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Classic Literature

Christmas: A Story: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition

Christmas: A Story: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.

Published by Pop Culture Files••2 min read•Automatically generated · review not guaranteed
AI-generated editorial illustration — not a photograph of the subject
AI-generated editorial illustration — not a photograph of the subject

Christmas: A Story is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Gale, Zona (1874–1938).

Catalogue synopsis

Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:

"Christmas: A Story" by Zona Gale is a novel written in the early 20th century. The narrative unfolds in the small town of Old Trail Town and revolves around the character of Mary Chavah, a woman who has long renounced celebrating Christmas. The story explores her interactions with neighbors as the town grapples with the idea of skipping Christmas festivities due to economic hardship, eventually leading to a deeper reflection on the true meaning of Christmas amidst personal loss and communal struggle. At the start of the novel, Mary Chavah is depicted tending to her lawn, having just created a vibrant patch of violets after a fire. While town residents marvel at her luck, Mary expresses a lack of belief in miracles and a disinterest in Christmas, a sentiment echoed by her neighbor Ebenezer Rule, who has recently closed his factory and is weary of holiday obligations. The opening chapters introduce various townspeople and their discussions about forgoing Christmas celebrations this year due to financial strain. This sets a scene of tension between traditional expectations and the realities of life in a struggling community, hinting at a deeper, emotional exploration of the holiday's significance as the narrative progresses.

Book and edition facts

  • Title: Christmas: A Story
  • Author credits: Gale, Zona (1874–1938)
  • Catalogue language: English

Catalogue subjects

  • Christmas stories

Gutenberg collections

  • Category: American Literature
  • Category: Novels
  • Christmas

Read this edition

View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.

Source notes

Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.

Sources

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