NAT.orious reads ☾'s Reviews > A Christmas Carol

This book is for you if… the Christmas spirit isn't quite where you want it to be.

⤐ Overall.
Until a couple of years ago, any magic compass would have led you straight to me had you asked it for a modern-day Scrooge. I absolutely detested Christmas. For me, it meant another 3 excrutiating days of acting like all was fine and well even though the rest of the year the whole world made a point of being absolutely disgusting - you'd know had you been to any of my toxic family meetings. As a convinced non-Christian, I was also confused why the heck we celebrated the birthday of a person that means absolutely nothing to our family (apart from the many public holidays he inspired in the State of Bavaria). That it could be about more than just religion never really occurred to me.

Does it show my parents told me they were getting a divorce the week before Christmas Eve? Yeah, sad. I know.


My mom gave me this book when I was in 10th or 11th grade maybe and I was so fascinated by the way meaning was ascribed to this thing called the Christmas Spirit. Some film adaptation or another of A Christmas Carol is always part of me and my mum's Christmas routine and whether watching or reading it, I love it every. damn. time.

Against better knowledge - accumulated over almost 27 years of living in a world dominated by old white wealthy men, I've got a weirdly soft spot for the grumpy old dude although I usually make a point not to accommodate rich old nasty white dudes. I think I0 identify with him on some level although Scrooge certainly displays a level of nastiness you only see me sporting when somebody claims cake is better than pie or does not absolutely worship my dad's bakery goods (die, motherf*cker, die!).


I guess somewhere between reading this book and establishing an advent-routine that involved watching adaptations of it and a medically unhealthy amount of Plätzchen I was suddenly at least not entirely opposed to this whole Christmas thing anymore.


After all,

‘There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.’

⤐ What’s happening.

‘I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.’

The Grinch meets [Insert your average Classic here] in this fascinating tale that shows the tradition of Christmas is not about obligations and forced merriness but rather genuine joy about being together and celebrating the time we have.
_____________________
5 STARS. Absolutely loved it. Memorable read that I'm likely to return to. Takes up space in my mind long after I've finished it. Oftentimes a particularly insightful read. Will recommend it with my last breath.