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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Cute book! It was a fun, quick Santa origin story. Highly enjoyable.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I started it because I remember the 2000’s animated movie that used to air on Cartoon Network every year (at least for a while). Tried a few minutes of the stop motion Rankin Bass special on YouTube once, and it was just too janky and uncanny valley for me to get into. So when I heard from a friend that the book was a bit different, I was curious.
It’s a decent story, but I’m surprised to say I like the “film” version better. The writing is kind of sappy and schmaltzy, which is not out of step with what I was expecting, but the movie makes it less weird and annoying, surprisingly. Like, I don’t really need to know how hot the narrator thinks Nacille is every time she appears. I think Baum means it to be whimsical, but it quickly feels creepy to me as a more modern audience.
Somehow, the movie makes Claus’s “raised among immortals but wants to connect with his people” personality seem less like he’s a somewhat indifferent alien who struggles to pick up cues from the people he interacts with. Maybe that’s more befitting of an idea, a folkloric figure who is not supposed to have much personality outside of jolliness, but the episodic “getting to know him and how he came to be” story kind of demands more from the main character, in my probably limited opinion.
I was drawn to the story as a kid for giving Santa an almost Celtic-fantasy origin story, because that’s absolutely my jam. But while I’m glad I finally gave it a read as well, I think I’ll stick with the movie.
It’s a decent story, but I’m surprised to say I like the “film” version better. The writing is kind of sappy and schmaltzy, which is not out of step with what I was expecting, but the movie makes it less weird and annoying, surprisingly. Like, I don’t really need to know how hot the narrator thinks Nacille is every time she appears. I think Baum means it to be whimsical, but it quickly feels creepy to me as a more modern audience.
Somehow, the movie makes Claus’s “raised among immortals but wants to connect with his people” personality seem less like he’s a somewhat indifferent alien who struggles to pick up cues from the people he interacts with. Maybe that’s more befitting of an idea, a folkloric figure who is not supposed to have much personality outside of jolliness, but the episodic “getting to know him and how he came to be” story kind of demands more from the main character, in my probably limited opinion.
I was drawn to the story as a kid for giving Santa an almost Celtic-fantasy origin story, because that’s absolutely my jam. But while I’m glad I finally gave it a read as well, I think I’ll stick with the movie.