A review of A Christmas Song

 

The main character, Clara, is a talented music teacher, who sells sheet-music and records in a music shop. Her wealthy neighbours, The Williamsons, are fond of giving parties several times a year, and Clara and her family are always invited. But this Christmas Eve, she decides not to go. However, one of the Williamson sons, Freddy, goes to her place and persuades her to go. Before they set off, a young man comes to the shop. He came earlier in the day and tried to find a love song to surprise his girlfriend. Eventually she found the song for him and now it is echoing in her mind. When she stands in front of the Williamsons’ house, she thinks of the song again.  

Clara probably feels her life in the town is dull: the scenery, the few songs that people want to know, the Williamsons’ parties and the crass behaviour of the guests. This winter she longs for snow; perhaps this means she wants more a colourful life. When she meets the young man, she might be attracted to him by his shyness, his romantic quest, or his interest in music. We get the impression the song is a metaphor for the life Clara wants; it seems to be within her grasp, but then it floats away. In the end, the frost crackles under her feet. Perhaps this represents the end of her dream of finding a more interesting way of life. It is hard to move somewhere else, so she asks herself what her future holds in terms of her prospects and her love life.