Book Review: Penguin Christmas Classics

Just in time for the holidays, Penguin has released a newly packaged set of Christmas classics in beautiful hardcover.

Penguin Christmas Classics honor the power of literature to keep on giving through the ages. The five volumes in the series are not only our most beloved Christmas tales; they also have given us much of what we love about the holiday itself. A CHRISTMAS CAROL revived in Victorian England such Christmas hallmarks as the Christmas tree, holiday cards, and caroling. The Yuletide yarns of Anthony Trollope popularized throughout the British Empire and around the world the trappings of Christmas in London. The holiday tales of Louisa May Alcott shaped the ideal of an American Christmas. THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS brought forth some of our earliest Christmas traditions as passed down through folk tales. And THE NUTCRACKER inspired the most famous ballet in history, one seen by millions in the twilight of every year.

Beautifully designed—with foil-stamped jackets, decorative endpapers, and nameplates for personalization—and printed in a small trim size that makes them perfect stocking stuffers, Penguin Christmas Classics embody the spirit of giving that is at the heart of our most time-honored stories about the holiday.

The full set of books includes:

• A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens
• CHRISTMAS AT THOMPSON HALL: And Other Christmas Stories by Anthony Trollope
• A MERRY CHRISTMAS: And Other Christmas Stories by Louisa May Alcott
• THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Nikolai Gogol
• THE NUTCRACKER by E. T. A. Hoffmann

These five books represent the literary Christmas essentials: timeless stories that can be told and retold every year with renewed enjoyment, and passed down from generation to generation.

The new Penguin Classics editions are, simply put, beautiful. The delicate red hardcover books are sweetly sized and seasonally festive, and the coordinating foil and embossed jacket covers are just lovely. The inside pages are equally wonderful, with illustrations and decorative touches throughout.

Together or individually,the Penguin Christmas Classics would make a beautiful gift or collector’s keepsake. They are in stores now. Here’s a look at all five beautiful covers: