Monday, December 12, 2016

The Autobiography of Santa Clause, Jeff Guinn

The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn is a book that I picked up from the Greenbelt Labor Day book sale several years ago and happened to catch my eye in the pile of books today.  I thought it was worthwhile to jump it to the top of the list as it is appropriate seasonally.  This book is supposed to be a mix of history and the fiction it inspired written by a journalist.

Started:  12/10/2016
Completed: 12/12/2016
Recommendation: Not Recommended
Recommended By:  Nobody

Review:

So, it turns out that Santa Claus is a horrible name-dropper.  His "band of merry elves" is composed of Leonardo Da Vinci, Attila the Hun, and Ben Franklin (among others).  The history is an elementary skate through important figures with a repeated position that each would really be happier making children happy than doing whatever it is that they are currently doing.  While it is a nice sentiment, it becomes repeatedly hard to enjoy.  It would also make a much easier read if one were a strong Catholic (but not so strong that "miracles" being characterized as "lies" is a problem).  This book just got more boring the further I got into it.

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