasonal short stories.
December 24, 2014
Though I always appreciate the opportunity to revisit classic authors (Cather is a favorite, and it's been far too long since I've tasted Harte or Twain), this is a mixed bag. The selections are likely chosen for licensing access and author recognition rather than for any thematic cohesion or variety, but I suppose that's OK.
audiobook note: The least "Christmas-y" story (Trollope's) is by far the strongest narrative performance. The others are adequate, but strangely uninspired. Too bad. Also, it is a disservice that the narrators are listed as a group rather than credited with their individual stories.
audiobook note: The least "Christmas-y" story (Trollope's) is by far the strongest narrative performance. The others are adequate, but strangely uninspired. Too bad. Also, it is a disservice that the narrators are listed as a group rather than credited with their individual stories.
January 22, 2014
About half of the stories interested me; the others not so much. I'm not an expert on Christmas-related short stories, but I almost wonder if there aren't better ones out there that could have replaced a few of these.
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (Arthur Conan Doyle) was good, and The Burglar's Christmas (Willa Cather) was also worth listening to. The others may be 'timeless' because their authors are famous and well-respected, but that doesn't mean these stories are their most fascinating and moving works.
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (Arthur Conan Doyle) was good, and The Burglar's Christmas (Willa Cather) was also worth listening to. The others may be 'timeless' because their authors are famous and well-respected, but that doesn't mean these stories are their most fascinating and moving works.
December 7, 2021
I enjoyed Trollope's "Christmas At Thompson Hall" read by Robin Sachs in a 'single' version on Hoopla so much that I wanted to listen to the rest of these. I love L.M. Montgomery but didn't enjoy the performance of her (predictable) story. I didn't really enjoy the reading of any of the stories that I knew (with the exception of Doyle's Blue Carbuncle, which was good) and the stories I was unfamiliar with didn't keep my attention. I started the Cather over twice and decided I'd be better off finding a copy to read...
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews