Status
Available
Local notes
PB Dav
Collection
Genres
Publication
HMH Books for Young Readers (2013), Edition: Reprint, 146 pages
Description
The lives of three people are changed by an old man who insists that he is Santa Claus.
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
1947
User reviews
LibraryThing member MrsLee
This was a sweet story, without being saccharine. I'm not a big Santa fan, though I like St. Nicholas, but I love imagination and this book is full of it.
LibraryThing member patricia_poland
Written after the movie but follows George Seaton's timeless screen play about a Macy's Santa possibly being the 'real' thing (after all, his name is Kris Kringle!). How delightful to read one of my favorite movies. Maybe if I had never seen the old movie I wouldn't have rated it so high. But so be
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it. Still love the quote from both the movie and the book: Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to (spoken by Fred Gayley, Kris Kringle's lawyer). note: this book is actually shelved with adult fiction rather than children's in our local library Show Less
LibraryThing member Sean191
This was a bit of a surprise Christmas gift. I've had the book for a few years, but decided to give it a shot for the Christmas break. It was a quick read, but really a sweet, fun story. I don't think I've ever seen the movie, but if it's at all close to the book, I can understand why it's such a
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classic. Valentine Davies should get more recognition for this Christmas treat that seems ahead of its time in many ways. Show Less
LibraryThing member Homeschoolbookreview
Everyone who has ever seen the original 1947 movie Miracle on 34th Street (we don’t like the remakes) knows the basic plot of this book. Kris Kringle is an elderly gentleman who lives at the Maplewood Home for the Aged in New York City, NY. When the Santa hired for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day
Kris even affects Doris’s daughter, six-year-old Susan, who has been brought up by her disillusioned mother to be as matter-of-fact as herself, and their neighbor and Doris’s would-be boyfriend Fred Gailey, a lawyer with whom Kris moves in. Everything is going well until people begin to find out that Kris actually believes that he is the real Santa Claus. So the Macy’s company psychologist, Albert Sawyer, who dislikes Santa Claus anyway, decides to have Kris committed to Bellevue insane asylum and does so secretly without Doris’s knowledge. When he learns about it, Fred petitions for a court hearing to decide Kris’s sanity and determines to have him declared sane. What will happen in court? And how will Susan react? Of course, those who have watched the film know the answer to those questions.
Some people have complained that this is a mere “novelization” of the movie. Sometimes an existing book is made into a movie, and sometimes an existing movie is “novelized” into a book. What happened in the case of Miracle on 34th Street is not so clear. Author Valentine Davies (1905-1961) was a Hollywood screenwriter, but if I understand it correctly, he first wrote it in story form around 1944, then later submitted it to Twentieth Century-Fox, where it was turned into a film. It was decided to publish a book to coincide with the release of the film, so Davies reworked his story, fleshing it out with material from the screenplay. There are some noticeable differences between the movie and the book, but the basic plot is the same. The only objectionable items in the novel are one use of the “d” word, one appearance of the term “Good Lord” as an interjection, and the fact that Fred smokes a pipe. Otherwise, it is a really cute story.
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Parade shows up drunk, Doris Walker, the somewhat frosty, divorced Personnel Director at Macy’s, hires Kris to take his place, and Mr. Shellhammer, Head of the Toy Department, suggests that she keep Kris for the permanent job of Santa at Macy’s Department Store on 34th St., where he creates a lot of good will which even owner R. H. Macy notices.Kris even affects Doris’s daughter, six-year-old Susan, who has been brought up by her disillusioned mother to be as matter-of-fact as herself, and their neighbor and Doris’s would-be boyfriend Fred Gailey, a lawyer with whom Kris moves in. Everything is going well until people begin to find out that Kris actually believes that he is the real Santa Claus. So the Macy’s company psychologist, Albert Sawyer, who dislikes Santa Claus anyway, decides to have Kris committed to Bellevue insane asylum and does so secretly without Doris’s knowledge. When he learns about it, Fred petitions for a court hearing to decide Kris’s sanity and determines to have him declared sane. What will happen in court? And how will Susan react? Of course, those who have watched the film know the answer to those questions.
Some people have complained that this is a mere “novelization” of the movie. Sometimes an existing book is made into a movie, and sometimes an existing movie is “novelized” into a book. What happened in the case of Miracle on 34th Street is not so clear. Author Valentine Davies (1905-1961) was a Hollywood screenwriter, but if I understand it correctly, he first wrote it in story form around 1944, then later submitted it to Twentieth Century-Fox, where it was turned into a film. It was decided to publish a book to coincide with the release of the film, so Davies reworked his story, fleshing it out with material from the screenplay. There are some noticeable differences between the movie and the book, but the basic plot is the same. The only objectionable items in the novel are one use of the “d” word, one appearance of the term “Good Lord” as an interjection, and the fact that Fred smokes a pipe. Otherwise, it is a really cute story.
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LibraryThing member lycomayflower
I gather from the paratextual material included in the book that the idea for Miracle on 34th Street was Davies's, that he wrote the story, and that this book was written as a tie-in promotional tool for the original release of the film. I quite enjoy the movie (though it's not really one of my
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favorite Christmas movies), but the book left me pretty cold. It's a fairly pedestrian telling of the story, and as I read I was constantly thinking of the little moments or bits of business in the movie that the book just doesn't capture. A few minor details of the plot are slightly different (the inciting "violent outburst" by Kris that lands him in Bellevue is different in the book, for instance) and were mildly interesting as insights into how the vision for the story changed (presumably) as the film was made. On the whole, doesn't really add anything to the experience of this tale, and I'd just as soon watch the movie again as read this. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Aw, that's sweet. I've never seen the movie - at least, not the whole thing. And the author says in a foreword that the movie came first - that he wrote the story as a script, it became a movie, and only then was written as a book. There isn't an official answer given anywhere...but Occam's Razor
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says he really is Santa, it answers all the questions. A lot of fun, and I think worth reading again sometime. Show Less
LibraryThing member bness2
Based on the original movie, with a few different details.
LibraryThing member dasam
Pleasant, but not as good as the movie
This novella shows clearly its derivative nature, adopting dialogue from the 1947 movie, closely following the plot, but doing so without the charm of the film. The author wrote the script, but this is one case where the film is much better than the book. Still
This novella shows clearly its derivative nature, adopting dialogue from the 1947 movie, closely following the plot, but doing so without the charm of the film. The author wrote the script, but this is one case where the film is much better than the book. Still
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and all, a pleasant read, especially for children. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies is a lovely story that reminds us of what is important at Christmas time. It’s not how well you decorate, cook, spend and wrap – it’s about that magical sense of believing in the impossible, feeling good will towards others and being with the ones
The story opens in New York City as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is about to get underway. The crowning glory of the parade is the Santa Claus float, but unfortunately this year’s Santa has been spending his time drinking and is now decidedly tipsy. The Macy’s parade organizer, the very practical Doris Walker, finds a bystander who looks perfect for the part and asks him to step in. This bystander, with the name of Kris Kringle, readily agrees and thus sets in motion a wonderful time in New York as his goodwill spreads to others. Unfortunately there is always a “nay-sayer” and the book ends in a court case where Kris Kringle must prove he is both sane and, indeed the real Santa Claus.
Woven into the narrative is the story of how Doris Walker learns to believe in the magic and finds true love while her young daughter learns to believe in Santa as well as how to use her imagination and have fun. Truly a story to warm the heart at this time of the year.
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that you love. The story opens in New York City as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is about to get underway. The crowning glory of the parade is the Santa Claus float, but unfortunately this year’s Santa has been spending his time drinking and is now decidedly tipsy. The Macy’s parade organizer, the very practical Doris Walker, finds a bystander who looks perfect for the part and asks him to step in. This bystander, with the name of Kris Kringle, readily agrees and thus sets in motion a wonderful time in New York as his goodwill spreads to others. Unfortunately there is always a “nay-sayer” and the book ends in a court case where Kris Kringle must prove he is both sane and, indeed the real Santa Claus.
Woven into the narrative is the story of how Doris Walker learns to believe in the magic and finds true love while her young daughter learns to believe in Santa as well as how to use her imagination and have fun. Truly a story to warm the heart at this time of the year.
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LibraryThing member Sheila1957
Based on the movie it tells the story of Kris Kringle trying to find hope in a world he sees as losing its Christmas spirit. If he can succeed with Doris and Susan, he knows Christmas will survive. It takes Fred to help him win.
I enjoyed this story. I liked the little history given for the story at
I enjoyed this story. I liked the little history given for the story at
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the end of the book. I like the characters and how they learn to believe. It's a keeper! Show Less
LibraryThing member zot79
Love the (original) movie. Dislike this book (and the remakes of the film). There are too many subtle and meaningful differences between the book and the movie, including tone. The film is a light delight. The book is almost dark and smarmy as it constantly tells the reader things, instead of
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showing them. Show Less
LibraryThing member blbooks
First sentence: If you searched every old folks' home in the country, you couldn't find anyone who looked more like Santa Claus. He was the living, breathing incarnation of the old gent--white beard, pink cheeks, fat tummy and all--and his name was Kris Kringle, too. Whether this was coincidence or
Premise/plot: Movie novelization of the classic holiday film of the same name. Both were released in 1947. I believe the note to the reader admits that the book is based on the film's script. If you've seen the movie, you've essentially read the book. Almost. There isn't much substance and depth added above and beyond the movie. While a few scenes we get a wider scope--greater understanding there are a few scenes that are very abrupt or concise. The climax of the movie are all the dramatic court scenes, this showdown of lawyers. In the book, however, the court stuff is kept to a bare minimum. The book definitely has a blink and you miss it ending. The same attention to detail that was found throughout the novel is a bit rushed for the last bit. For those that have not seen the movie, essentially a little girl puts Santa Claus to the ULTIMATE test. Meanwhile, Kris Kringle is on trial himself. Is he sane? insane? A danger to himself or others?
My thoughts: I am glad I've read this one. I have read it twice now. I want to love this one so much. I adore the movie. I am always glad to revisit these characters. If you are able to read this one, you should. But if you are having a hard time tracking it down, relax knowing that the book isn't "better" than the movie in this instance. It isn't a waste of time, mind you. It's not. It just doesn't go deeper than the movie and the plot is the same.
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design--a sort of stage name he had assumed--his friends at the Maplewood Home for the Aged never knew. Nor did they know exactly how old he was.Premise/plot: Movie novelization of the classic holiday film of the same name. Both were released in 1947. I believe the note to the reader admits that the book is based on the film's script. If you've seen the movie, you've essentially read the book. Almost. There isn't much substance and depth added above and beyond the movie. While a few scenes we get a wider scope--greater understanding there are a few scenes that are very abrupt or concise. The climax of the movie are all the dramatic court scenes, this showdown of lawyers. In the book, however, the court stuff is kept to a bare minimum. The book definitely has a blink and you miss it ending. The same attention to detail that was found throughout the novel is a bit rushed for the last bit. For those that have not seen the movie, essentially a little girl puts Santa Claus to the ULTIMATE test. Meanwhile, Kris Kringle is on trial himself. Is he sane? insane? A danger to himself or others?
My thoughts: I am glad I've read this one. I have read it twice now. I want to love this one so much. I adore the movie. I am always glad to revisit these characters. If you are able to read this one, you should. But if you are having a hard time tracking it down, relax knowing that the book isn't "better" than the movie in this instance. It isn't a waste of time, mind you. It's not. It just doesn't go deeper than the movie and the plot is the same.
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LibraryThing member ladycato
I've loved the classic version of Miracle on 34th Street since I was a kid, so when I saw a library discard version of the story at a recent library book sale, I had to grab it. I knew it'd be perfect for my classic read for December.
Davies apparently wrote the original story for Miracle, and while
Be aware that this is very much a story of 1947. There is a "colored" maid and gender ideals are blatantly espoused. For example, Doris Walker is described as being prettier and more feminine when she's less of a workaholic (women can be a multitude at once, k thanks).
When I added this on Goodreads, I saw there was a newer children's book version out. I can see this translated very well to that form. The vocabulary in this book is quite basic--it's safe to say it was written to appeal to juveniles on up--and it would condense down nicely.
Davies apparently wrote the original story for Miracle, and while
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the screenplay was done by someone else, Davies then did this novella-length treatment as well. Truly, it feels like a synopsis of the story. The heart isn't there. Mind you, it isn't bad, but it's far from good. The plot generally follows the familiar one from the movie, though Kris Kringle has the zoo reindeer literally eating out of his hand and there are also other minor variations.Be aware that this is very much a story of 1947. There is a "colored" maid and gender ideals are blatantly espoused. For example, Doris Walker is described as being prettier and more feminine when she's less of a workaholic (women can be a multitude at once, k thanks).
When I added this on Goodreads, I saw there was a newer children's book version out. I can see this translated very well to that form. The vocabulary in this book is quite basic--it's safe to say it was written to appeal to juveniles on up--and it would condense down nicely.
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LibraryThing member jntjesussaves
Writing: 5.0; Theme: 5.0; Content: 5.0; Language: 5.0; Overall: 5.0
This was the book that was the inspiration for the original 1947 film by the same name. When the sanity of Kris Kringle (an elderly man who believes himself to be Santa Claus), lawyer and friend Fred Gayley, must prove that he truly
***December 17, 2023***
This was the book that was the inspiration for the original 1947 film by the same name. When the sanity of Kris Kringle (an elderly man who believes himself to be Santa Claus), lawyer and friend Fred Gayley, must prove that he truly
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is Santa Claus. Wonderful story and very well written by Mr. Davies. Highly recommend.***December 17, 2023***
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Pages
146