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hirvimaki's review against another edition
4.0
I had no idea that one of the best, funniest Christmas movies was based on a collection of memoires. I should have known. It's just that funny. A good read.
thecurseofchris's review against another edition
4.0
Man, this was great. "A Christmas Story" is an all-time favorite film, so I'm glad I finally read the source material. While Shepherd has a knack to go off on a tangent at times, he does a great job at capturing the humor of the stories that we're all familiar with from the movie.
cabbage_patch's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
labunnywtf's review against another edition
5.0
I am not a fan of holidays. I haven't been a worshipper of Santa for a very long time.
And yet. I will watch this movie for the full 24 hours TNT plays it, every year. I never get tired of it. And I worried the book would mar the movie in some way.
Not in the least. Almost every part of the movie is captured here. One feeds the other beautifully, fleshing out storylines and filling blanks you didn't know existed.
Love.
And yet. I will watch this movie for the full 24 hours TNT plays it, every year. I never get tired of it. And I worried the book would mar the movie in some way.
Not in the least. Almost every part of the movie is captured here. One feeds the other beautifully, fleshing out storylines and filling blanks you didn't know existed.
Love.
xormdsxo's review against another edition
lighthearted
3.0
So normally I'd give a book of this caliber only 2 stars but it was so short and easy to read that I'm allowing 3. I can confidentially say the movie is better than the book in this case. The book is just so choppy and reads like a bizarre manifesto.
craftingcatlady's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
This book is what inspired the Christmas movie that is a staple in many of holiday’s viewing. Fun anecdotal tales of growing up in Depression Era Indiana. It was interesting to see how the book and the movie paralleled. I listened to the audiobook as I was reading along. The audiobook contained sound effects and Christmas music that made it feel as I was listening to the movie as I read.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cursing
erincataldi's review against another edition
5.0
Simply the best Christmas tale. Why did I wait so long to read this?! I grew up loving the movie and being proud that it was written by a Hoosier who lovingly wrote about where I grew up (the "region"). Reading this collection of short stories (taken from another short story collection by Jean Shepherd) that inspired the cult classic Christmas movie, I was in awe of how truly funny it was. I literally laughed out loud on multiple occasions much to the annoyance of my cats. I can't praise it enough. It's fantastic and I want to reread it every holiday season. It's too damn good to read just once. For fans of the movie adaptation, humor, and Hoosiers. Not to be missed!
mbrandmaier's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of the very few instances where I think that the movie was better than the book, due to the actors staying mostly very true to the story but also enhancing it with their own unique personalities. In any case, the audiobook was actually very adorable, complete with sound effects (e.g. you could hear the kitchen noises in the background during the Easter ham story.) All the small sub-plots take place consecutively over the course of several months, instead of just taking place during Christmastime. It went into much more detail about the Shepherds' contentious relationship with the Bumpus family than what you see in the movie.
sqeeker's review against another edition
4.0
- A Christmas Story has always been one of my favorite Christmas movies. I have a lot of fond memories of watching it with my brothers every year. My family loves to quote the movie a lot.
- The book was hilarious! The feel and the characters were spot on, and I love that the movie and book compliment each other.
- There is something so fun about seeing the world from Ralphie's perspective. I love his innocence, but I also love everything he observes.
- The book was hilarious! The feel and the characters were spot on, and I love that the movie and book compliment each other.
- There is something so fun about seeing the world from Ralphie's perspective. I love his innocence, but I also love everything he observes.