A Christmas Story: The Book That Inspired the Hilarious Classic Film Reviews

3 thoughts on “A Christmas Story: The Book That Inspired the Hilarious Classic Film Reviews”

1. 32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

   
   Hilarious Christmas Story Collection, December 2, 2003

   By 

   Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) –
   
     

   This review is from: A Christmas Story: The Book That Inspired the Hilarious Classic Film (Hardcover)

   A CHRISTMAS STORY features 5 separate short stories, involving young Ralphie Parker, and his crazy family, which have been taken from Jean Shepherd’s best-sellers IN GOD WE TRUST: ALL OTHERS PAY CASH and WANDA HICKEY’S NIGHT OF GOLDEN MEMORIES AND OTHER DISASTERS, as opposed to being the novelization of the movie A CHRISTMAS STORY. The 5 stories, DUEL IN THE SNOW, OR RED RYDER NAILS THE CLEVELAND STREET KID, THE COUNTERFEIT SECRET CIRCLE MEMBER GETS THE MESSAGE, OR THE ASP STRIKES AGAIN, MY OLD MAN AND THE LASCIVIOUS SPECIAL AWARD THAT HERALDED THE BIRTH OF POP ART, GROVER DILL AND THE TASMANIAN DEVIL, and THE GRANDSTAND PASSION PLAY OF DELBERT AND THE BUMPUS HOUNDS, are all some of fans favorite scenes from the movie, which include how Ralphie discovers that his Little Orphan Annie decoder ring is really an advertisement for Ovaltine, how he defends himself against the bullies, Scut Farkas and Grover Dill, and the infamous leg lamp that his father (the Old Man) wins in a contest, just to name a few.
   Fans of the movie A CHRISTMAS STORY, will relish in almost the exact likeness between the movie and the short stories featured in this collection. You will find yourself laughing out loud numerous times as you read about Ralphie’s crazy family life, including his Old Man, Mother, younger brother, friends, family, and neighbors. A must-have this holiday season for all fans of the movie.
   Erika Sorocco

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2. 16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

   
   THE STORIES THAT INSPIRED THE MOVIE, January 2, 2004

   By 

   Tim Janson (Michigan) –
   
     
   
     
   
     

   This review is from: A Christmas Story: The Book That Inspired the Hilarious Classic Film (Hardcover)

   If you’re like me, Christmas isn’t Christmas unless you see this great movie at least two or three times during the holidays. Now, you can read the stories by humorist Jean Shepherd that inspired the book.
   While all of the stories themselves didn’t actually take place during Christmas, they were all woven together to make the film. Read about Ralphies quest for the Red Ryder BB gun, about the battle with bully Grover Dill, the “Old Man” winning the leg lamp, an more.
   Five stories in all in this light, but funny book. It’s interesting to see how the the stories were all incorporated into the movie and Shepherd himself was on the set making sure the director stayed very close to the spirit of his work.
   Great book.

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3. 16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

   
   You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!, November 4, 2004

   By 

   Barry “Barrybgb” –

   This review is from: A Christmas Story: The Book That Inspired the Hilarious Classic Film (Hardcover)

   When I think of my favorite Christmas moments, it all pretty much has to do with The Parker Family. Not Natalie Wood sitting on Santa’s lap at the mall, or Jimmy Stewart running through his snowy town wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. But giant pink bunny costumes, a scary Santa with a big sled, a father battling the furnace, and of course, a Red Ryder BB gun. We have all come to love and appreciate the Christmas classic, “A Christmas Story”, released back in 1983. With little fanfare in the beginning, it has grown over the years to match, and maybe outdo, yearly favorites like “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Miracle On 34th Street”. This book, a collection of the works of Jean Shepherd, is what inspired the now beloved movie. I have never read it before, and I was quite surprised with how different it was. I wasn’t expecting most of it. All of the little things in the movie we know and love, were not actually part of the original story. They were all seperate stories of their own, and most never even took place during the holidays. The first story, “Duel In The Snow, Or Red Ryder Nails The Cleveland Street Kid”, is basically the Red Ryder Christmas tale we all know. There were some surprising differences, but I will let you find those out yourself. The second is, “The Counterfeit Secret Circle Member Gets The Message, Or The Asp Strikes Again”, and this short story is all about the Little Orphan Annie and the decoder ring. Something that was put into the actual movie. The third story is, “My Old Man And The Lascivious Special Award That Heralded The Birth Of Pop Art”, which is the infamous tale of Mr. Parker and his questioable leg lamp. The fourth is, “Grover Dill And The Tasmanian Devil”, which tells the tale of the neighborhood bully, who was renamed Scut Farkas for the movie. The fifth and final story in the book is “The Grandstand Passion Play Of Delbert And The Bumpus Hounds”, a story about The Parkers’ hillbilly neighbors, and their unruly pack of dogs. The book, and Shepherd’s writing and immaculate way of spinning a yarn, is so drenched in Americana and nostalgia, that you can definiltey imagine the whole thing in your head and feel as if you are there. You can actually see Ralphie’s eyes, or any other of the characters. He writes with such a sure, warm hand, that it feels as if he is writing directly to you and that you could of been a part of this. If that makes any kind of sense at all. It will surprise many when you read the book and find out that things were not originally written like it is in the movie. Shepherd wrote the script to the movie, and when he did, probably to make it movie length, he incorporated the stories of Little Orphan Annie, the leg lamp, the bully, and The Bumpus hounds, into the script, and wove it into a coherent and sensible script. Thank god he did. Can you imagine the movie today without any of those side stories?. I don’t think so. I also find it interesting that the parents are always ‘Mom’ and ‘The Old Man’. Fans might be disappointed with some things that were changed for the movie. And changed for the better. For instance, the pink bunny costume was originally just a pair of slippers. Slippers? funny. Big pink bunny costume?. Very funny!!. And other things. Still, it is a warm and brilliant display of writing that will warm the heart on the coldest, and snowiest, day of the season. Perfect to own, and to be cherished year after year. Same with the movie.

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