Christmas Comes but Once a Year


Read by Ruth Golding

(3.4 stars; 10 reviews)

A Christmas tale of John Brown's ghastly family (suburban snobs), Captain Bonaventure de Camp and his equally awful brood (a dubious crew), and poor Soavo Spohf, organist of St. Stiff the Martyr, gifted in musical ability but not blessed in looks or love.

No-one could call this a great work of literature, but it definitely raises a few chuckles and it also offers a fascinating glimpse into Christmas festivities and social mores in well-to-do households in the mid-19th century. (Introduction by Ruth Golding) (3 hr 9 min)

Chapters

Section 1 29:24 Read by Ruth Golding
Section 2 18:10 Read by Ruth Golding
Section 3 16:58 Read by Ruth Golding
Section 4 23:56 Read by Ruth Golding
Section 5 25:14 Read by Ruth Golding
Section 6 26:17 Read by Ruth Golding
Section 7 29:19 Read by Ruth Golding
Section 8 20:15 Read by Ruth Golding

Reviews

Send-up of Victorian Xmas Parties


(3.5 stars)

It’s pretty funny, fairly clever and an antidote to Dickens’ Christmas worship. Irreverent humor, much wordplay and a much more realistic view of the Victorian Xmas than you usually are exposed to, complete with drunken arguments, wanton flirting, and disappointing feasts. Very arch. I fear the author may be just a tad too impressed with his own cleverness. Still, it’s fun.

diary of a wimpy kid


(5 stars)

diary of a wimpy kid