The Twelve Days of Christmas

John Julius Norwich

• Publisher: Atlantic Books
• Year: 2011
• eBook ISBN:
  9781782394891
• Print ISBN:
  9781848877085

My dearest darling- That partridge, in that lovely little pear tree! What an enchanting, romantic, poetic present! Bless you and thank you. Your deeply loving Emily Everyone knows the 'Twelve Days of Christmas', but not as rewritten by John Julius Norwich in this delightful correspondence, which records the daily thank-you letters from one increasingly bemused young lady to her unseen admirer. And who but Quentin Blake could exploit the full comic possibilities of this hilarious debacle as first birds, then maids and finally the full percussion section of the Liverpool Philharmonic bring mayhem to the calm of an English country Christmas?

Contents

Foreword

25th December

26th December

27th December

28th December

29th December

30th December

31st December

1st January

2nd January

3rd January

4th January

5th January

Foreword

It all starts so well. I imagine that Edward is a hearty young fellow, richer than the dreams of the Rich List, who met Emily at a party arranged by a friend. He is taken by her ladylike qualities (carefully instilled by Mummy) and her quiet modesty. He proposes marriage and she blushingly accepts. Mummy is thrilled. Emily prepares herself for a yearning absence over Christmas, but he promises to send a little surprise to her and swears undying love. Red-faced with glee, he sets about some serious wooing.

Christmas presents are more thrilling when they are unexpected, and at first Edward hits the right note: a pretty (and tiny) tree, a little bird, a darling friend to chirrup his affection while the young lovers are apart … what could be more charming? Greatly encouraged by her first extravagant note of thanks, Edward launches into his extended plan. But he fails to heed the warning signs in her ensuing letters and what started as...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents