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Santa: A Life

de Jeremy Seal

Membros	Resenhas	Popularidade	Avaliação média	Menções
71	4	373,444	(3.04)	1
An elegantly written, idiosyncratic biography of Santa Claus, from his saintly origins in Turkey to his current reign as the king of Christmas. Nicholas is a biographical travelogue tracing the evolution of one of the greatest cults of modern times--the rise of Santa Claus from his origins in Byzantine Turkey to his role as the jolly man who grants every child's wish. It is a compelling story of religious worship and strife, cultural interpretation, and mass commercialization brilliantly framed by Jeremy Seal's modern-day voyage in Santa's footsteps. Saint Nicholas, as Santa was originally known, lived and worked in Myra on the southern coast of Turkey 1,700 years ago. He became a revered figure in the Orthodox and Catholic churches, attracting devotees across the Christian world as his cult shifted westward with the centuries. The saint's bones are said to still exist, and Seal's dogged pursuit of these relics launches his quest for Santa's true lineage--one that takes him through present-day Turkey, Italy, Holland, England, America, and finally Lapland as he pieces together the history of this extraordinary man-to-myth transformation. In the tradition of Bruce Chatwin and Tony Horowitz, Jeremy Seal is a natural storyteller, weaving fascinating history and intrepid travelogue into a book every bit as enchanting as its subject… (mais)

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I put this out for seasonal decoration because the cover is pretty but started reading it. This is a biography of The development of Saint Nicholas into his non religious incarnation as Santa Claus. The history of the church, the mutations of the saint and the history of the lands influenced by Nicholas were quite interesting. However, I was irritated by the author’s take that Nicholas controlled and developed his posthumous legend. I found that idea irrational and it made my Protestant high horse all out of sorts. Neigh, nay! (

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varielle | Dec 29, 2020 |

The descriptions of Turkey are wonderful! It was nice to feel as though I was traveling while reading a book. I especially like the author's visit to the rooftop chapel, Lapland, and the bus ride through England. The descriptions of Italy could have been better.

I thought that the narration was a bit strange. The author has written the book as though St. Nicholas intended to become famous and morph into Santa Claus.

I would not recommend this book for children because it makes several references to prostitution and contains quotes with foul language in one chapter. However, the story of St. Nicholas could not be told without mention of that theme. (

)

RKoletteL | Aug 22, 2013 |

Not really about "SANTA," this book traces the history of the spread of influence of St. Nicholas from present-day Turkey to Greece, Italy, and Russia, and then into the Netherlands. Only then, in the closing chapters of the book, does the concept of the gift-giving "SANTA" come into play. Interesting, but a bit misleading as to the title and cover. The history of Santa is only briefly covered. (

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waitingtoderail | Dec 19, 2011 |

Not what I expected, but an interesting read nonetheless. It traces the familiar Christmas figure from his humble beginnings as Nicholas of Myra, sainted for working miracles and for acts of great generosity and charity. It follows the path his name took after his death, and how his bones were moved from place to place as miraculous relics. These chapters grew difficult to follow at times because of the many ancient and religious groups mentioned, and the sheer number of unfamiliar place names. Seal’s tendency to talk about the long-dead Nicholas as if he were consciously moving from place to place in his need to make his name known was also irritating.

The last few chapters were more enjoyable, as the story grew more familiar and a recognisable Father Christmas emerged. The rise of commercialism and Santa’s settling in Lapland are explored, as well as how the modern child relates to him. Here I had hoped for a little more analysis of Santa as a commercial phenomenon, and of his various incarnations around the modern world – but I enjoyed it anyway, particularly the magical moment when Seal’s daughters meet Santa in a little wooden forest hut in Lapland… A worthwhile December read. (

)

elliepotten | Jun 10, 2009 |

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Nicholas: The Epic Journey from Saint to Santa Claus (in USA)

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Santa Claus

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An elegantly written, idiosyncratic biography of Santa Claus, from his saintly origins in Turkey to his current reign as the king of Christmas. Nicholas is a biographical travelogue tracing the evolution of one of the greatest cults of modern times--the rise of Santa Claus from his origins in Byzantine Turkey to his role as the jolly man who grants every child's wish. It is a compelling story of religious worship and strife, cultural interpretation, and mass commercialization brilliantly framed by Jeremy Seal's modern-day voyage in Santa's footsteps. Saint Nicholas, as Santa was originally known, lived and worked in Myra on the southern coast of Turkey 1,700 years ago. He became a revered figure in the Orthodox and Catholic churches, attracting devotees across the Christian world as his cult shifted westward with the centuries. The saint's bones are said to still exist, and Seal's dogged pursuit of these relics launches his quest for Santa's true lineage--one that takes him through present-day Turkey, Italy, Holland, England, America, and finally Lapland as he pieces together the history of this extraordinary man-to-myth transformation. In the tradition of Bruce Chatwin and Tony Horowitz, Jeremy Seal is a natural storyteller, weaving fascinating history and intrepid travelogue into a book every bit as enchanting as its subject

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