For author John Grisham, the Christmas season is a foreign concept. Grisham is best known for his thrillers that are set in the legal system. Skipping Christmas, which was published in 2001, is a departure from Grisham's usual fare. Grisham's novel follows Luther and Nora Krank, who decide that they will not celebrate Christmas during that given year. On their street, the Kranks will be the only home that isn't hosting a Christmas Eve party, much to the chagrin of their neighbors, who are determined to win the best-decorated block. They aren't, in fact, going to even have a Christmas tree, which is a hallmark of the holiday. Instead of celebrating Christmas, in fact, the couple decides that they will spend the holiday on a cruise in the luxurious Caribbean. Chaos ensues, and the couple ends up celebrating Christmas together, giving their cruise tickets to another couple.
Grisham's novel was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and received positive reviews from critics and readers across the world. And that popularity enabled a film adaption, entitled Christmas with Kranks, to be made. That film, which was released in 2004, received overwhelmingly negative reviews (but was a modest financial success).
