The cosiest comfort reads to curl up with this Christmas

The cosiest comfort reads to curl up with this Christmas

By Jenny Colgan

The 1987 film adaptation of James Joyce’s The Dead. Photograph: Moviestore Collection Ltd/Alamy

Even if you feel you have had more “curling up quietly at home” time than is strictly necessary this year, finding a good Christmas read is still an extremely pleasant yuletide activity, to add to your newer pleasant yuletide activities of not having to go to your office party and not tearing off your coat in overheated department stores. So find a quiet corner, pretend your Zoom isn’t working, and enjoy the treats of the reading season.

An ideal Christmas book will thrill both adults and children – John Masefield’s classic The Box of Delights falls into this category – and the very best example is The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper.

Originally published in 1973, it is one of those books whose reputation grows year on year: a heady mix of Arthurian myths, time travel and a boy born to save the world.

“Tonight will be bad ... and tomorrow will be beyond imagining” is the line that throws young Will Stanton, last of the Old Ones, headlong into a world of snow and danger, fire and floods, in what is still as satisfying a winter’s tale as can be found.

Full Story: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/21/the-cosiest-comfort-reads-to-curl-up-with-this-christmas