Philip Van Doren Stern (1900–1984)

Now, I'd like to start by saying I am not a very smart person and that might be why I struggled so much with this book. It was... quite a chore for me to read this.

I can't remember where I read it, but I really enjoyed the Tell-Tale Heart so I thought I would enjoy the rest of his stories, as well, but I was so very wrong. I'm not saying they are bad, not at all, but they just aren't for me. To me, these tales were very... dull and drawn out. Most of it went over my head and I found myself zoning out and having to reread several paragraphs multiple times before the words would take.

The strangest part is that this book felt almost supernatural. No matter how many pages I read, it never seemed to get shorter and it felt like it took ages to finish it. But maybe that's just because it was such a struggle to force myself to finish it, I don't know. It just felt like no matter how many pages I turned, it took longer than it should to reach the end.… (mere)

Double Review for "Wonderful Memories of It's A Wonderful Life" and "The Greatest Gift."

A fan of this heartwarming movie that only grows into an even bigger worldwide love every year, I picked up the first as an audio to listen to during this season. It gave me all the information about it that I never knew about. How the first story was written as a Christmas Card, the process of it becoming a movie, behind the scene adorable pieces, and how RKO made the snow we use in movies still today.

During the middle of this listen, I ordered my own copy of "The Greatest Gift," the short story the movie is based on. It did not disappoint and warmed my heart with the reading of its genesis, too.… (mere)

Husband, father, and small-town bank clerk George Pratt feels that while other men out there are leading exciting lives, his own work is dull and his life is pretty useless. Just when he's contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve, a mysterious stranger comes and stops George in The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale by Philip Van Doren Stern.

It's been years now since I first heard of this short story upon which the classic movie It's a Wonderful Life is based. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me before to actually look up and read this original tale. But I do know it can be something of a letdown when you've got a beloved story embedded in your soul and then you check out another version of it, and it isn't the same.

Well. Although I can say that I do prefer the fuller development of the plot and characters in the classic motion picture that's one of my all-time favorite films, I'm pleased that I didn't picture George Pratt here as George Bailey, or the mysterious stranger as Clarence Odbody, George Bailey's guardian angel. For the most part, I enjoyed this short fantasy fiction tale for what it is: a short fantasy fiction tale. Not just a precursor to a movie.

And what George Pratt learns about the life he's been given is truly an uplifting and timeless message.… (mere)