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52nd out of 644 books
—
258 voters
The Christmas Box (The Christmas Box Trilogy #1)
"Whatever the reason, I find that with each passing Christmas the story of the christmas box is told less and needed more. So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss, as seems them good. As for me, I believe. And it is, after all, my story." So begins "The Christmas Box", the touching story of a widow and the young family who moves in with her. Toge...more
Hardcover, 128 pages
Published
November 4th 1996
by Simon & Schuster
(first published 1993)
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Usually, I'm not the type of person to cry over books. If I read something particularly sad, I usually end up sad for a little while, and then I'm over it. I'm not quite sure what it was about this book--but I ended up in tears. Sure, the ending was sad, but it was beautiful, as well. I have a younger brother, so the message that Mary was trying to make really hit home for me--about loving what we have because we don't know how much longer we'll have it. It's so true that oftentimes, everyone ge...more
This was a really sweet book. I loved the lesson learned of the true gift of Christmas, and the love that was shared between these people. It was a really fast read and very touching, I thought that it depicted the true meaning of Christmas in a wonderful way. We have all been given a wonderful gift of eternal life, and we should all acknowledge that fact on more than the occasion of Christ's birth.
I read The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans yesterday afternoon. The best thing about it was that it was short. I feel a little like Elaine from Seinfeld when she hated the highly acclaimed "English Patient".
There must be something wrong with me. That's the only explanation, right?
Don't get me wrong. It's a sweet story. A sad story and a good reminder of what is really, truly important--especially at Christmas. I get the message. I gave my babies extra hugs last night.
So, maybe my real probl...more
There must be something wrong with me. That's the only explanation, right?
Don't get me wrong. It's a sweet story. A sad story and a good reminder of what is really, truly important--especially at Christmas. I get the message. I gave my babies extra hugs last night.
So, maybe my real probl...more
A nice, short (125 small pages) Christmas story. The Evanses, new owners of one of the first rental formal wear stores in Salt Lake City, find a once-in-a-lifetime rent-free arrangement of living with an elderly lady for simply making her meals, mowing her lawn and a few other inconsequential services. They soon become friends and find they never knew the meaning of Christmas.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
I was looking for some books to bring on a Christmas trip to Canada, and to my dismay, I didn't have enough room for some books higher up on my tbr list.
Then I saw this one on my bookshelf, so little which would benefit my packing and my goodreads 2012 reading challenge I was behind on, so I brought it along.
A nice, simple Christmas story. It was so short it seemed like it could have been a magazine article story or something of the like. But I was secretly thankful for the length. I only wish...more
Then I saw this one on my bookshelf, so little which would benefit my packing and my goodreads 2012 reading challenge I was behind on, so I brought it along.
A nice, simple Christmas story. It was so short it seemed like it could have been a magazine article story or something of the like. But I was secretly thankful for the length. I only wish...more
I never read this book, but I did see past of the movie. The woman scares me. It all started when I had a dream that I was in the dentist office and I was in the chair and she came in and asked, "you want your christmas box?" I said no, and she started the drilling. I remember that she was ugly, and scary and that I was strapped in and she drilled all over the place and there was blood and pain and I woke up in a cold sweat. That sense of helplessness is the worst part. She will always traumatiz...more
This book was a gift. It was given to me by a friend at Chistmas time. I finally got around to reading it. It reaffirmed my belief that I found the right job where I can spend more time with my son.
In the book, Jenna looked up sadly and asked her mom, "Is work better than here?" Her mom responds,"No. No place is better than home." Jenna asked, "Then why does Daddy want to be there instead of here?" Mary (the elderly lady they are living with responds by saying, "I guess sometimes we forget."
Th...more
In the book, Jenna looked up sadly and asked her mom, "Is work better than here?" Her mom responds,"No. No place is better than home." Jenna asked, "Then why does Daddy want to be there instead of here?" Mary (the elderly lady they are living with responds by saying, "I guess sometimes we forget."
Th...more
I don't often re-read books, but this is a book I have read now the last 3 Christmas'. It is an easy enjoyable read and best of all reminds me how important it is to cherish our children's childhoods. I keep it in my Chirstmas box - not the ornate nativity engraved box of this story but my big blue rubbermaid box. The story is about a young couple and their daughter who have outgrown their apartment and respond to an ad for a family to stay with a very wealthy elderly widow. They quickly realize...more
Jan 01, 2009
Asia Snow
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Asia by:
Carolyn
Great overall meaning (if you look beneath the surface) and application of gospel truths told in a short novel filled with cozy descriptions of interactions in a Christmas decorated home. My first thought as I began this book was "cheesy book" since "the box" seemed to search for meaning that just wasn't there. But the book is really well written (great choice of phrases and descriptions), interesting and a great story to read as a family (I read it to mine on the drive to Utah for Christmas). I...more
I was first introduced to this story through the film adaptation that I would watch at my grandma's house. I really liked the movie and was excited when I discovered that it was originally a book. There are a few differences, but I think they are both great.
The theme behind The Christmas Box is recognizing what is really important in life. It is a good lesson for Christmas and for all year round.
A young family is struggling to pay their bills. The husband is in a partnership, trying to get their...more
The theme behind The Christmas Box is recognizing what is really important in life. It is a good lesson for Christmas and for all year round.
A young family is struggling to pay their bills. The husband is in a partnership, trying to get their...more
*FYI: Spiritual as well as very personal content. Read at your own discretion:
THE CHRISTMAS BOX by Richard Paul Evans is a simple story about the true meaning of Christmas. Mary, the elderly woman in the story, truly GETS what Christmas is all about because, like God Himself, she gave (albeit unwillingly) her child's life. Anyone who has lost a child, knows and understand the sacrifice God made in sending HIS ONLY Son to live and die simply because He loves us so very much. Parents love their ch...more
THE CHRISTMAS BOX by Richard Paul Evans is a simple story about the true meaning of Christmas. Mary, the elderly woman in the story, truly GETS what Christmas is all about because, like God Himself, she gave (albeit unwillingly) her child's life. Anyone who has lost a child, knows and understand the sacrifice God made in sending HIS ONLY Son to live and die simply because He loves us so very much. Parents love their ch...more
The Christmas Box is definitely a good read!
It is a story designed to put the importance of life back into proper perspective.
While this tale involves pain and death, it also involves tenderness and a sense of family commitment. It is an eye-opener to how easily we can become busy as individuals, letting mundane, urgent (although necessary) tasks replace our important responsibilities.
I read this book with my family of six (kids from age 9 to 15) and can say that while there were occasional groa...more
It is a story designed to put the importance of life back into proper perspective.
While this tale involves pain and death, it also involves tenderness and a sense of family commitment. It is an eye-opener to how easily we can become busy as individuals, letting mundane, urgent (although necessary) tasks replace our important responsibilities.
I read this book with my family of six (kids from age 9 to 15) and can say that while there were occasional groa...more
I read this book quite a few years ago and knew that this was a special author. I have read most, if not all, of his books over the years. In fact, during a recent move, I parted with most of the books on my bookshelf, but the RPE and the Nicholas Sparks all made the move. They are just special books that I love to share with friends and reread over time. This time, I read the Christmas Box aloud to my daughter. She looked forward to a chapter or two every evening and fell in love with the chara...more
I picked up this book after I forgot the book I was currently reading at my sister-in-laws and didn't really want to get to into another book. I saw The Christmas Box on my bookshelf and realized it would be a quick read...which it was...however it was a small book with a big heart. I enjoyed the message and I also liked that it didn't end with the family inheriting the house...call me synical but that's where I thought the book was heading and that would have just been to syrupy. The ending was...more
I wanted a quick feel good read and decided to read a Christmas classic. I enjoy Richard Paul Evans, whose books I have only recently discovered. Because I had watched and enjoyed the movie based upon The Christmas Box book years ago and had not yet read the book, I thought the book would be a good choice.
It didn't disappoint. I would have rated it a 4 based on the enjoyment factor but decided on a 3 due to the brevity of the book. It was more of a novella than a novel. I didn't think it fair to...more
It didn't disappoint. I would have rated it a 4 based on the enjoyment factor but decided on a 3 due to the brevity of the book. It was more of a novella than a novel. I didn't think it fair to...more
We decided to read the Christmas Box for our Book Club this month. It was a perfect choice since this month is a busy one for everyone, and it is a short story. I read it in less than an hour. As embarrassed as I am to admit, I had never read this book before. Yes, I know, shocking. But I have never been especially drawn to much of Richard Paul Evans work. Anyway, it was also fitting to read this month as it reminds us all of the true meaning of Christmas. What we should really be celebrating.
T...more
T...more
Someone just dropped off my "present" from the Relief Society. It's a copy of The Christmas Box. This is almost as bad as when the "gift" distributed at church on Mother's Day is a pamphlet about how good mothers should behave and then the dads get Snickers bars on Father's Day. At least they didn't leave a candy bar for Dan along with The Christmas Box for me this time. I bought a copy to read for a book club (and when I expressed my opinion as to the merit of this book at said book club, I fou...more
This is a very quick seasonal read, just over 100 pages long. The Christmas Box is a story that the author used to tell to his two daughters and is about the true meaning of Christmas.
A young couple and their 3 year old daughter move in with an elderly lady, they agree to clean and cook for her, in exchange they will get free lodgings in her huge mansion.
Richard, the husband, discovers a beautifully carved wooden box in the attic of the house which contains letters written in the early 1900s -...more
A young couple and their 3 year old daughter move in with an elderly lady, they agree to clean and cook for her, in exchange they will get free lodgings in her huge mansion.
Richard, the husband, discovers a beautifully carved wooden box in the attic of the house which contains letters written in the early 1900s -...more
2009 was the last year that I intentionally read "Classic Bestsellers" in an attempt to find out what made them sell so well. "The Christmas Box", as well as it's follow up novels, made me stop looking for quality in best-selling fiction, especially in Holiday-themed stories (though hopes of quality were restored when I came across Louisa May Alcott's posthumously collected Christmas Stories).
The narrator of the book is dumb, pure dumbness, when an obviously grieving man comes in to the clothing...more
The narrator of the book is dumb, pure dumbness, when an obviously grieving man comes in to the clothing...more
Nice, quick read. Good reminder to enjoy our little ones while they're little.
So I read this book in one night on the couch next to our Christmas tree (which really added to the magic of this book). I have a vivid memory of watching the TV version of this book when I was younger and being kind of scared of the angel and the Christmas box that played music even though it wasn't a music box. It's funny that I watched the movie so long ago, and just barely read the book, but I felt a little nervous as I was home alone reading this book, even though there is nothing to be ner...more
I found this book to be lovely. Each December, I read what I might label as "Hallamrk" books at quite a fast pace. This book was written for the author's children, shared with family friends, and eventually published for the public by demand. This is a story of a young family with one child that lives with a widow in her large home. As the father is moving his family items into an attic, the Christmas box is discovered. As the father and the readers learn about Christmas' first present, the mean...more
Apr 03, 2013
Rachel
added it
I just got done reading a short book by Richard Paul Evans titled The Christmas Box. It is a very meaningful book. It is about a couple with a little girl named Jenna. The couple is low on money and house space so they decide to take a job living with an older lady named Mary. They must take care of her and provide meals and company for her. The dad, Rick, finds an old Christmas box up in the attic that plays music and contains letters. He reads some of the letters and thinks they are to Mary's...more
I've first heard of Richard Paul Evans when I signed up for the Christmas Reading Challenge. I put his books in the WL and a few days later I found this one through Bookmooch. It is a very small story and I read it in less than hour.
"Whatever the reason, I find that with each passing Christmas the story of the Christmas box is told less and needed more. So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss as seems to them good. As for me, I believe."
It is a very simple story reall...more
"Whatever the reason, I find that with each passing Christmas the story of the Christmas box is told less and needed more. So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss as seems to them good. As for me, I believe."
It is a very simple story reall...more
Richard. Keri and their daughter Jenna live a modest life. While looking in a local paper, they find a caretaking job for a stately mansion.
They meet Mary Parkin, the widow who lives there, and they take the job. They move in the one of the wings of the house, and store some of their belongings in the attic. Mary becomes a surrogate grandmother to Jenna and the group becomes a family.
Richard owns his own formal wear rental business and spends much of his time working. Mary asks Richard what the...more
They meet Mary Parkin, the widow who lives there, and they take the job. They move in the one of the wings of the house, and store some of their belongings in the attic. Mary becomes a surrogate grandmother to Jenna and the group becomes a family.
Richard owns his own formal wear rental business and spends much of his time working. Mary asks Richard what the...more
This is another review of a book that will probably incite people to violence against me.
I read "The Christmas Box" this week, a "Top 5 Reads" from Debbie Macomber. It's a best selling book by a Christian man who created the story for his children then stumbled upon a national best seller.
I'm sorry, I know it's a touching and heartfelt story but it reads like the winning short story of a ninth grade High School student. My expectation of a book that sells successfully across the nation is at lea...more
I read "The Christmas Box" this week, a "Top 5 Reads" from Debbie Macomber. It's a best selling book by a Christian man who created the story for his children then stumbled upon a national best seller.
I'm sorry, I know it's a touching and heartfelt story but it reads like the winning short story of a ninth grade High School student. My expectation of a book that sells successfully across the nation is at lea...more
I'm aware that this is now some sort of Utah-Cult-Classic, but I hated this book. It was way too sappy and way to warm and fuzzy for my liking. I probably gagged all the way through it. No offense to the whole children-dying thing that the book was trying to portray, I'm super sad for dying children, but.....
The Christmas Box is comtemporary realistic fiction written for advanced readers.
The story is set in the 1940's, but the lessons shared are timeless. A quick insightful read full of love.
I rated the book 4 stars. The plot is simple, yet meaningful. We have all missed the true joy of family at some point in our lives. Readers will find that Evans offers an insightful look at the soul of his characters, who in turn help readers look inside themselves. Young adults will find the length of the book...more
The story is set in the 1940's, but the lessons shared are timeless. A quick insightful read full of love.
I rated the book 4 stars. The plot is simple, yet meaningful. We have all missed the true joy of family at some point in our lives. Readers will find that Evans offers an insightful look at the soul of his characters, who in turn help readers look inside themselves. Young adults will find the length of the book...more
This is the story of a young, struggling little family who move into a large mansion to help an old widow in ways they never suspect they will. The father is busy starting a new business and learns that Christmas is more than just having money to provide for his family. The widow Mary Anne will teach him the true, first gift of Christmas and teach him a lesson he will never forget.
This book is all that the Christmas season represents. Originally Richard Paul Evans thought he would never publish...more
This book is all that the Christmas season represents. Originally Richard Paul Evans thought he would never publish...more
I'm loving it so far!(:
Him,Carry,& there daughter Jenna move into Mary and old lady who has a mansion and needs help to do the yard and cook for her. Carry and her family and her family are the perfect couple.
Mary's husband died so she needed company. Mary has a story nobody knows.She had a little girl her angek she called it and her baby girl died at age 3.
Richard finds a christmas box full of love letters and he hears voices singing. Mary is detected with a brain tumor and she has little...more
Him,Carry,& there daughter Jenna move into Mary and old lady who has a mansion and needs help to do the yard and cook for her. Carry and her family and her family are the perfect couple.
Mary's husband died so she needed company. Mary has a story nobody knows.She had a little girl her angek she called it and her baby girl died at age 3.
Richard finds a christmas box full of love letters and he hears voices singing. Mary is detected with a brain tumor and she has little...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I CAN'T WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!! | 3 | 14 | Nov 03, 2011 02:54pm |
When Richard Paul Evans wrote the #1 best-seller, The Christmas Box, he never intended on becoming an internationally known author. His quiet story of parental love and the true meaning of Christmas made history when it became simultaneously the #1 hardcover and paperback book in the nation. Since then, more than eight million copies of The Christmas Box have been printed. He has since written ele...more
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“The smells of Christmas are the smells of childhood [p. 53]”
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61 people liked it
“Denial, perhaps, is a necessary human mechanism to cope with the heartaches of life. ”
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55 people liked it
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Dec 23, 2008 04:41pm
Dec 28, 2009 06:51pm