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The More the Merrier
The Christmas holiday is traditionally a time for families to gather together. But more definitely does not mean merrier in Ralph’s household — not with Uncle Tristram hurling spuds at the cat, cousin Titania in her frilly dresses, nutty Great-Aunt Ida and others. Mum’s on the verge of a breakdown and Ralph’s been banished to his bedroom.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Anne Fine
404 books304 followersThough readers often find themselves inadvertently laughing aloud as they read Anne Fine's novels, as she herself admits, "a lot of my work, even for fairly young readers, raises serious social issues. Growing up is a long and confusing business. I try to show that the battle through the chaos is worthwhile and can, at times, be seen as very funny." In 1994, this unique combination of humour and realism inspired the hit movie MRS. DOUBTFIRE, based on Anne's novel MADAME DOUBTFIRE and starring the late comedic genius Robin Williams.
Anne is best known in her home country, England, as a writer principally for children, but over the years she has also written eight novels for adult readers. Seven of these she describes as black - or sour - comedies, and the first, THE KILLJOY, simply as "dead black". These novels have proved great favourites with reading groups, causing readers to squirm with mingled horror and delight as she peels away the layers in all too familiar family relationships, exposing the tangled threads and conflicts beneath. (It's perhaps not surprising that Anne has openly expressed astonishment at the fact that murder in the domestic setting is not even more common.)
Anne has written more than sixty books for children and young people. Amongst numerous other awards, she is twice winner of both the Carnegie Medal, Britain's most prestigious children's book award, and the Whitbread Award. Twice chosen as Children's Author of the Year in the British Book Awards, Anne Fine was also the first novelist to be honoured as Children's Laureate in the United Kingdom. In 2003, Anne became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an OBE. Her work has been translated into forty five languages.
Anne Fine lives in the north of England and has two grown up daughters.
Anne is best known in her home country, England, as a writer principally for children, but over the years she has also written eight novels for adult readers. Seven of these she describes as black - or sour - comedies, and the first, THE KILLJOY, simply as "dead black". These novels have proved great favourites with reading groups, causing readers to squirm with mingled horror and delight as she peels away the layers in all too familiar family relationships, exposing the tangled threads and conflicts beneath. (It's perhaps not surprising that Anne has openly expressed astonishment at the fact that murder in the domestic setting is not even more common.)
Anne has written more than sixty books for children and young people. Amongst numerous other awards, she is twice winner of both the Carnegie Medal, Britain's most prestigious children's book award, and the Whitbread Award. Twice chosen as Children's Author of the Year in the British Book Awards, Anne Fine was also the first novelist to be honoured as Children's Laureate in the United Kingdom. In 2003, Anne became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an OBE. Her work has been translated into forty five languages.
Anne Fine lives in the north of England and has two grown up daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
December 15, 2025
With her 2003 middle grade Christmas themed novel The More the Merrier (also published under the title of The True Story of Christmas), Carnegie Medal winner Anne Fine (who won for both Goggle-eyes in 1989 and for Flour Babies in 1992) basically goes textually full throttle so to speak with her delightful and often bitingly sarcastic look at a "typical" yuletide celebration in a British family full of eccentric and often hilariously horrid relatives (the Mountfields).
Thus there show up in The More the Merrier an acid tongued great-grandmother, Great-Aunt Ida who insists that she saw the vicar floating past the window, there are two always misbehaving, spoiled brat and destructive toddler cousins and equally so full of herself, supposedly "gifted" but annoyingly tattling goody two-shoes cousin Titania and indeed a host of others, most of whom occasioning and creating delightfully wicked and laughable subplots throughout The More the Merrier but all of them generally also bearing at least a kernel of resemblance to people whom young readers might well know and have encountered in their own lives and in their own families, with Fine gleefully and delightfully again and again sharpening her sarcastic and satirical textual wit in The More the Merrier leading up to the extended family's absolutely and hugely funny gift exchange (for in an attempt to avoid the prior year's truly ugly free-for-all grabbing and fighting, first person narrator Ralph Mountfield's mother and hostess has insisted that presents be opened one-by-one this Christmas (and which enables the relatives to trace the multiple instances of laugh-out-loud, of absolutely, utterly hilarious gift recycling and regifting).
Now regarding Ralph's voice and narration for The More the Merrier looking back at his family's Christmas in short chapters replete with snappy dialogues, yes indeed, Anne Fine's witty jokes and one comical disaster after another, this has all been absolutely textually delightful, and that yes, both my inner middle grade reader and also adult I really adore how the episodes and scenarios of The More the Merrier are like scenes in a very funny play, full of rejoinders and exposition of family relations through dialogue and character interaction but also come with more than enough non conversational exposition, with much irreverent humour and truly original characters and this definitely being a fine change from overly saccharine Christmas tales of love and light. But albeit Fine's text for The More the Merrier certainly does not paint the sunniest picture of family life (and which might well turn off some more puritanical and "family is always sacred" adults), the Mountfields are actually also not an unhappy and not really a toxic or an abusive family either, nothing truly dreadful in fact happens in The More the Merrier and that everyone will probably also be invited again (but that Anne Fine definitely recognises that the holidays do not always bring out the best in people, that most families are imperfect and that imperfection is also much fun and much less tedious and also more realistic than supposed perfection and as is gloriously and with much chuckling and laughter shown and told about in The More the Merrier).
Five stars for The More the Merrier, highly recommended and oh oh oh so wonderfully funny without being ridiculous and artificial!
Thus there show up in The More the Merrier an acid tongued great-grandmother, Great-Aunt Ida who insists that she saw the vicar floating past the window, there are two always misbehaving, spoiled brat and destructive toddler cousins and equally so full of herself, supposedly "gifted" but annoyingly tattling goody two-shoes cousin Titania and indeed a host of others, most of whom occasioning and creating delightfully wicked and laughable subplots throughout The More the Merrier but all of them generally also bearing at least a kernel of resemblance to people whom young readers might well know and have encountered in their own lives and in their own families, with Fine gleefully and delightfully again and again sharpening her sarcastic and satirical textual wit in The More the Merrier leading up to the extended family's absolutely and hugely funny gift exchange (for in an attempt to avoid the prior year's truly ugly free-for-all grabbing and fighting, first person narrator Ralph Mountfield's mother and hostess has insisted that presents be opened one-by-one this Christmas (and which enables the relatives to trace the multiple instances of laugh-out-loud, of absolutely, utterly hilarious gift recycling and regifting).
Now regarding Ralph's voice and narration for The More the Merrier looking back at his family's Christmas in short chapters replete with snappy dialogues, yes indeed, Anne Fine's witty jokes and one comical disaster after another, this has all been absolutely textually delightful, and that yes, both my inner middle grade reader and also adult I really adore how the episodes and scenarios of The More the Merrier are like scenes in a very funny play, full of rejoinders and exposition of family relations through dialogue and character interaction but also come with more than enough non conversational exposition, with much irreverent humour and truly original characters and this definitely being a fine change from overly saccharine Christmas tales of love and light. But albeit Fine's text for The More the Merrier certainly does not paint the sunniest picture of family life (and which might well turn off some more puritanical and "family is always sacred" adults), the Mountfields are actually also not an unhappy and not really a toxic or an abusive family either, nothing truly dreadful in fact happens in The More the Merrier and that everyone will probably also be invited again (but that Anne Fine definitely recognises that the holidays do not always bring out the best in people, that most families are imperfect and that imperfection is also much fun and much less tedious and also more realistic than supposed perfection and as is gloriously and with much chuckling and laughter shown and told about in The More the Merrier).
Five stars for The More the Merrier, highly recommended and oh oh oh so wonderfully funny without being ridiculous and artificial!
January 20, 2014
This is probably the funniest book about Christmas and family I will ever come across. Would strongly recommend you try the audiobook version read by Julian Rhind Tutt first as then when you come to read it you have all the fantastic voices in your head already.
It is aimed at children but both my mum and my dad listened to the audiobook with me when I was 8 (am now 18 and still love it) and they enjoyed it a huge amount. Made long car journeys so much more bearable.
It is aimed at children but both my mum and my dad listened to the audiobook with me when I was 8 (am now 18 and still love it) and they enjoyed it a huge amount. Made long car journeys so much more bearable.
December 25, 2015
Cartea pe care o (re)citesc in fiecare an, de Craciun.
December 6, 2014
Cute.
And bold that she dare to advertise herself like that at the end:
Ralph's Christmas List: etc, etc, the Complete
Works of Anne Fine, etc, etc.
And bold that she dare to advertise herself like that at the end:
Ralph's Christmas List: etc, etc, the Complete
Works of Anne Fine, etc, etc.
October 30, 2023
typowa czytanka dla dzieci, ale napisana prostym, powtarzalnym jezykiem takze super plus dla wzgledow językowych, idealnie dla B1
December 5, 2018
Multe rude îngrămădite într-o casă. O fetiță răsfățată, niște frați nepoliticoși, o bătrână nesuferită etc. Nimeni nu vrea să fie acolo și, totuși, toți au venit fără să fie obligați. Se ceartă, se insultă, țipă, își fac reproșuri. N-am înțeles de ce a fost scrisă cartea asta; poate că trebuie să fiu copil ca să pricep. Nota este pentru ilustrații.
December 13, 2011
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
The True Story of Christmas is a middle grade novel which was originally published in the UK in 2003 with the title The More the Merrier. It’s the story of Ralph and his dysfunctional family, all of whom come to stay with him and his parents for the Christmas holiday. Told in a sarcastic tone that demonstrates Fine’s keen understanding of family dynamics, this book gives not the warm and fuzzy Christmas scene we might normally associate with the holiday season, but rather paints an almost painfully funny picture of a strained family holiday. It also involves a Christmas Quiz, which sounds like a good idea until it gets Ralph into trouble.
The colorful personalities that make this story enjoyable include a senile and ill-tempered grandmother who keeps insisting that she sees the vicar floating by outside the window, a spoiled little princess of a cousin, who is constantly performing songs and dances for the family whether they want them or not, Uncle Tristram, a 30-year-old arrested adolescent who exacts revenge when he isn’t properly thanked for his holiday gifts, and Albert, who’s not one of the family but keeps turning up in the bathtub nonetheless. They’re not the sort of people most of us would strive to be related to, but they do represent the truth for many kids in less-than-normal families, and they do so in a very humorous way.
The one-liners and other biting comments between and about family members are one of the greatest features of the book. Here are just three of my many favorite moments:
On page 37, when annoyed with one of her grandkids, Great-granny makes a pronouncement:
"If I had my own teeth, I'd bite you," said Great-granny.
Ralph, observing the family’s Christmas preparations comes up with an extremely apt metaphor on page 46:
What I was thinking was that, up to a point, Christmas is like a blown-up but not yet knotted balloon that's been let go by mistake. It goes bla-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-are! and then shrivels into not much.
On page 90, Mum gets involved in the snarky back-and-forth:
"You don't have a way with children," Mum said. "It's just that they know that, if they sit by you, sooner or later they'll hear something they shouldn't."
The drawings that illustrate the book are a great addition to the story as well. I loved seeing the scowling faces of the various relatives which appear at the start of many chapters, and I think the cover illustration is great as well. I chose to read this book based on the cover, and though I like the original UK cover, the American version suits the story perfectly.
This book doesn’t paint the sunniest picture of family life, which will definitely turn off some readers - especially adults. But as Anne Fine points out on her website, “the Mountfields are a very strong and happy family, nothing truly dreadful happens, and everyone will probably be invited again the year after next (if not next year). It is a comedy, after all.” This story never suggests that Ralph’s family isn’t a good family - it just recognizes the truth that the holidays don’t always bring out the best in everyone, and not every family is the Brady Bunch. It perfectly captures the ways in which the people we’re closest to can be the ones who drive us the craziest.
The True Story of Christmas is one of my new favorites, and I really recommend it as a comic respite from the stresses of the holiday season, as well as a refreshing and realistic take on the joys and woes of families. Recommend it to fans of the Casson family series by Hilary McKay as well as the works of Roald Dahl.
The True Story of Christmas is a middle grade novel which was originally published in the UK in 2003 with the title The More the Merrier. It’s the story of Ralph and his dysfunctional family, all of whom come to stay with him and his parents for the Christmas holiday. Told in a sarcastic tone that demonstrates Fine’s keen understanding of family dynamics, this book gives not the warm and fuzzy Christmas scene we might normally associate with the holiday season, but rather paints an almost painfully funny picture of a strained family holiday. It also involves a Christmas Quiz, which sounds like a good idea until it gets Ralph into trouble.
The colorful personalities that make this story enjoyable include a senile and ill-tempered grandmother who keeps insisting that she sees the vicar floating by outside the window, a spoiled little princess of a cousin, who is constantly performing songs and dances for the family whether they want them or not, Uncle Tristram, a 30-year-old arrested adolescent who exacts revenge when he isn’t properly thanked for his holiday gifts, and Albert, who’s not one of the family but keeps turning up in the bathtub nonetheless. They’re not the sort of people most of us would strive to be related to, but they do represent the truth for many kids in less-than-normal families, and they do so in a very humorous way.
The one-liners and other biting comments between and about family members are one of the greatest features of the book. Here are just three of my many favorite moments:
On page 37, when annoyed with one of her grandkids, Great-granny makes a pronouncement:
"If I had my own teeth, I'd bite you," said Great-granny.
Ralph, observing the family’s Christmas preparations comes up with an extremely apt metaphor on page 46:
What I was thinking was that, up to a point, Christmas is like a blown-up but not yet knotted balloon that's been let go by mistake. It goes bla-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-are! and then shrivels into not much.
On page 90, Mum gets involved in the snarky back-and-forth:
"You don't have a way with children," Mum said. "It's just that they know that, if they sit by you, sooner or later they'll hear something they shouldn't."
The drawings that illustrate the book are a great addition to the story as well. I loved seeing the scowling faces of the various relatives which appear at the start of many chapters, and I think the cover illustration is great as well. I chose to read this book based on the cover, and though I like the original UK cover, the American version suits the story perfectly.
This book doesn’t paint the sunniest picture of family life, which will definitely turn off some readers - especially adults. But as Anne Fine points out on her website, “the Mountfields are a very strong and happy family, nothing truly dreadful happens, and everyone will probably be invited again the year after next (if not next year). It is a comedy, after all.” This story never suggests that Ralph’s family isn’t a good family - it just recognizes the truth that the holidays don’t always bring out the best in everyone, and not every family is the Brady Bunch. It perfectly captures the ways in which the people we’re closest to can be the ones who drive us the craziest.
The True Story of Christmas is one of my new favorites, and I really recommend it as a comic respite from the stresses of the holiday season, as well as a refreshing and realistic take on the joys and woes of families. Recommend it to fans of the Casson family series by Hilary McKay as well as the works of Roald Dahl.
December 12, 2013
It is Christmas Day and 11 year old Ralph William Mountfield has been banished to his room and now, he wants to tell us his side of what happened.
It all begins on Christmas Eve with a houseful of visiting dysfunctional relatives, including tattle-tale Titania, Ralph's cousin, whom her mother swears is "gifted" but most of us would just say annoying and obnoxious with her parents; twins Sylvia and Sylvester, whirlwinds of destruction who show up unexpectedly with their parents; Uncle Tristtam, troublemaker par excellence and who gives each twin a wrapped up half a brick for Christmas; Mr. Fix-it Grandpa, who sings to the dog while he "fixes" things; crusty Great Granny who has a snarky word for everyone; bonkers Great-Aunt Ida who had an imaginary visit from the vicar as he floated past her window that morning; and of course, Ralph's mom Tansy, dad James and older brother Harry. Oh, yes, and Albert the boy who lives next door but is always at the Mountfields home.
So, Christmas Eve goes relatively (no pun intended) well - just one megatrantrum courtesy of the twins, dinner gets on the table, and later some rather odd letters to Santa are written and Uncle Tristam wraps his bricks.
Christmas morning - Ralph and Titania get some strange responses to their letters to Santa; the oven door won't stay closed so the turkeys can cook, and Ralph's mom makes Ralph's dad sign in blood a promise that next year there would be no Christmas relatives because they will be away somewhere in holiday. But presents get open, and dinner gets done.
So how did Ralph end up banished to his room on Christmas Day? Well, it all began with Aunt Susan's suggestion of having Christmas Quiz about the family....Need I say more?
I was reading this book on a long train ride and somewhere alone the line (again, no pun intended) I found myself laughing out loud. Anne Fine has such a fine hand with irony, a wicked sense of humor and is a master at plots and subplots. You may even recognize some of your own relatives in her exaggerated characterizations of Ralph's family as he unravels his Christmas tale.
Not everyone will like this book. But if you enjoy Roald Dahl, you will probably like this story. And unlike the Wormwoods in Matilda, for example, Ralph, Harry, mom and dad do form a very loving family, and you see it despite the dysfunction going on around them. Still, I wonder how many of us can count a few relatives that remind us of some of our own? I know I have a few.
The True Story of Christmas is a short chapter book, great for reading aloud to your kids. And I think you will find that amid all the sweet, sentimental holiday books that make you go ahh and feel good inside (and don't get me wrong, I like those as well), this is a story that would tickle even Scrooge's funny bone.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
It all begins on Christmas Eve with a houseful of visiting dysfunctional relatives, including tattle-tale Titania, Ralph's cousin, whom her mother swears is "gifted" but most of us would just say annoying and obnoxious with her parents; twins Sylvia and Sylvester, whirlwinds of destruction who show up unexpectedly with their parents; Uncle Tristtam, troublemaker par excellence and who gives each twin a wrapped up half a brick for Christmas; Mr. Fix-it Grandpa, who sings to the dog while he "fixes" things; crusty Great Granny who has a snarky word for everyone; bonkers Great-Aunt Ida who had an imaginary visit from the vicar as he floated past her window that morning; and of course, Ralph's mom Tansy, dad James and older brother Harry. Oh, yes, and Albert the boy who lives next door but is always at the Mountfields home.
So, Christmas Eve goes relatively (no pun intended) well - just one megatrantrum courtesy of the twins, dinner gets on the table, and later some rather odd letters to Santa are written and Uncle Tristam wraps his bricks.
Christmas morning - Ralph and Titania get some strange responses to their letters to Santa; the oven door won't stay closed so the turkeys can cook, and Ralph's mom makes Ralph's dad sign in blood a promise that next year there would be no Christmas relatives because they will be away somewhere in holiday. But presents get open, and dinner gets done.
So how did Ralph end up banished to his room on Christmas Day? Well, it all began with Aunt Susan's suggestion of having Christmas Quiz about the family....Need I say more?
I was reading this book on a long train ride and somewhere alone the line (again, no pun intended) I found myself laughing out loud. Anne Fine has such a fine hand with irony, a wicked sense of humor and is a master at plots and subplots. You may even recognize some of your own relatives in her exaggerated characterizations of Ralph's family as he unravels his Christmas tale.
Not everyone will like this book. But if you enjoy Roald Dahl, you will probably like this story. And unlike the Wormwoods in Matilda, for example, Ralph, Harry, mom and dad do form a very loving family, and you see it despite the dysfunction going on around them. Still, I wonder how many of us can count a few relatives that remind us of some of our own? I know I have a few.
The True Story of Christmas is a short chapter book, great for reading aloud to your kids. And I think you will find that amid all the sweet, sentimental holiday books that make you go ahh and feel good inside (and don't get me wrong, I like those as well), this is a story that would tickle even Scrooge's funny bone.
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
Read
December 5, 2011When Ralph's relatives come to visit for Christmas, things go from uncomfortable to bad, from bad to worse, and from worse to catastrophe. Ralph's hilarious tale of a family get together gone horribly wrong will have you laughing out loud. And who knows? You may even recognize some of your own relatives among the crowd!
- Beth M. -
- Beth M. -
May 1, 2013
Hilarious to read - even better to listen to (read by Julian Rhind-Tutt)
December 28, 2015
Great Christmas present from my sister. Wish it was longer!
August 4, 2023
One ought to return to these children’s book once in a while. Read it a few years ago, always turned back to this for a breath. Very entertaining and short read.
December 14, 2016
Would I normally rate this story at four stars? Who can say? All I know is after working all day in a children's holiday shop, I was ready for a cranky, curmudgeonly, charming Christmas story
December 15, 2020
Foarte draguta carte pentru copii, dar si pentru adulti. Recomand!
Read
January 22, 2022Molto divertente. Un libro su üna famiglia catastrofa chi litigato pure un con l'altro. È il libro perfetto per qualcuno come io chi vuole migliorare un po sua lingua italiana. Ci sono tante frase dalla vita quotidiana che si puo usare in conversazione. Devo leggerlo un altra volta per fare un elenco di frasi e parole che voglio imparare. Cercherò sicuramente di trovare e leggere altri libri della serie.
Very funny. A book about a catastrophic family that only quarreled with each other. It is the perfect book for people like me who want to improve their Italian language a little. There are many phrases from everyday life that you can use in conversation. I have to read it one more time to make a list of phrases and words I want to learn. I will definitely try to find and read other books in the series.
Very funny. A book about a catastrophic family that only quarreled with each other. It is the perfect book for people like me who want to improve their Italian language a little. There are many phrases from everyday life that you can use in conversation. I have to read it one more time to make a list of phrases and words I want to learn. I will definitely try to find and read other books in the series.
September 4, 2025
I was looking for a book about Christmas that children would love, but I think this one is much more likely to be of interest to adult readers. I truly empathized with the mom who had to do all the cleaning, the cooking, the decorations etc. for a huuge family get together. I feel the same need to go away on a distant vacation each holiday season just to get some rest and peace. I also saw my dad in the grandfather who was always tinkering something around the house. The tensions between family members also rang quite true and the whole section regarding the opening of the presents was really funny. So if you are a parent preparing for the Christmas chaos, this book is for you.
January 24, 2026
Two decades ago I was given the audiobook of this for Christmas. I'm not usually an audiobook person, but Julian Rhind-Tutt's voices make an already hilarious story even funnier. My family have been listening to this every December ever since, and we can (and do!) quote most of it from memory. Highly recommend this as a fun book for children, but with the range of characters depicting the highs and lows of a family Christmas, there's something to relate to here at any stage of life
January 11, 2021
"PIU' SI E' MEGLIO E'" di Anna Fine
Libro per ragazzi della brava autrice del mio adorato "BRUTTO GATTACCIO".
Divertente e ironico. Il Natale trasformato in un calderone di zii e zie, nonni, cani e gatti, nipoti pestiferi, nonni che parlano con il cane, zie che vedono personaggi volanti fuori dalla finestra.
Libro per ragazzi della brava autrice del mio adorato "BRUTTO GATTACCIO".
Divertente e ironico. Il Natale trasformato in un calderone di zii e zie, nonni, cani e gatti, nipoti pestiferi, nonni che parlano con il cane, zie che vedono personaggi volanti fuori dalla finestra.
August 26, 2022
I went to the library yesterday and they had a box with books you could buy for a euro. I'm from Spain so I was pretty excited to find a book about Christmas, a huge family (like mine!) and in English! I read it last night, it's pretty cute, although I really do NOT like the cousins. Anybody who does? I enjoyed it very much.
December 21, 2023
Lettura rapida e a tema natalizio che mostra in maniera comica tutto ciò che c'è di disfunzionale e fastidioso nelle famiglie e nel ritrovarsi tra parenti per le Feste. Con ironia e dinamicità Anne Fine racconta uno spaccato familiare. Meno coinvolgente e significativo di altre opere dell'autrice ma gradevole.
December 21, 2020
O tot începeam în fiecare an. E amuzantă, e cumva realistă pentru că sunt familii în care se strâng tot felul de rude, fiecare cu personalitatea și caracterul său. Însă mi se pare că lipsește ceva.
November 22, 2018
Wonderfully subversive children's story ... slightly dated, but still very witty and amusing.
August 25, 2019
Hilarous account of how family Christmas celebrations tend to be.
The "Christmas spirit" captured to a T
The "Christmas spirit" captured to a T
December 15, 2022
Esilarante e molto ben scritto. Una lettura veloce - la storia si svolge interamente nei pochi giorni che precedono il Natale - ma ben congeniata, così come i personaggi.
December 27, 2023
What an hysterically funny book! I couldn’t stop
laughing. And
The audio book is fantastic.
laughing. And
The audio book is fantastic.
January 17, 2026
reread, 2025
sososo good
sososo good
May 27, 2020
My aunt gave me this book for Christmas as an ‘antidote’ for having to spend it with family and it did not disappoint! Lots of fun I’m so proud of Ralph! Also I love rich uncle what’s his name :)
December 9, 2017
Excellent. I particularly liked Uncle Tristan.
Read
December 20, 2021England’s Children’s Laureate lets out all the stops in this no-holds-barred look at a Christmas celebration in an English family full of eccentric relatives, including spoiled little cousins and a great-aunt who thinks she sees the vicar floating past the window. The younger son of the family, Ralph, tells the story of the holiday reunion of 15 relatives, each with issues with other family members, plus an innocent little neighbor boy who always overhears what he shouldn’t. Ralph looks back at Christmas through first-person narration told in short chapters full of snappy dialogue, witty jokes, and one comical disaster after another. The chapters are like scenes in a very funny play, full of rejoinders and exposition of family relations through dialogue and character interaction. The text includes lots of British terms and expressions, but readers used to the Harry Potter books will take that in stride. This hilarious saga is full of irreverent humor and truly original characters unlike those in any other Christmas story, a fine change from overly sweet Christmas treats.
August 12, 2011
Ralph and his family have his relatives coming to stay for Christmas the Aunts, Uncles, Grannies and nightmare Cousins. Poor Ralph’s mum wants to go away on holiday every year for Christmas but ends up cooking Christmas dinner for all the fussy family. His Uncle end ups throwing potatoes at the cat, his Granddad secretly feeds his dinner to the dog under the table and Ralph has to listen to his annoying younger Cousin dance and sign fairy songs.
As the Christmas weekend goes on the family continue to annoy each other but put up with their behaviour with a smile on their face ‘grinning and bearing it’. I found this book amusing as although the families behaviour is slightly exaggerated I am sure everyone can relate to relatives descending at Christmas and you willing them to leave.
As the Christmas weekend goes on the family continue to annoy each other but put up with their behaviour with a smile on their face ‘grinning and bearing it’. I found this book amusing as although the families behaviour is slightly exaggerated I am sure everyone can relate to relatives descending at Christmas and you willing them to leave.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews