The Christmas list

Title: The Christmas List
Author: Richard Paul Evans
Genre: Holiday (Christmas), Romance

Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days Challenge, The Naming Convention Challenge, Book Around the States Challenge, Read and Review Challenge 2010, 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge, 100 Reading

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Challenge, Romance Reading Challenge 2010, Audio Book Challenge 2010, Romance Challenge 2010, Pages Read 2010, Every Month is a Holiday 2010, A to Z challenge,

Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: 352 (Audio)
Published: 2009

Back Cover: Wildly successful real estate mogul James Kier gets the shock of a lifetime when he opens the newspaper and discovers his own obituary has been mistakenly printed. Says the notice, “He was known as a fierce, oftentimes ruthless, businessman.” Kier’s initial anger soon melts with the realization that he’s been given a rare opportunity to face his own legacy. Confronting the mistakes he’s made, he creates a list of people he’s wronged and begins seeking atonement on a path strewn with surprises.

Mine: A wonderful story as usually by Mr. Evans – I love his holiday stories (The Christmas Box). James Kier is a ruthless businessman and mogal, but he wasn’t always. After seeing his premature obituary he decides to try to go back and see if he can rectify some of the deals he made.
Just like A Christmas Carol, he has his assistant make a list of the people that he has hurt the most with his business deals and tries to do right by them. Along the way he finds the old self of the humble beginnings. I think this should become a Christmas classic, since the true meaning of Christmas is always found in the end.

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I really liked this book. It is about a man who sees his own obituary in the paper and decides he doesn't much like what people think about him so he makes a list of people he has wronged and plans to make amends by Christmas. Another great book by Evans.

James Kier is a very powerful and wealthy real estate mogul. He has done everything possible to get to this status and has no qualms about the unscrupulous things he’s done to get there or who he’s crushed along the way to his rise to glory.

He's exactly where he wants to be in life - he has a

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young girlfriend, his business is doing well, he’s in the last stages of divorcing his wife - so what if he had her served with the divorce papers on her first day of chemo... or that his son won’t talk to him and basically hates him. More or less life is good - until he wakes up one morning and he finds that he is dead.

Well, that's what the paper says. Now Kier's first reaction is to sue the paper but he quickly decides to use his "death" to his advantage. As people he's known throughout his life talk about what a terrible person he was and how glad they are that he is dead, he begins to realize that his "perfect" life is not so wonderful after all. He makes a pact to try to change and embarks on a journey to apologize to the ones he's wronged - but he quickly realizes that's easier said than done.

The Christmas List is intentionally a lot like Charles Dickens' -A Christmas Carol. Kier had no cares for anyone or anything but himself, he made fun of people who were joyful that it was Christmas or who celebrated the holiday. He was mean and just downright despicable.... a regular old Scrooge. This is his story of forgiveness and redemption.

As with all Mr. Evans' books, this story is presented to you in a small little package - a pretty shiny cover and short chapters. And, same as his previous work, it was a page-turner - making it easy to just sit down for a good hour or so and just enjoy a good story, shed a tear or two, and in the end come out feeling that you want to be a better person. This is the third book I read by Mr. Evans and I can actually say they all keep getting better and better. I've also read Grace and The Christmas Box - which were outstanding as well.

This is an original twist on a timeless story - it is about love, loss, forgiveness, family, but mostly it is inspiring. A wonderful Christmas read.

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James Kier is reading his morning paper when he reads an obituary. His obituary. Puzzled by the false report, he searches the internet and finds a story explaining his death. Even though he knows he’s very much alive, it’s the anonymous, (and not so anonymous) unsympathetic comments he reads,

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that cause him to re-evaluate his life.

James Kier is a shrewd real state investor. He’s richer than rich and will be the first to admit he’s taken advantage of many individuals to reach the top spot. Does he feel guilty? No, don’t be foolish! If these individuals weren’t so weak in the first place, he wouldn’t have taken advantage of them. So it’s really their fault.

Shaken up by the comments, James finds his namesake and attends the repast at his house. The deceased James Kier was a humble man. He didn’t live in a big mansion or drive an expensive car. Quite the opposite in fact. He was a school bus driver and touched the lives of many students. He was a dedicated husband and loving father. His presence will be missed by so many.

As James speaks to the widow and her son, he realizes for the first time what a good, decent man really is. This awareness changes him forever. He decides, with the help of his assistant, to make amends with the five people he has hurt the most. Will they welcome his apology? Have they long ago forgiven him for his ways? Or will they slam the door in his face before he can say he’s sorry? James is not sure, but determined to find out.

Meanwhile, his only son is getting married and doesn’t want James to attend the wedding. He was an absent father and did the despicable: he left his mother when she needed him the most. Will his son forgive him for his past mistakes? Or is it too late for a reconciliation?

Mr. Evans has a talent for writing inspirational holiday stories. The Christmas List is a treasure waiting to be discovered.

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Richard Paul Evans is famous for his The Christmas Box series. I was one of those kids who received his books for many Christmases along the way, and have almost everything he's ever written. The funny thing is, all of them were gifts, and I might not have picked them up had someone not given them

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to me. Why? I can't really say, but I somehow thought these were too short to really have a story I could sink my teeth into. I'm happy to say, I was wrong.

In The Christmas List, we find a "what if" story that asks what you would do if you woke one morning and found that you were reported dead, and your obituary was posted in the newspaper. For real estate, businessman, James Kier, this is his reality. In the process of divorcing his wife, who is dying of cancer, and putting people out of their homes and properties around Christmas, nothing seems too low for Kier. The depths of his selfishness and greed can make your blood run cold, until Kier reads his own obituary and reads the comments posted in the online comments following it and realizes what he's become.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. The story felt developed enough that I genuinely cared about the various characters we were introduced to. I liked the redemption built into the story, and the way Evans showed how one man tried to turn a disastrous life around. This was a great, subtle Christmas "spirit" novel.

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I read this book in one sitting .. really .. well, except for getting up to refill the java, making plates up for dinner, going to the restroom, resolving a sibling squabble .. the usual territory of moms trying to just get a couple of hours of quiet time for reading.

This is the tale of a

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modern-day Scrooge named James Kier, a real-estate mogul who forbids Christmas decorations in his office and who rejoices with every new ill-gotten gain he receives at someone else's loss.
Separated from his wife of almost 25 years, Sara, and estranged from his only son Jimmy (who stopped talking to him after Sara was served with divorce papers as she arrived home from her first round of chemotherapy treatments), Kier reads his death notice while on a mini vacay in Park City as he waits for his fiancee Traci (whom he met one week after separating from his wife) to join him.

He telephones his only friend, Lincoln (also his heartless attorney), to let him know that he's still alive. He decides to "play this out" for a couple of days and see what happens. Against Lincoln's advice, he goes online and views the comments that accompany his death notice, where he is surprised at the venom directed against him, including comments that he can tell come from a long-term employee named Tim.
He comes home and finds out how torn up his fiancee is about his supposed death. Uneasy at the legacy he's left, he enlists the help of his long-term secretary, Linda, to formulate a Christmas list of all of the people he's hurt or offended and he resolves to make amends.
This is a great Christmas story, quick and fun to read. Four of Richard Paul Evans' books have already been made into television movies, and as I read, I could easily envision this book as one of them. It IS rather black and white in places, and Jim's villainy is a bit over the top. It also could have used a bit more development in what feelings made Jim decide to attempt to change, but that's the nature of the story - it's not meant to be a huge character study.

Illustrating that it's not too late to change, and also that sometimes you CAN'T make amends for the hurts you've caused, I think that this would make a great Christmas gift for someone who enjoys holiday stories, or even stories about family and redemption. Although the book is set during Christmas season, it can definitely be enjoyed any time of year.

QUOTES:

When he first moved in, he had a carpenter cut nearly two inches off the legs of his guest chairs as well as an additional half inch off the front so the occupant was not only forced to look up to him but always felt a little off balance. One one occasion, when negotiating a multimillion-dollar real estate purchase, he had slipped Dramamine into his client's coffee to make him drowsy. To Kier, all was fair in business.

Lincoln started to laugh. "It's really you. I've been freaking out here. I thought you were dead. Or do they have pay phones in hell?"
"No, they have cell phones, they just drop the call every five seconds."

"As fortune would have it, in 1888, Nobel's brother Emil died. A French newspaper mistook his brother for him and ran an article with the headline, Le marchand de lat mort est mort, 'The merchant of death is dead.' It went on to say that Dr. Alfred Nobel became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before. That was the first of many such articles. Nobel was so upset by what he read about himself that he decided to change his legacy. He left his fortune to the establishment of the Nobel Peace Prize."

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The book was very good. Easy to read and just the perfect length for a Christmas book. I really like Richard Paul Evans style of writing. Entertaining but has a good moral to it. Although at the end of this one, I cried. As others have stated, the storyline is very much like the Christmas Carol

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with a modern day edge. Looking forward to Mr. Evans newest release, Promise Me.

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Listened to the NLS Talking Book version for my library's book club. The story was heartwarming, sad, and hopeful. The plot revolves around a man who finds compassion towards others after reading his premature obituary.

Drug store literature at its finest.......................

This book is a story bout a man James Kier who is all business all the time. He lest his wife, Sara, who finds out after he left that she is dying of cancer.
While he is to be taking a trip with his girlfriends .. who never shows up ... he reads the paper and finds his obituary in the paper ...

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call his lawyer and logs on the the newspapers site where he is reading all kinds of nasty things bout himself.
This make him change who he is and wants to be .. he has his assistant make him a list of the 5 people he ruined their lives the most , he tracks them down to help make things better and when he cant , gets beat up and the like ... he ends of getting back with his wife just before she dies.... makes amends with his son and sets out to help all kinds of people

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This book is SO GOOD! It is very heartfelt and really pulls you into the story. The characters are very believable. I read the book in one evening, and I have to admit that I woke my husband up with my sniffles. The ending is a tear jerker.

I thought it was very predictable.

Richard Paul Evans has done it again!!! Magnificintely written as usual. Any book that has me crying at any time (beginning, middle, end, or all at the same time) is one that was written by a gifted author. Makes you think, how would you react if you read your obituary in the paper? Would you get

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positive thoughts/comments, or would those you've hurt or wronged let the world know what they really feel? Would someone be in the sidelines rooting for you even if you hurt them the most? I enjoyed this books as I do all his books, and can't wait for the next one!!

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It was a well written fun book. It was very predictable and if you thought about it too much there were a lot of problems with the plot. But still it was a fun read.

Ever write your own obituary....and later sit down and read it.....How do we want to be remembered?

Audio book read by John Dossett
1*

I know that Evans’ works are hugely popular, and I feel as if I’m dissing a saint. But really … this is so maudlin and formulaic. Rich, ruthless businessman is reformed just in time for Christmas with the help of his trusty assistant. Oh, and I really hate how

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he strings people along as he prepares to give them a great gift. What a jerk!

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Here is my summary: James Kier is a ruthless businessman, a terrible father and a selfish (almost ex-) husband. However, he reads his obituary in the paper one day and his life changes.

I found this book to be a very fast read and perfect for the hectic holidays. It was a bit far-fetched and hard

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to believe in that a man who has become this ruthless and bitter would not be changed by a simple misprint in the paper. But I always want to believe in the best in people, their ability to improve themselves and the miracle of Christ at Christmas. All of those components are here and make for a heartwarming tale.

It was a nice story and is recommended.

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The Christmas list by Richard Paul Evans
Christmas story about a man who is featured in the obituary column one day but he's not dead. He attends the service of the right man-same name and as a bus driver the man was well known for being kind.
James decides he needs to make amends after reading the

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comments others have left on the funeral guestbook, thinking it was him.
His wife going through cancer is dying and James wants a divorce. He really wants to get back together with her but her sister won't even let her talk to her.
Touching how he reaches them.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

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This was a nice, simple, heart-warming Christmas story, similar to Dickens' Christmas Carol.

Based in part on a real-life assignment the author once had if I'm reading correctly.

James Kier does what he wants and gets what he wants no matter who he hurts along the way--his wife, his son, his best friend, etc. When the story opens, he and his wife are in the process of divorcing and he's got

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a girlfriend he's planning to go away with--among other ruthless business deals.

Someone else with the same name dies and the death is mistakenly reported as his own and Kier gets to see what people think of him as he reads the online comments. The comments bother him--but somewhere between when he reads them and when he gets back to the office, something changes within him. Instead of firing his right-hand-man, he gives the guy another chance. He also asks his personal assistant to list people he's harmed in the past and to find out how to get in touch with them now.

The story then alternates between his reconciliation with his family and his attempts to make things right with the top 5 people his assistant indicates he's wronged.

What I liked: the story of redemption; the idea that no one is beyond redeeming; that the story did not make it easy for Kier--some of those he contacted assaulted him, some told him off; Kier got to see what resulted from his actions--an old woman who never got to pursue her dreams of living in Italy with her husband, contributing to someone's suicide; the forgiveness of Sara to a man who wronged her and her encouragement to her son to have a relationship with his father; Kier continued to persevere with one of the people on his list until the person was convinced he'd changed; Kier becoming less indifferent to the suffering of others.

What I didn't like: I'm not sure that the depiction of end-stage cancer is accurate; that Kier's childhood friend ended up successful but with a business outlook that he adopted from Kier--there was a sense of one-upsmanship in their one conversation--and despite what he's learned, Kier never attempts to teach these new lessons to the man who was once one of his closest friends. He had that one conversation with the man and the only other thing we hear about him is that Kier got a signed copy of the book the man wrote and later found a different signed copy in a bargain bin at the bookstore.

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In the throws of a divorce, James Kier is presented with his obituary in the local newspaper. He then reads unfavorable comments regarding his person on the internet. After some thought, he absorbs the shame and tries to make amends.

There was nothing fanciful about this Christmas story. It was a

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realistic, enjoyable and interesting book. I thought James's transition from "bad" to "good" had substance and was done very well. Listening to this book added a great deal of pleasure - the narrator did a fabulous job of not making James seem soft after he had a change of heart. I could imagine him very clearly and was able to feel his emotions.

Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy

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The premise: technically, this isn't an explanation, but rather the inspiration for the book, straight from Evans's own mouth: When I was in seventh grade, my English teacher, Mrs. Johnson, gave our class the intriguing (if somewhat macabre) assignment of writing our own obituaries. Oddly, I don't

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remember much of what I wrote about my life, but I do remember how I died: in first place on the final lap of the Daytona 500. At the time, I hadn't considered writing as an occupation, a field with a remarkably low on-the-job casualty rate.

What intrigues me most about Mrs. Johnson's assignment is the opportunity she gave us to confront our own legacy. How do we want to be remembered? That question has motivated our species since the beginning of time: from building pyramids to putting our names on skyscrapers.

As I began to write this book, I had two objectives: First, I wanted to explore what could happen if someone read their obituary before they died and saw, firsthand, what the world really thought of them. Their legacy.

Second, I wanted to write a Christmas story of true redemption. One of my family's holiday traditions is to see a local production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I don't know how many times I've seen it (perhaps a dozen), but it still thrills me to see the change that comes over Ebenezer Scrooge as he transforms from a dull, tight-fisted miser into a penitent, "giddy-as-aschoolboy" man with love in his heart. I always leave the show with a smile on my face and a resolve to be a better person. That's what I wanted to share with you, my dear readers, this Christmas -- a holiday tale to warm your season, your homes, and your hearts.

My Rating

Wish I'd Borrowed It: I was a little optimistic since I enjoyed last year's offering, Grace, but The Christmas List is fell flat and stale for me. Too familiar, with two-dimensional characters and my inner-editor demanding a red pen to mark up the book (which I wouldn't do, but I was distracted). Still, it's a fast read, and if you enjoy inspirational Christmas stories, this is right up your alley. I personally recommend Evans's earlier work, particularly his debut The Christmas Box for anyone who's a book worm, as that's the book that made me fall in love. His overall career though has been full of ups and downs since then, and right now, I think we're on more of a downhill slope.

Review style: spoilers, but really, this is the kind of book you know how'll it end once you start reading it. The full review may be found at my journal, if you're interested. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)

REVIEW: Richard Paul Evans's THE CHRISTMAS LIST

Happy Reading! :)

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A nice warming Christmas read! A good lesson for each of us ---James Kier is a man driven by money, he never cared about whom he had to step on to get it, and even left his wife with cancer. He has lost himself in the business world until one day when he reads his own obituary (mistaken

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identity)—forcing him to rethink his life and make amends with all his enemies (lots of them) and make it right for each of them.

Not easy endeavors as he encounters many issues, as most of his enemies are not so inclined to forgive and forget. He has his secretary make a list of the people that he has wronged. Every person brings to light something inside of him - from a gentle former friend wanting nothing from him to a man he stole an idea from becoming a "predator" in the business world owing his view and wealth to him. James' growth unfolds with each meeting, and he learns the true meaning of a life lived. A wonderful story and an answer to one special little boy’s Christmas!

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James Keir, is a ruthless businessman. His obituary appears in the newspaper, only they have mixed-up the James Keir's. As James reads the negative comments on "his" obituary on the Internet, he begins to think about his life and how he would like to be remembered. He decides he must change his

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ways and make amends to those he has hurt. He asks his secretary to make a list of those he has wronged and goes to visit each person with mixed results.

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