Christmas Stories

by Various

A heartwarming collection of your favourite Christmas classics that are sure to get you into the festive spirit. Filled with tales of family, presents and all the joy that Christmas brings! From frolicking goblins to the importance of giving gifts, this collection is the perfect Christmas gift.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2016

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the famous and absolutely lovely Christmas themed opening chapter of Louisa May Alcott's 1869/1870 classic coming of age novel Little Women to Hans Christian Andersen's 1844 Kunstmärchen The Snow Queen (Snedronningen in its original Danish), Christmas Stories (first published by Scholastic in 1955 and also available as a 2016 e-book) features eleven specific Yuletide themed tales (most of them extracts from longer novels but there are also a few short stories that are complete in and of themselves) and brings together a nicely festive combination of diverse characters and holiday thematics. And while Christmas Stories claims to be conceptualised for younger readers, no, I personally do think that the majority of the stories to be encountered are not really suitable for readers below the age of twelve, that most of Christmas Stories would definitely be more textually appropriate for teenagers and also of course for adults.

Now I have not enjoyed the eleven tales of Christmas Stories equally (and which is of course usually the case for me regarding compilations and anthologies and therefore also not at all surprising either). And indeed, while I absolutely adore the above mentioned Little Women extract (but yes, I also wish that the other instance of a Christmas chapter in Little Women, the one where Mr. March finally returns home from the US Civil War and Beth is trying to recover from scarlet fever should also be featured in Christmas Stories), the Matthew Insists on Puffed Sleeves Christmas chapter from L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables, O. Henry's 1905 short story The Gift of the Magi and also the Christmas Boxes episode from Susan Coolidge's 1873 novel What Katy Did at School, well, I have never really been all that much into Elizabeth Gaskell and Kenneth Grahame as authors.

And thus, I unfortunately do kind of find Gaskell's included in Christmas Stories novella Christmas Storms and Sunshine (1848) and the Yuletide episode from Grahame's The Wind in the Willows (1908) not all that interesting and engaging, and not to mention that in my opinion (but admittedly also as someone who is not really a fan of mysteries) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes short story The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (1892) is both personally uninteresting and also in my opinion uses Christmas as mostly just a decorative trim and setting, that the The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle takes place at Christmas but if for me certainly not in any way a holiday story (and that this kind of ruins things for me so to speak and makes me wish that The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle were not part of Christmas Stories). And just to say in conclusion that the featured Charles Dickens tale in Christmas Stories (from Dickens' 1836 novel The Pickwick Papers) might be similar to his Christmas classic A Christmas Carol (1842) but is much too creepy, too strange and too chilling for my reading tastes and with an ending that is also much less positive and optimistic than A Christmas Carol.

So yes, three stars for Christmas Stories (and also only recommended for the included tales I have personally speaking really and actually enjoyed and appreciated).

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories are great. The Snow Queen is just weird - not a favorite!!

[Hannah Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming collection of vignettes, some definitely more entertaining than others, and a really nice little festive read over the last week!

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a nice book of stories related to the Christmas season that are not the usual go-tos. However it seemed like some were poorly transcribed or abridged, which made it just an average option. I would probably recommend that you keep looking for another option.

[Alicia Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've tried to read this for the last three years at Christmas, but it's only this year that I've managed to get past the first story. This book is okay, hence the two stars. Some of the stories are good, but most are meh, or skippable. They're not very memorable either.
Beautiful book cover though. It may be that next December I shall enjoy the stories more.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the unusual Christmas choices in this book; there were a few obvious selections, but also some enjoyable surprises.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Featuring extracts from beloved stories such as Little Women, this collection brings together a festive, mixed delight of colourful characters, magic and and joy as well as a message about the importance of giving gifts.
Lovely to dip into during the Christmas season!