I know that for some people, having to organise, bake, shop, wrap, write, and do any number of other tasks leaves them Christmas-ed out. However, if you are like me, you may enjoy relaxing during the season with some festive reading. Sure, you can turn to A Christmas Carol if you want a classic or perhaps to Skipping Christmas if you want something newer. I personally like to look to anthologies during the holidays, though. A little bit of everything without a ton of time required. For this Holiday Book Bite, we are exploring one of my favourite books, The Faber Book of Christmas!
The Faber Book of Christmas, Simon Rae (editor)
A joyful yuletide anthology cloth-bound in exquisite Liberty Fabric.
If the most wonderful time of year is enough to plunge you into a gloom, look no further. This collection of spirited stories and vibrant poetry will brighten your mood as it brings together Charles Dickens and Philip Larkin, W.H.Auden and Wendy Cope, Jilly Cooper, and Dylan Thomas. From tales of carolling and snatched mistletoe kisses to “The Worst Christmas Dinner, Ever”, there’s something here to amuse and interest Christmas lovers, grinches, and everyone in between. Starred review
Judge this book by its attention-grabbing Liberty of London cover with the bright colors and festive design; the stories inside will be pretty close to that cheery feel, with pieces ranging from classic to contemporary, funny to sentimental, short to long, and from prose to poem to hymn. Easy to pick up briefly and return to later, this book cold solve some holiday angst for dedicated readers who don’t have much spare time.” Library Journal
Why You Should Read This…
When I say that this is one of my favourite books, I mean that this is one of my favourite physical books. The Liberty London cover on this book is stunning, and although it isn’t really Christmas-y in any way by design, it still makes me think of Liberty and their window displays. In fact, the book impressed me so much that I spent four years looking for it before I happened to find it for $6 CAD on Boxing Day.
This is a wonderful mixture of excerpts from stories, essays, and poems that are grouped together around different holiday themes. Some of the inclusions feel a bit “out there” but I think that it makes for more interesting reading and gives you more to ponder. None of the pieces included in The Faber Book of Christmas are terribly long; even if you only have five minutes to spare, you have time to read one or two. And if I’m being fairly shallow, this is simply a beautiful book to have out during holiday gatherings if anyone does feel like a poem!
Do you have The Faber Book of Christmas?
Cheers,
The Historian
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