Fuga dal Natale (2001)

Esilarante ritratto del Natale nordamericano. In una cittadina di fantasia come ce ne sono tante, nel quartiere residenziale di Hemlock, la famiglia Krank (in tedesco e inglese: malato) si separa per la prima volta dalla figlia Blair, in partenza per un anno in Perù con i Peace Corps.
A questo punto il padre Luther decide su due piedi di evitare letteralmente il Natale e di andarsene in crociera con la moglie per una decina di giorni, un modo per rispondere con allegria alla tristezza generata dall'assenza della figlia. Krank è un contabile deciso a risparmiare ogni centesimo di quelli spesi nei Natali passati, a costo di mettersi in contrasto con amici e vicinato. Niente biglietti, niente donazioni a Polizia e Pompieri, niente festa della Vigilia e soprattutto niente pupazzo di Frosty sul tetto, niente albero e lucine. In un quartiere che ambisce al primo premio per le migliori decorazioni tutto ciò non può essere tollerato, ne nasce una girandola di attacchi da cui Luther si sottrae con una certa inventiva, quasi costringendo la moglie a perdere peso e ad abbronzarsi in un centro benessere.
La telefonata di Blair che annuncia il proprio ritorno durante la pausa natalizia sconvolge e capovolge i piani dei Krank, che però non riescono a recuperare il tempo perduto e rimediare in gran fretta ai preparativi. Finale a sorpresa, nel miglior spirito americano della comunità, per esperienza personale aggiungo che è tutto molto verosimile, compresa l'ultima parte. ( )

Älskar filmen, tyckte det var dags att läsa boken. Nu har jag gjort det. Kommer att se filmen flera gånger, kommer inte att läsa om boken. ( )

As their daughter has gone to work abroad, Luther & Nora decide to skip Christmas - no cards, no presents, no charity giving, no decorations, and go on a cruise instead, much to the disapproval of the community.

As the pressure grows, so do the couple’s stress levels.

I love a seasonal fairytale. But this one wasn’t in the It’s a Wonderful Life league. I think I should have been charmed, but for the first 90% of the story I found the dithering couple too irritating.
Bah humbug. ( )

I've only known John Grisham as a writer of legal thrillers but storytelling is his art. Grisham knows how to elevate intrigue and wonder. It's the Sunday after Thanksgiving and what would happen if you could simply skip the stress and give "A snap of the fingers and it’s January 2. No tree, no shopping, no meaningless gifts, no tipping, no clutter and wrappings, no traffic and crowds, no fruitcakes, no liquor and hams that no one needed, no “Rudolph” and “Frosty,” no office party, no wasted money. His list grew long."

I couldn't help but be intrigued to learn if Luther Kranks can pull off skipping Christmas. After all, Luther's only proposing the idea to his wife Nora for this year as their daughter Blair won't be home from her new job with the Peace Corps until next Christmas. He can hardly believe his wife seems to be warming to the idea. It's easy to love his alternative plan. As Luther and Nora are both being bombarded by inquiries the question becomes will one of them cave or continue full speed ahead with the alternative plan. As the reader becomes engrossed in the idea I was reminded of the John Lennon quote, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

This is John Grisham at his best making us think about choices and what ifs and as the story comes to a close the unexpected ending. I didn't know what to expect but Grisham delivers a Christmas tale that captivates interest and is effectively written. Don't skip it! ( )

I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read. The story I could relate to. Christmas is so hectic at times I ask myself what's the point. People really miss the real meaning of Christmas.

I watched the movie before I read the book. I enjoyed the book better but found myself imagining the actors of the movie in the book. ( )