Last Christmas, I bought myself the most beautiful hardback Christmas anthology by the British Library called A Literary Christmas: An Anthology. In the chaos of the festive season, I never did find the time to finish reading it or a spare moment to review it for you guys last year, but having returned to it again this Christmas, I wanted to make time to review it for you today.
A Literary Christmas is a beautifully curated Christmas anthology, filled with festive poems, extracts from novels, and even diary entries from a wide variety of great writers like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, D.H. Lawrence, the Brontë sisters, George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Louisa May Alcott, and many more.
As you read on through the book, you'll discover extracts from beloved novels and plays like A Christmas Carol, Little Women, Wuthering Heights, As You Like It, and The Wind in the Willows; poems including Clement Clarke Moore's infamous 'A Visit From Saint Nicholas', Christina Rossetti's 'A Christmas Carol', Anne Brontë 's 'Music On Christmas Morning', and Thomas Hardy's 'A Christmas Ghost Story'; and festive musings from the diaries of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn. Of course, that is only a handful of what this 151 page anthology has to offer, but I'll leave it up to you to discover the rest!
This festive collection of literature has been arranged in to eight sections relating to a different topic or period of the Christmas season, from Before Christmas and The Nativity, to Christmas Day and Christmas at War, and beyond. This helps the writing in the book to flow easily, and also allows you to read different sections at different points in the festive season which will help you get in to the Christmas spirit in no time.
As well as quality writing, the book also showcases beautiful illustrations in a variety of styles, and a mixture of colour and black and white. I'm not sure if the illustrations were designed especially for the anthology, or whether they were taken from the original books of the authors, but they are beautiful just the same. They really add something special to the book, and will also help interest younger readers if you want to share some stories or poems with your children as you count down the days 'til Christmas.
One of my favourite things about the book is the cover. Not the book itself- the book is just a plain but festive burgundy hardback; no, it's the dust-jacket that's the show-stopper here. Just look at that stunning silver cover! It features a pretty wintry woodland illustration by Sinem Erkas made up of woodland animals like deer, a fox, hare, and turkey; winter foliage including holly and mistletoe, and Mary and baby Jesus seated on a stool under a simple canopy. The design is absolutely beautiful, and it's what caught my attention and led me to this book in the first place. I know we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but I'm a sucker for a pretty book cover.
Besides the fantastic collection of literature and art, the great thing about this anthology is that the short stories and poems don't take long to read, so it is the perfect book to read over Christmas. I don't know about you, but I never have as much time to read during December with so many other things to do like present wrapping and decorating the house for Christmas, so I rarely make much progress on any novels I start. I may only find time for a few pages before bed, so this anthology has been ideal. I've been able to read a short story or two, or a few poems each night or whenever I've had a spare second to myself, and it's been a lovely way to relax and unwind after a busy day preparing for Christmas. I've discovered literary works from authors I've never tried before, and many great poems and prose I'd yet to experience, and reading through them has left me feeling super festive. I still have more left to read, but I'm doing my best to savour a little each night this Christmas, and I'm really enjoying it.
Overall, I'm very impressed with A Literary Christmas: An Anthology, and I know I'll be returning to this book each Christmas for many years to come to help get me in the Christmas spirit.
If you're looking to read more quality festive works, I would highly recommend A Literary Christmas and encourage you to get yourself a copy ASAP! Find it on Amazon here.
What is your favourite book to read at Christmas time?
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