Christmas in July #1 🌲

Instead of waiting until December to read all of my holiday books, I thought I'd do a Christmas in July theme. I took this idea from a Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries episode. This is one series that's actually better than the books.

How utterly disappointed I am. As an atheist/lapsed Catholic with a majority Catholic family, I obviously still celebrate Christmas, even if it's mostly for the presents and presence of family, and not for any faith aspect. I requested these stories because I wanted something feel good. Plus the cover was pretty. That was obviously my first mistake. Never trust a pretty cover.

Read my friend Rosh's review for things I agree on. I'm too disappointed to review further.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

A great collection of Christmas stories from classic American writers; a little something for everyone here as there is lots of variety among the chosen tales. I loved seeing Shirley Jackson and Ray Bradbury among the choices!

What is your favorite holiday short story? I love holiday short stories. One of my favorites is “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. That story is not included in this collection, but another O. Henry story is “A Chaparral Christmas Gift.”

This is a collection of classic Christmas stories that is perfect for the lover of classic literature. If you are looking for Hallmark type Christmas stories, this is not the book for you. The stories take place at Christmas time, but many are poignant. Many are translated from another language, like one of my favorites, “The Fir Tree” by Hans Christian Anderson. Another favorite story was included, “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote. Many other classic authors are represented at well including, but not limited to: Langston Hughes, Ray Bradbury, Shirley Jackson, and Anton Chekhov. It was an interesting collection, with many stories I haven’t read before. I am going to get this as a hard cover for my collection next Christmas.

Review Copy from NetGalley. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was hoping this would be an anthology that I could revisit each Christmas season and make into a tradition. And there were definitely some stories here that grabbed my heart and that I will want to revisit (like the story told from the tree's perspective, the story about the magical Christmas garden, and the Truman Capote story about making fruitcake with his friend). But many of these stories really aren't about Christmas (or they're only tenuously or tangetially related to Christmas) and left me confused about why they were included. For that reason, this collection didn't work for me.

The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories is a compilation of short stories set at or around Christmas, compiled by Jessica Harrison. As with all anthologies, there were some stories that I enjoyed more or less than others. Overall, though, this was a pleasant read and one I enjoyed for December.

** Thanks so much to Jessica Harrison, Penguin Classics, and NetGalley for this ARC! The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories is available now. **

This is hard to review, because I had a digital galley, and I can tell that part of the appeal of this book is that it's a beautiful object. Is it a beautiful object? It sure looks pretty on the internet, and I know that Penguin usually does create books that are a pleasure to hold in the hand. Let's assume it's a beautiful object, and I'll just write about the short stories.

One little treasure is that this is just about the right length to use it as an Advent collection, one story every day until Christmas, which is how I used it, until I got kind of into the book and read the rest of the stories on December 14.

It's just what you are expecting it to be - a collection of short stories, all Christmas-themed, of various vintages of 'classic, but mostly 19th and early 20th century. There are some authors I know and love here (Ray Bradbury, Shirley Jackson) and some who are new to me. There are some funny stories and some sentimental-sweet ones, and a few that capture the melancholy bitterness that is the Christmas experience, too. It's a good mix, and no bad stories in it. I mean, I personally hate Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales," but that is my own issue, and not the fault of either Penguin Publishing or Mr. Thomas, may he rest in peace.

So if what you are looking for is a beautiful book of old Christmas stories, to enjoy in December with a candle and a mug of cocoa, I think this is probably a good choice for you.

This book was such a great way to get into the Christmas spirit! I loved all the different stories and really enjoyed some of the meanings behind each one. My favorite story was The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen. It was sad for the tree in the beginning since it was wondering what incredible place all of his friends were being taken to. Once it was chopped down and put up for Christmas, it finally learned that things are not always the way they seem. This story really stuck with me and I look forward to reading the book again and making it a Christmas tradition in my house. Thank you so much for sharing the digital copy with me!

This is a solid anthology, though I can see why others feel like it's a bit of false advertising. One glance at the table of contents will show that this is going to be a heavy/dense, more academic collection, and it certainly is that. The edition's cover and binding seem lovely, though.

A great little collection to get you in the holiday spirit. Perfect size for travel or gifting. Beautiful cover to be art of your Christmas decor.

Lovely book with beautiful stories! This will be enjoyed for years to come. The stories are timeless. Great read to get into the holiday spirit!

The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories is a collection of tales set around Christmas. This book is one that covers an array of emotions - don't expect all uplifting, happy Christmas stories that our kids have come to be used to. This one has some happy, but some sad or ones with a great lesson. It's a nice collection of short stories.

I was unpleasantly surprised by this collection. This collection was cold, boring, and depressing. Christmas tales are usually hopeful and joyful with meaning. These stories were mostly the opposite.

A reissue/rebinding of a previously published Christmas anthology, one which my store has carried in the past. I had hoped for some minor revision in the contents given previous commentary I had seen on the collection. It is very much a grouping of 'Winter Classic Fiction' as opposed to a set of feel-good Christmas stories, which is fine for more serious readers, it's just something to be aware of when selling it.

In a Nutshell: These are Christmas stories but these aren’t CHRISTMASSY stories! Disappointed.

I had jumped in at the collection simply because of the title. When I later saw its poor rating on Goodreads, I wondered why a Christmas anthology failed to impress readers. Now I know why. It’s a case of misleading branding.

When you see a book titled “The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories: From Hans Christian Andersen to Angela Carter”, what would you expect? I expected happy and feel-good stories full of Christmas spirit. Unfortunately, most of the stories in this anthology are set around Christmas but cannot be called Christmas stories in the true sense of the word. Most of the stories are gloomy tales. More than half don’t make use of the festive season in any sense except in passing mention. Hardly any story generates Christmas cheer. When readers pick up a collection of Christmas stories, I bet not a single one would expect to be depressed after reading it.

The tagline—“From Hans Christian Andersen to Angela Carter”—gives a clear indication that the stories are mostly classics. The range of authors is impressive, but modern readers who aren’t attuned to reading classics will find many of the stories long-winded and boring. Quite a few short story masters such as Saki, O. Henry, Anton Chekhov, Shirley Jackson, and Ray Bradbury have their stories included. Many of the stories are translated ones, so their authors also might be famous for writing in their own language. What I would have liked knowing is the language in which the story was originally written (so that we get an idea of the local culture of the author) and the year in which it was first published (so that we know the societal thinking of that era.)
(On an aside, I bet you thought the O. Henry story would be “The Gift of the Magi.” That’s such a classic Christmas tale! But no, this was some story titled “The Legend of the Christmas Rose.” A lovely story, and one of the better ones in this book.)

Had I read these 32 stories as classic short stories and not as Christmas stories, I might have enjoyed them better. So if you are a fan of classic writers and want to try out an interesting and varied collection, this is recommended. But if you are looking for a heartwarming collection of Christmas stories, do not try this one.
I hate being the Grinch for a Christmas anthology, but I need to add: I would definitely not recommended this book for holiday gifting unless you want to bestow it upon your old English teacher. I’d rather read a joyous collection during Christmas season.

2.6 stars. (1.5 stars as a Christmas collection, 3.75 stars as a classic story collection. Averaged.)

My thanks to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is a wonderful book filled with Christmas stories from several important authors. I loved the variety of the stories, some were happy, some sad, some filled with Christmas spirit, and some that taught a lesson. I have read books from several of the authors included and it was nice to read a short story written by them, it made me want to read even more of the their books. This is a great Christmas collection of short stories.

Christmas 2022 Read #3

The copy I received from Netgalley was a mess. Very hard to read. But more than that I found the stories that had been translated to be either worded as if stories for toddlers or too strangely worded and therefore jolting. I did manage to find a few gems:

'The Necklace of Pearls,' 'One Christmas Eve,' 'The Gift' by Ray Bradbury, and 'A Visit to the Bank' by Shirley Jackson.

All in all, this collection was quite a disappointment. Even the stories I was able to get through and understand were rough and difficult. This book needs a serious editor and then formatting before anyone will be able to read it.

I will happily read a Christmas anthology of most varieties and was thrilled to receive an early copy of this one; however, I soon found that this anthology is definitely heavier on the downcast tales, and unfortunately, much less so on the joyous stories I tend to look for during the holidays. I wouldn’t want to read this if I were looking to increase my holiday spirit or mental health levels.

This one was too depressing for me. Others may appreciate a more melancholy collection, but for me, this is a detour I prefer not to often take.