Miracle and Other Christmas Stories
by Connie Willis
Review by Vicky T. (VickyJo)
It’s the holidays. You’ve got to shop for loved ones. Some are easy to buy for, some are frightfully hard. There is cooking, baking, cleaning, wrapping, putting up the tree and other decorations, (putting them up twice if you have cats), the school pageant, the office holiday party, not to mention your in-laws annual caroling party! And let’s face it: we’re all bookaholics. How will we ever have time to read during these joyful but stressfully busy weeks? I have two words for you: short stories. They’re perfect! You get to read. The stories are short (hence the name). If you don’t have time to read for a few days, you won’t forget what’s happening, as you would in a long, involved novel. It’s a perfect stress reliever.
I have a collection of short stories to recommend, all with a Christmas theme, by the very witty, very literate Connie Willis. She is an award-winning writer of science fiction, and one of my favorite authors. She has pulled together a group of eight stories in the book, “Miracle and other Christmas stories” and if you’re looking for a unique reading experience, this is it.
I know what you’re thinking: science fiction and Christmas? Yes it sounds strange…and it is, strange and wonderful! In the book’s introduction, Willis admits that, “I love Christmas. All of it—decorating the tree and singing in the choir and baking cookies and wrapping presents. I even like the parts most people hate—shopping in crowded malls and reading Christmas newsletters and seeing relatives and standing in baggage check-in lines at the airport.” And her love for this special holiday shows in each story she presents.
“Miracle” is basically a screwball comedy (think Tracy and Hepburn) about an overworked office worker who finds herself having to deal with a Christmas spirit (think Charles Dickens) dressed in khaki shorts and a “Save the Rainforest” T-shirt, who won’t leave her alone until he presents her with her heart’s desire.
“Newsletter” is a funny, light-hearted story combining those newsletters we receive each Christmas, and an “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” type of alien invasion…except the possessed become nicer, more considerate, and full of Christmas cheer.
“Inn” tells the story of a Christmas pageant rehearsal which is interrupted by a young Middle Eastern couple looking for a town called Bethlehem.
“Adaptation” is one of my favorites. Imagine working in a bookstore during the holidays, and having Dickens’s ghosts from “A Christmas Carol” show up!
Willis doesn’t really use the typical science fiction plot devices; there are no obvious aliens, flying saucers, starships, or battle between planets. Rather, these stories fall into a category I would call “Magical Realism”. We see everyday people, in everyday situations, who suddenly encounter something magical, or supernatural, or miraculous. There is no warm, fluffy, overly sweet sentimental storytelling here, either, in case you hate that. Each story is sharp, concise and thought-provoking. Connie Willis at times reminds me very much of Ray Bradbury; her story “The Pony” is about receiving gifts and knowing what a person really wants to receive…and it has faintly ominous overtones that bring Bradbury to mind.
The other plus is at the end of the book. Willis gives us a wonderful “Final Word” in which she shares with the reader “Twelve Terrific Things to Read at Christmas” … “And Twelve to Watch”…her top 12 choices of stories, novels, and movies that reflect what Christmas should be about: joy, love, hope, and the possibility of miracles. Come to think of it, just what Connie Willis gives her readers in “Miracle and other Christmas Stories.” So please. Grab some eggnog and a gingerbread man, pull on the woolly socks and the warm jammies, and have a personal Mental Health Renewal Moment by reading. We all understand.
So true Vicky, I have had so little time to read this month and this sound just the ticket.
[…] Holiday Book Review – Miracle and Other Christmas Stories … How will we ever have time to read during these joyful but stressfully busy weeks? I have two words for you: short stories. They're perfect! You get to read. The stories are short (hence the name). If you don't have time to read . […]
Great review, Vicky!