At the start of the story Luther Krank discovers he spent $6,100 on Christmas the year before and is tired of the financial and emotional burden of Christmas. When his daughter goes overseas for Christmas he convinces his wife to skip Christmas altogether and go on a cruise.

It’s never laugh out loud funny but continually humorous as Luther has to struggle to abstain from the deeply cultural holiday. Boy scouts are personally hurt when he declines a Christmas tree and the neighbors are incensed that Luther’s decoration-less house costs them the award for most festive street.

Though the community seems a bit hyperbolized in its obsession with Christmas, it’s easy to see why Luther would turn sour towards the year’s biggest holiday – the more money you spend, the more festive you are. The highly superficial community comprise the most entertaining aspect of the story. Reminiscent of the tight-knit community of Edward Scissorhands, Luther’s refusal to accept Christmas for a single year translates to a failure to accept them and who they are as a community. Luther’s in a tight spot indeed.

Luther’s daughter decides to come home for Christmas at the last minute and Luther suddenly must take in Christmas after all. It’s just as humorous to watch Luther try to admit defeat, so to speak, and humbly submit to his neighbors. Thought short of anything Scrooge-like, the novella ends with an honest nod towards Luther’s change of heart that suggests he really does accept and understand the “true meaning” of Christmas.

The story is subtle, but never really strong. It’s never quite as funny nor as moving as it could be, and it ends up feeling rather bland overall. The story is engaging as a reflection on Christmas materialism, but far from a Christmas classic.

12/04