12 Classic Christmas Stories (Edited by Timothy Larsen) - Review

Book Synopsis:

Celebrate this magical season with some of the greatest literary figures in history. The wisdom and warmth of Christmas are wrapped in the stories of beloved and gifted authors such as Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, O. Henry, G. K. Chesterton, Willa Cather, Conan Doyle, Washington Irving, George MacDonald, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anthony Trollope, and other classic storytellers.

Not only will you be immersed in the Christmas spirit, but you will draw from the insight of historian Dr. Timothy Larsen who introduces each tale, sharing with readers the history, background, and inspiration behind the literature.

This collection invites us to contemplate and savor all that is good and true about God’s redemptive story and our call to be Christ-like. The stories call us to generosity, reconciliation, and sacrifice. They encourage us to live with joy and gratitude. Hope and wonder abound as gather your family around the fire and read aloud the Twelve Classic Christmas Stories.

My Review:

4/5 stars. This was a very cute, festive anthology. Except for The Gift of the Magi, I had never heard of any of the stories, but I recognized a lot of the authors. I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but it was overall a good collection to read around Christmas and put me in the festive mood.

I loved the introduction that talked about the true meaning of Christmas and reading stories with family. It set the vibe for the book well. My favorite stories in this collection were The Burglar's Christmas, Aunt Cyrilla's Christmas Basket, and The Romance of a Christmas Card. Each had a very cute, happy ending and good messages.

On the other hand, one of the stories was very long and boring, and I didn't finish it. It was written in much more old-fashioned language, and it didn't have much of a plot. But if I only didn't finish one story out of all 12, I'd say that's pretty good.

One last criticism I have is that one of the stories included the r-word. That is a bit more understandable because it's a product of its time, but my problem was that the editor included a footnote that defined the term but made no mention of how outdated and offensive the word is. While the word in context wasn't being used to describe a person, I think it should have warranted a disclaimer.

Content:

Language: The r-word

Sexual Content: None

Violence/Gore: None

Drugs/Alcohol: None