A review by serendipitysbooks
The Night of Christmas Eve by Nikolai Gogol

lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

 The Night Before Christmas (also known as The Night of Christmas Eve) is not the well-known poem by Clement C. Moore. Rather it was written in 1831 and is inspired by Ukrainian folktales. It centres on a battle between the devil and the village blacksmith, who is trying to win the hand of the most beautiful girl in the village. It certainly has a very different feel from Christmas stories in the western tradition, what with a witch, a devil, flying pierogies, and the Tsarina’s slippers, although the triumph of good over evil is definitely a commonality. This was an entertaining story, but also a good reminder that those who do celebrate Christmas all do so very differently, that Christmas encompasses a wide variety of traditions, beliefs and practices.