The Christmas List: A Novel
by Richard Paul Evans
List Price:
Our Price: $0.01
You Save: $19.98 (100%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Richard Paul EvansEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Deckle Edge
Published: 2009-10-06
ISBN: 1439150001
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9781439150009
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of The Christmas List: A Novel
Book Review: A Christmas Classic!
Summary: 5 Stars
Years ago, I established a personal tradition of buying and reading a Christmas book each year to kick off the holiday season. This year, after seeing an ad for 'The Christmas List' by Richard Paul Evans (and remembering how much I enjoyed 'The Christmas Box') I bought the book and am pleased that I did. Imagine reading your own obituary prior to your demise and being able to react to it! This is the premise of the book and reading it led to considerable introspection on my part--which is precisely what I wanted to have happen.
I suppose if I were evaluating 'The Christmas List' from a critical point of view, it would be easy to describe the story as predictable, clichéd, and somewhat sappy. Truth be said, after the first few chapters I began to suspect this book was nothing more than a modern day version of Charles Dickens', 'A Christmas Carol.' But since 'A Christmas Carol' is one of my favorite Christmas stories anyway, I read on with little concern. The more pages I turned in 'The Christmas List' however, the more absorbed I became with the characters--so much so in fact that the better I became acquainted with the protagonist (who like Scrooge was truly antagonizing at first) the harder it became for me to believe this person could ever be redeemed. Talk about a despicable character!
It is after the villain, James Kier, discovers the error of his ways and begins to go about making amends that the story really gets interesting. The predicament Kier finds himself in is portrayed so skillfully and realistically by Evans that I found my stress level rising on Kier's behalf--I felt his pain and the depths of his hopelessness. I continued to wonder if redemption was possible, even in a work of fiction.
Set in Salt Lake City and vicinity, 'The Christmas List' contains numerous references to familiar places and I smiled several times when references were made (some subtle and some not so subtle) to the cultural peculiarities of the area and its citizens. There are a couple of inside jokes that are classic and I love an author that is not above taking a few pot shots at his own. 'The Christmas List' contains wit with the wisdom.
To preserve the integrity of the story, I'll not elaborate on the conflict resolution other than to say I found it satisfying. Lewis Carroll said, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there." Reading 'The Christmas List' reminded me that all roads lead somewhere and perhaps to places we will regret going. It would seem wise to make course corrections early--before it's too late to turn back.
Summary of The Christmas List: A Novel
Dear Reader,When I was in seventh grade, my English teacher, Mrs. Johnson, gave our class the intriguing (if somewhat macabre) assignment of writing our own obituaries. Oddly, I don't remember much of what I wrote about my life, but I do remember how I died: in first place on the final lap of the Daytona 500. At the time, I hadn't considered writing as an occupation, a field with a remarkably low on-the-job casualty rate.
What intrigues me most about Mrs. Johnson's assignment is the opportunity she gave us to confront our own legacy. How do we want to be remembered? That question has motivated our species since the beginning of time: from building pyramids to putting our names on skyscrapers.
As I began to write this book, I had two objectives: First, I wanted to explore what could happen if someone read their obituary before they died and saw, firsthand, what the world really thought of them. Their legacy.
Second, I wanted to write a Christmas story of true redemption. One of my family's holiday traditions is to see a local production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I don't know how many times I've seen it (perhaps a dozen), but it still thrills me to see the change that comes over Ebenezer Scrooge as he transforms from a dull, tight-fisted miser into a penitent, "giddy-as-aschoolboy" man with love in his heart. I always leave the show with a smile on my face and a resolve to be a better person. That's what I wanted to share with you, my dear readers, this Christmas -- a holiday tale to warm your season, your homes, and your hearts.
Merry Christmas --Richard Paul Evans
Motivational Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Motivational Books
Appetite: Neural and Behavioural Bases (Oxford Science Publications)Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 1995-01-19; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $72.20
Price in other shops:
Neuroeconomics: A Guide to the New Science of Making Choicesby Peter Politser
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2008-03-12; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $31.41
Price in other shops:
The Law of Successby Napoleon Hill
Penguin Audio; Published: 2008-12-26; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $16.04
Price in other shops:
Russell Simmons' Do You!: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Successby Russell Simmons, Chris Morrow
Penguin Audio; Published: 2007-04-24; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $11.90
Price in other shops:
The Comfort Trap or, What If You're Riding a Dead Horse?by Judith Sills
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 2005-05-31; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.54
Price in other shops:
Golf in the Kingdom (An Esalen Book)by Michael Murphy
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1992-03-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.36
Price in other shops:
Single Case Experimental Designs: Strategies for Studying Behaviour Change (General Psychology)by Michel Hersen, David Barlow
Elsevier; Published: 1976-09; Hardcover; Book
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergartenby Robert Fulghum
Ballantine Books; Published: 2004-05-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.45
Price in other shops:
The Purpose-Driven Lifeby Rick Warren
Zondervan; Published: 2002-11-01; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $2.90
Price in other shops:
The Right Questions: Ten Essential Questions To Guide You To An Extraordinary Lifeby Debbie Ford
HarperOne; Published: 2003-04-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.53
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
The Carouselby Richard Paul Evans
Pocket Books; Published: 2001-10-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.20
Price in other shops:
A Perfect Dayby Richard Evans
Signet; Published: 2004-10-05; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.97
Price in other shops:
Miles to Go: The Second Journal of the Walk Seriesby Richard Paul Evans
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2011-04-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $10.51
Price in other shops:
The Christmas Box Miracle : My Spiritual Journey of Destiny, Healing and Hopeby Richard Paul Evans
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2001-10-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.00
Price in other shops:
Finding Noel: A Novelby Richard Paul Evans
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2006-10-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.98
Price in other shops:
Grace: A Novelby Richard Paul Evans
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2008-10-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.27
Price in other shops:
The Gift: A Novelby Richard Paul Evans
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2007-10-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.55
Price in other shops:
Promise Meby Richard Paul Evans
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2010-10-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.54
Price in other shops:
Lost December: A Novelby Richard Paul Evans
Simon & Schuster; Published: 2011-11-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $5.75
Price in other shops:
The Christmas Boxby Richard Paul Evans
Simon & Schuster; Published: 1995-11-02; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.61
Price in other shops: