zeozombz's review

Go to review page

3.0

This book is a compilation of stories and most of the stories I actually enjoyed; however, based on American standards I would not really say they are feel good Christmas stories or stories that remind us of the true nature of Christmas. So I did enjoy the book, but it was not really the type of Christmas book I’d run to the store and select. I seen it on a sale rack and grabbed it from the library.

With that being said, there is historical nature to these stories which I actually adored. Some of the stories are probably lost stories not told to children over Christmas, but maybe really should be told. One of them being a poor child that left a wooden shoe out for a beggar boy that he seen as having less.

If you are cool with historical type Christmas stories, then this is well worth the read.

jamielit's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad slow-paced

2.0

This is too gorgeous a book to receive such a low rating, but I have never read a book of such depressing stories!  What we Americans have made happy stories (fairy tales, Christmas stories), the French make BLEAK.  I did enjoy the story about the lost little boy, but other than that, this was not a joy to get through.

julsmarshall's review against another edition

Go to review page

2.0

This was up and down for me. A couple of the stories were great, festive and thoughtful, quiet and heartwarming. More were sad, dark and showed a starker side of humanity. And there was one that was so horrid and racist I couldn’t finish it. Maybe some were perfectly French, but not for me. I did like the #audio narration.

debnanceatreaderbuzz's review

Go to review page

4.0



Ridiculous. I'm sure it seems ridiculous. I've just read A Very French Christmas: The Greatest French Holiday Stories of All Time. I'm not in France. And it most certainly isn't December.

What's going on?

There are some people who always send you to the good books. Emma, of the blog, Words and Peace, and the organizer of France Book Tours, always sends me to the good books. I just couldn't resist a book of French Christmas stories. Even in August.

So why should you hear about A Very French Christmas? You, especially you, who are not a fan of stories about France or (even) Christmas?

That's easy to answer. A Very French Christmas is really about France or Christmas. Yes, there's a definite French-ish feel to the stories, and all of them have a little dash of Christmas in them. But these aren't baked-potato-loaded-with-French-Christmas-fixings stories. No one really likes those sorts of stories, do they? These are not French stories. These are not Christmas stories. They are just good stories.


(Spoiler alert)
The first story in the book, for example, is a story of a man who really doesn't like Christmas. It's his wife who likes it, his wife who makes him get together with the family every year, to celebrate with food he doesn't care for and gifts he doesn't want. And he does so every year, even after his wife is long passed away. Until the Christmas comes where his wife gives him one last Christmas gift, a gift he is very happy about.


Yes, these are good stories. More than that, they are remarkably good stories. So good that I think I'll go back and read them again.


More...