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A review by mad_about_books
Old Christmas by Washington Irving
3.0
It would seem that nostalgia for the old days, better days, less complicated days was something about which Washington Irving wrote. I tried to find when this story was first published, but found it difficult. It doesn't seem to rank with "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" or " Rip Van Winkle," titles with which we are all familiar. My guess is that it first appeared sometime between 1819 and 1821, or some 200 years ago. (However, according to the copyright page, it was first published in 1876, 17 years after Washington Irving died.) As I started reading, my thoughts went to 'the more things change, the more they stay the same.'
OLD CHRISTMAS is a tale in five parts commencing with the chance meeting of our hearty traveler with an old acquaintance and ending with Christmas dinner. Each part harkens to a previous, better time of traditions lost and in need of resurrection.
Some of the words used are so obscure as to not bring up a definition or Wikipedia entry when highlighted on Kindle. Then there is language well worth noting, such as "if the face be an index to the mind,…" I would also mention, that this Kindle edition could use better formatting.
For all the fussiness of the Squire that Christmas traditions of old be followed to the letter, Irving's descriptions of the Christmas morning church service are pretty hilarious. The juxtaposition of intent with execution is a testament to real human nature. During the sermon, there is a long passage that reflects a bit of American history worth noting vis a vis our venerable Puritan forebears. Christmas dinner and the aftermath speak to the family gatherings of any age.
Overall, OLD CHRISTMAS, is a timeless tale in which we see the history of the class system and the evolution of politics where, sadly, nothing really changes. Modernize the language, and the story could have been written yesterday.
Rating Note: It is difficult to 'rate' a long-dead author; if the works are still being read, they certainly have merit. My 3-star rating is a reflection of presentation, not content.
OLD CHRISTMAS is a tale in five parts commencing with the chance meeting of our hearty traveler with an old acquaintance and ending with Christmas dinner. Each part harkens to a previous, better time of traditions lost and in need of resurrection.
Some of the words used are so obscure as to not bring up a definition or Wikipedia entry when highlighted on Kindle. Then there is language well worth noting, such as "if the face be an index to the mind,…" I would also mention, that this Kindle edition could use better formatting.
For all the fussiness of the Squire that Christmas traditions of old be followed to the letter, Irving's descriptions of the Christmas morning church service are pretty hilarious. The juxtaposition of intent with execution is a testament to real human nature. During the sermon, there is a long passage that reflects a bit of American history worth noting vis a vis our venerable Puritan forebears. Christmas dinner and the aftermath speak to the family gatherings of any age.
Overall, OLD CHRISTMAS, is a timeless tale in which we see the history of the class system and the evolution of politics where, sadly, nothing really changes. Modernize the language, and the story could have been written yesterday.
Rating Note: It is difficult to 'rate' a long-dead author; if the works are still being read, they certainly have merit. My 3-star rating is a reflection of presentation, not content.