
Santa's Big Book of Christmas Tales (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. 500+ Novels, Stories, Poems, Carols & LegendsBy Charles Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Louisa May Alcott, O. Henry, William Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, Lucy Maud Montgomery, George Macdonald, Leo Tolstoy, Henry Wadsworth LongfellowLength540h 31m
About this audiobook
Santa's Big Book of Christmas Tales gathers a rich constellation of classic seasonal writing, presenting Christmas as a site of wonder, moral testing, domestic affection, comic surprise, and spiritual renewal. Its range extends from fairy tale and animal fantasy to realist sketch, sentimental novella, dramatic excerpt, adventure, and moral parable, situating the holiday within the broad nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literary imagination. The contributors represent some of the most influential voices in Anglophone and European letters: Victorian social critics and fantasists, American realists and humorists, children's writers, poets, dramatists, and philosophical moralists. Together, their works reflect the era's evolving ideas about childhood, charity, family life, social conscience, and the enchantment of ordinary experience. The collection aligns with traditions of Christmas annuals, fireside reading, and didactic storytelling, while also revealing how diverse literary movements shaped seasonal narrative. Readers seeking both pleasure and perspective will find this anthology an inviting gateway into the cultural history of Christmas literature. By placing varied genres and sensibilities in conversation, the volume offers more than nostalgia: it illuminates how writers have used the season to explore generosity, memory, justice, imagination, and hope. It is an ideal collection for study, family reading, or renewed discovery.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- An Introduction draws the threads together, discussing why these diverse authors and texts belong in one collection.
- Historical Context explores the cultural and intellectual currents that shaped these works, offering insight into the shared (or contrasting) eras that influenced each writer.
- A combined Synopsis (Selection) briefly outlines the key plots or arguments of the included pieces, helping readers grasp the anthology's overall scope without giving away essential twists.
- A collective Analysis highlights common themes, stylistic variations, and significant crossovers in tone and technique, tying together writers from different backgrounds.
- Reflection questions encourage readers to compare the different voices and perspectives within the collection, fostering a richer understanding of the overarching conversation.
Audiobook details
GenreGeneral Fiction
Length540 hrs 31 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 18, 2020
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Preface
3Introduction
4The Origin and Associations of Christmas
5The Earlier Celebrations of the Festival
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6Novels
7Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (L. Frank Baum)
8YOUTH
91. Burzee
102. The Child of the Forest
113. The Adoption
124. Claus
135. The Master Woodsman
146. Claus Discovers Humanity
157. Claus Leaves the Forest
16MANHOOD
171. The Laughing Valley
182. How Claus Made the First Toy
193. How the Ryls Colored the Toys
204. How Little Mayrie Became Frightened
215. How Bessie Blithesome Came to the Laughing Valley
226. The Wickedness of the Awgwas
237. The Great Battle Between Good and Evil
248. The First Journey with the Reindeer
259. "Santa Claus!"
2610. Christmas Eve
2711. How the First Stockings Were Hung by the Chimneys
2812. The First Christmas Tree
29OLD AGE
301. The Mantle of Immortality
312. When the World Grew Old
323. The Deputies of Santa Claus
33Christmas-Tree Land (Mary Louisa Molesworth)
34CHAPTER I. THE WHITE CASTLE.
35CHAPTER II. IN THE FIR-WOODS.
36CHAPTER III. THE MYSTERIOUS COTTAGE.
37CHAPTER IV. FAIRY HOUSEKEEPING.
38CHAPTER V. THE STORY OF A KING'S DAUGHTER.
39CHAPTER VI. THE STORY OF A KING'S DAUGHTER
40CHAPTER VII. A WINDING STAIR AND A SCAMPER.
41CHAPTER VIII. THE SQUIRREL FAMILY.
42CHAPTER IX. A COMMITTEE OF BIRDS.
43CHAPTER X. A SAIL IN THE AIR.
44CHAPTER XI. THE EAGLES' EYRIE.
45CHAPTER XII. A VISION OF CHRISTMAS TREES.
46The Little City of Hope (F. Marion Crawford)
47I HOW JOHN HENRY OVERHOLT SAT ON PANDORA'S BOX
48II HOW A MAN AND A BOY FOUNDED THE LITTLE CITY OF HOPE
49III HOW THEY MADE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW
50IV HOW THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE CITY