A Christmas Story: The Book That Inspired the Hilarious Classic Film

This book is a compilation of the five short stories that were used to create the 1983 Christmas classic “A Christmas Story”. The tales of Jean Shepherd are semi-autobiographical as he drew heavily from his youth, even though it is officially fiction. In the fictional Indiana town of Hohman (vs. Shepherd’s Hammond, Indiana), Ralph Parker and his family embarked on these five tales that will become the beloved movie:
- Ralphie’s unwavering Christmas gift wish of the Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range BB gun
- Ralphie’s desire to be in the Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring club
- Mr. Parker winning a contest where the major award is a lascivious leg lamp
- Ralphie discovers his Tasmanian devil inner self after being bullied
- show more The Parker family being tormented by the neighbors, the Bumpus family, and having their Easter ham stolen by their dogs (in the movie, it’s the Christmas turkey)

I have watched the movie and the musical, and the book is just as wonderful. I recall much of the words used verbatim in the shows, but reading the original words, published 17 years before the movie, brings about a more potent image – a childhood through the lens of an articulate adult who understood the circumstances and implications. I felt the innocence of youth but wrapped in the intellect and appreciation of the adult. The writing is excellent prose that depicted warmth, humor, and nostalgia for a past that was less-than-ideal but well-loved nonetheless. Despite the BB gun being the main story which depicted the best childhood Christmas angst, I drew little hearts next to the lamp story and the bully story; those touched me.

In the lamp story, I was so amused:
“Before us in the heavy, fragrant air of our cabbage-scented kitchen stood a life-size lady’s leg, in true blushing-pink flesh tones and wearing a modish black patent leather pump with spike heel. When I say life-size I am referring to a rather large lady who obviously had dined well and had matured nicely. It was a well filled-out leg!”
“A monstrous, barrel-shaped bulging tube of a shade, a striking Lingerie pink in color, topped by a glittering cut-crystal orb, was lifted reverently up and put onto the table. Never had shade so beautifully matched base”
“From ankle to thigh the translucent flesh radiated a vibrant, sensual, luminous orang-yellow-pinkish nimbus of Pagan fire… It was alive!... The living room was bathed through the long, still, silent hours with the soft glow of electric Sex.”
“He was almost overcome by Art. ‘What a great lamp! Wow! This is exactly what we need for the front window. Wow!’” (In the book, the adult Ralph identifies his dad as the first Pop Art fanatic.)
“…the lamp itself had attracted a considerable personal following among cruising prides of pimply-faced Adolescents who night after night could hardly wait for darkness to fall and the soft, sinuous radiation of Passion to light up the drab, dark corners of Cleveland Street.”

In the bully story, I felt for him and all who has been bullied and cheered for his inner devil:
“I was an accomplished Alley Runner who did not wear sneakers to school from choice but to get off the mark quicker. I was well qualified to endorse Kids Champions… ‘Yes, our new Bully-Beater model has been endorsed by skinny kids with glasses from coast to coast. That extra six feet may mean the difference between making the porch and you-know-what!’”
“All I knew is that I was tearing and ripping and smashing at Grover Dill, who fought back like a fiend! But I guess it was the first time he had ever met face to face with an unleashed Tasmanian Devil. I continued to swear fantastically, as though I had no control over it. I was conscious of it and yet it was as though it was coming from something or someone outside of me.”
“I learned then that Bravery does not exist. Just a kind of latent Nuttiness. If I had thought about attacking Dill for ten seconds before I had done it, I’d have been four blocks away in a minute flat. But something had happened. A wire broke. A fuse blew. And I had gone out of my skull.” show less

I'll admit, I've never been a huge fan of the now cult classic movie "A Christmas Story." As such, I was a bit hesitant about reading this collection of short stories by Jean Shepherd, on which the movie was based. Luckily, I was very pleasantly surprised. I finally learned what I'm sure countless others already knew -- Mr. Shepherd was a master of wit! Each of the stories, told from the point of view of a boy who lives in Indiana in the 1930s, are semi-autobiographical accounts of Jean Shepherd's own childhood. In these shorts Mr. Shepherd captures amusing bits of Americana as seen through the eyes of a precocious lad named Ralphie Parker.

If you enjoy a hearty guffaw, read this book.

Simply the best Christmas tale. Why did I wait so long to read this?! I grew up loving the movie and being proud that it was written by a Hoosier who lovingly wrote about where I grew up (the "region"). Reading this collection of short stories (taken from another short story collection by Jean Shepherd) that inspired the cult classic Christmas movie, I was in awe of how truly funny it was. I literally laughed out loud on multiple occasions much to the annoyance of my cats. I can't praise it enough. It's fantastic and I want to reread it every holiday season. It's too damn good to read just once. For fans of the movie adaptation, humor, and Hoosiers. Not to be missed!

Simply the best Christmas tale. Why did I wait so long to read this?! I grew up loving the movie and being proud that it was written by a Hoosier who lovingly wrote about where I grew up (the "region"). Reading this collection of short stories (taken from another short story collection by Jean Shepherd) that inspired the cult classic Christmas movie, I was in awe of how truly funny it was. I literally laughed out loud on multiple occasions much to the annoyance of my cats. I can't praise it enough. It's fantastic and I want to reread it every holiday season. It's too damn good to read just once. For fans of the movie adaptation, humor, and Hoosiers. Not to be missed!

I adore the movie, and I wanted to like this collection more than I did. Unfortunately, the movie has primacy in my head, so I got taken out of the storytelling a little by recognizing some parts and having to reconcile others. Shepherd's writing is darker than the movie, less Norman Rockwell-ian in recalling the Great Depression. There’s a lot to like in his humor and I think I might enjoy his stories better if I didn’t already think I knew them, but the overall tone is substantially different.

Three chapters in this book were used as the basic plot and story line for the movie "A Christmas Story" that came out in 1983. There are actually five chapters.

It is life as viewed by Ralphie Parker while growing up in Indiana during the Depression Era. It is a blue collar town and things are tough. Ralphie's dream Christmas gift is a Red Ryder BB gun, but the standard comment he get is "You'll shoot your eye out!", which is basically a no.

His chance to ask Santa doesn't go well. Having to keep pushing his younger brother along in line, the Christmas carols blaring, the long line. By the time he makes it to Santa's lap he freezes and when he doesn't say a Red Ryder BB gun, Santa says a football and time is up.

Another chapter deals with show more his dad winning a prize in the "Great Heroes From The World of Sports" contest. His dad bragged about it, even when he didn't know what it was he was getting. When it arrived it was a lamp in the shape of a life sized woman's leg wearing a spiked heel black shoe. His dad was over the moon and gave it 'pride of place' in the front window of the front room. All that walked by the house could see it. Ralphie's mother was not a fan.

The style of writing and pace is great. You can see the scenes in your mind and hear the sounds as you read. I have seen the movie, enjoyed it, but I like the book much better. show less

A great collection of tales

As good as the movie but a bit darker, this selection of stories written by Shepard served as the basis for the sleeper movie that has become a holiday classic. The Bumphus story is the weak link, relying as it does on stereotype "hillbillies."