Rezension zu A Boy Called Christmas von Matt Haig
Hotsy-totsy
von pattyliest
Kurzmeinung: A splendid tale for the kid in all of us and a great gift for the holidays.
Rezension
pattyliestvor 7 Jahren
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
Christmas is a time of joy and happiness, but sadly that isn't the case for poor Nikolas. Even though all he has left of his mother was his little turnip doll, one of two gifts he received in his young life, Nikolas tries to look on the bright side. He believes in magic and loves the stories his dad tells him about Elfhelm and the elves that live there far up in the north. Nikolas' story is full of adventure, kidnapping, snow and a lot of possible impossibilities.
DID I LIKE IT?
I absolutely did! How couldn't I? I fell in love with the cover right away and just had to read the true story of father christmas. I adore Nikolas and his way of viewing things. His suffering would have crushed anybody, but he still tries to see the best in everything and never stops believing in magic. All the feels. It's a very emotional story and even the elves went through a dark time. They have lost their way of jolliness (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-lamenting!), separation divides them, and additionally strangers aren't welcome due to a tragic incident. As you can see it's not a simple happy-go-lucky story for kids. When you are seeking for an easygoing book, that ignores the ugly truth of badness in the world, than you should keep looking for something else. That does not mean that the story does not change. It's exactly the point, that live doesn't have to stay like this. Father Christmas gives the people the hope they need; a little joy in order to handle life.
"An impossibility is just a possibility you don't understand yet..." ~ p. 93
Okay, okay. Don't get all scared now. I didn't mean for this first paragraph to sound all depressing and sad. The story is actually adorable and it made me feel like a kid again. I'd have loved this book as a child even more than I do now. It has this classic feel to it and I am certain it will stick around to eventually turn into a real classic. I am 100% sure to read this story to my future kids. It teaches children compassion, hope and that there ist always a little magic in life.
"Perhaps a wish was just a hope with better aim." ~ p. 152
The illustrations by Chris Mould brought Matt Haigs writing to life. The combination of both is simply mesmerizing and I am already excited to show you the sequel of this magical story on Christmas Eve. I am so glad I bought the box set, because the two books are just beautiful on the inside and outside. The cover captures the story for me amazingly well as it is just as sparkling. And I mean actually sparkling. The beautiful handlettering of the title is highlighted through glitter, which fits the light blue theme of the cover amazingly without being tacky.
"Making impossibilities possibilities was harder than it looked." ~ p. 184
Funny and sad.
Simple and complex.
Beautiful, inside and out.
How did I get hold of my copy? I bought the box set online. Why did I read the book? I found out about the book due to the release of the German edition. I fell in love with the book instantly and decided on the English edition, when I found the box set.
TL,DR
Hotsy-totsy (is that seriously a thing or is the online dictionary making a fool out of me?).
A story full of hope and magic. A splendid tale for the kid in all of us and a great gift for the holidays. The illustrations perfectly add to the story and the combination of both makes for a great read. You better check this lovely book out.
Christmas is a time of joy and happiness, but sadly that isn't the case for poor Nikolas. Even though all he has left of his mother was his little turnip doll, one of two gifts he received in his young life, Nikolas tries to look on the bright side. He believes in magic and loves the stories his dad tells him about Elfhelm and the elves that live there far up in the north. Nikolas' story is full of adventure, kidnapping, snow and a lot of possible impossibilities.
DID I LIKE IT?
I absolutely did! How couldn't I? I fell in love with the cover right away and just had to read the true story of father christmas. I adore Nikolas and his way of viewing things. His suffering would have crushed anybody, but he still tries to see the best in everything and never stops believing in magic. All the feels. It's a very emotional story and even the elves went through a dark time. They have lost their way of jolliness (Fa-la-la-la-la, la-lamenting!), separation divides them, and additionally strangers aren't welcome due to a tragic incident. As you can see it's not a simple happy-go-lucky story for kids. When you are seeking for an easygoing book, that ignores the ugly truth of badness in the world, than you should keep looking for something else. That does not mean that the story does not change. It's exactly the point, that live doesn't have to stay like this. Father Christmas gives the people the hope they need; a little joy in order to handle life.
"An impossibility is just a possibility you don't understand yet..." ~ p. 93
Okay, okay. Don't get all scared now. I didn't mean for this first paragraph to sound all depressing and sad. The story is actually adorable and it made me feel like a kid again. I'd have loved this book as a child even more than I do now. It has this classic feel to it and I am certain it will stick around to eventually turn into a real classic. I am 100% sure to read this story to my future kids. It teaches children compassion, hope and that there ist always a little magic in life.
"Perhaps a wish was just a hope with better aim." ~ p. 152
The illustrations by Chris Mould brought Matt Haigs writing to life. The combination of both is simply mesmerizing and I am already excited to show you the sequel of this magical story on Christmas Eve. I am so glad I bought the box set, because the two books are just beautiful on the inside and outside. The cover captures the story for me amazingly well as it is just as sparkling. And I mean actually sparkling. The beautiful handlettering of the title is highlighted through glitter, which fits the light blue theme of the cover amazingly without being tacky.
"Making impossibilities possibilities was harder than it looked." ~ p. 184
Funny and sad.
Simple and complex.
Beautiful, inside and out.
How did I get hold of my copy? I bought the box set online. Why did I read the book? I found out about the book due to the release of the German edition. I fell in love with the book instantly and decided on the English edition, when I found the box set.
TL,DR
Hotsy-totsy (is that seriously a thing or is the online dictionary making a fool out of me?).
A story full of hope and magic. A splendid tale for the kid in all of us and a great gift for the holidays. The illustrations perfectly add to the story and the combination of both makes for a great read. You better check this lovely book out.