Search - The Christmas Sweater

This was a fantastic Christmas story. I wish I could give it more than 5 STARS!!

It grabbed me from the start, and I couldn't put it down. The style is quite readable, the characters believable, the story riveting.

When I finished, I passed it along to my Mom, who also couldn't put it down ...

For those of you who've watched Glenn Beck on CNN or listened on the radio, his humor comes through, but without any political overtones. Don't let his politics keep you from reading this fabulous story!!

First of all, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy reading this book. But when I saw how many people had it on their wish list, I thought I'd do the right thing and read it before I posted it. Also, it was a Christmas gift from my best friend.

Having said all that, I started reading this before I went to work yesterday (1/19/09). The chapters are fairly short and it's an easy read. I have to say I was pulled right in by the characters and the plot. And since it is autobiographical in nature, I knew that some if not most of the experiences were real. When I got home from work, I continued reading when I went to bed. I finally finished it around 4 a.m. this morning.

While I might agree with some that the writing is not as experienced as other authors (such as Dickens, Shakespeare, Austen, Clancy, Tolstoy or others), it nevertheless did strike a few chords in my own experiences. I seriously doubt that Mr. Beck wrote this book entirely for the profit, therefore I couldn't actually agree with one member stating not to buy this book.

Mr. Beck truly makes a statement in the book that most of us should heed. We should be grateful for what we have and cherish those that we're close to. Too many people are self absorbed, greedy, selfish and discontented. This should be a wake up call for all of us.

I'd planned to post this book when I finished with it. However, this has become one of my most cherished possessions - mainly due to the person who gave it to me (thanks, Marcia!). Yes, I am a conservative. Yes, I am a Christian. But I wouldn't say that Mr. Beck bashes people over the head with his beliefs. This is truly a remarkable book, especially in its simplicity.

I would give this more than 5 stars if I could. And people should be more open minded when reading books. I've read alot of "trash" in my lifetime, but this one is definitely NOT on that list.

It's difficult to improve upon Mike's review, but I feel that I'm duty-bound to try.

This easily makes the top 5 worst books I've read. It's preachy in a hit-you-over-the-head-obvious parable sort of way. Imagine being held captive in a room full of Precious Moments figurines. You're tied to a chair and forced to watch sappy country music videos that involve someone visiting a gravestone at the end (surprise! not.) Wait...you have to listen to the Christmas Shoes over and over and over until you are driven to a Clockwork Orange-type madness. Then throw in Jesus, except he's not Jesus; he's an imaginary horse whisperer named Russell. And of course a surprise ending that you can see coming a mile away. Oh...wait...don't forget the evil cornfield (Stephen King, anyone?). Don't worry. I'm not giving away any spoilers. It is not possible to spoil this book. That was already done by the "author" who has clearly never had an original thought.

Do yourself a favor. If you need a Christmas feel-good fix, watch "It's A Wonderful Life". If you need something with religious foundations that make you feel warm and fuzzy about being a Christian, read Jan Karon's Mitford series. It's religion done right. And if you need to unload some guilt about blaming everyone else for your problems, go to an AA meeting.

But skip this book. Seriously. Do not encourage this author financially or otherwise. He might try to write again. If you want to support the cause he is supporting with the profits, just donate directly. A tree will thank you.

PS...I am neither a liberal, nor an atheist, so my review does not come from there. It's just a truly bad book.

This is a great book. A young boy wants a new bike for Christmas. He demands that his widowed mom buy him one. Mom can barely pay the bills. Mom knits him a red sweater for Christmas. He is very angry. Tragedy strikes and he realizes that life is worth much, much more than things. Great gift or for you. Excellent book and story.

Charming book. I am now reading it to a senior citizen reading group.

I enjoyed the story. It was a short, quick read.