--- product_id: 162822326 title: "Matchless: A Christmas Story" brand: "gregory maguire" price: "353 kr" currency: DKK in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.dk/products/162822326-matchless-a-christmas-story store_origin: DK region: Denmark --- # Matchless: A Christmas Story **Brand:** gregory maguire **Price:** 353 kr **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Matchless: A Christmas Story by gregory maguire - **How much does it cost?** 353 kr with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.dk](https://www.desertcart.dk/products/162822326-matchless-a-christmas-story) ## Best For - gregory maguire enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted gregory maguire brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Matchless: A Christmas Story ## Images ![Matchless: A Christmas Story - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51UzqPJfcTL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Nice Story *by V***E on Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2023* Cute book. Very short. Story is very nice. ### ⭐⭐ Disappointing *by J***R on Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2009* "Even on Christmas Eve she plied her needle. Humming sentimental melodies of the season, she stitched while Frederik washed up. As soon as she nodded off over her scissors, Frederik scampered up the ladder to his attic. The room reeked with the salt tang of the sea and the sweet rawness of the smokehouse. He didn't mind, this was *his* room, to which his mother in her exhaustion could never manage to climb." -- From MatchlessI'm a huge fan of Anderson's fairy tales (and own  Hans Christian Andersen: The Complete Fairy Tales and Stories (Anchor Folktale Library) ). My absolute favorite story of Andersen's is the heartbreaking tale The Little Match Girl.Now, I've heard of the author of Matchless; he's the guy who takes fairy tales like the Wizard of Oz and puts his own spin on them (how original). And, I've always wondered how his books were. Well, when I saw he had a version of my favorite Andersen tale, I figured this would be the perfect time to sample his writing and hopefully get a fresh spin on this beloved tale.Well! Call me disappointed. Almost every other page is a full-page illustration. Most of the text on the opposing page is a few small paragraphs at best and one sentence at worst. Certainly not worth the price, despite the charming illustrations by the author!And the story? Maguire says he only changed a few slight things about The Little Match Girl (setting the story at Christmas rather than New Year's and making the girl's beloved passed relative her mother instead of her grandmother). However, he changes another crucial aspect of the story (that is, crucial to *his* version of Matchless): in Matchless, the little girl's father is a kindly widower with two babies ill with consumption.However, in the original, the tale clearly states "She didn't dare go home because she had sold no matches and was frightened that her father might beat her." He's obviously not a nice man! So to have Maguire portray her father as not only kindly, but also the new stepfather to the main character of Matchless (a little boy named Frederik) seems bizarre.And, although this point can certainly be debated because of translation issues, Matchless portrays the little boy as laughing with delight as to having found the shoe "for his babies", oblivious to her or her frozen state. Yet, in the original tale, the context suggests that the little boy stole her slipper and shouted that he'd use it as a cradle when he had a child of his own.This is all disappointing not only for the price I paid, but also because I was looking forward to a retelling of The Little Match Girl that didn't sugarcoat her reality, yet somehow found a way to embellish the tale with a redemptive backstory or future echoes that this little girl's life did, indeed, matter.I found the ending to be anticlimatic, and felt that the references to the stars overhead could have been told in a more poetic (and clear) way so that the reader could immediately connect the firmament with the dead girl (it took me a few readings to realize what the author was trying to do).So although Matchless is an attractive hardcover book with lovely drawings from the author, I just can't help but be disappointed at the weak retelling and ending of the tale (not to mention the brevity).-- Janet Boyer, author of Back in Time Tarot ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Interesting Twist *by L***R on Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2017* When I was a child, one of the few movies our family owned was The Little Match Girl. I loved that silent film. I was very interested to see Mr. Maguire's take on the story.I enjoyed this version. The original is so sad because the poor child freezes to death and the only warmth is in heaven. Earth is a cold and lonely place. In this version, there is the opportunity for warmth on earth. All is not lost with the little girl. Life goes on and there is a chance for betterment. Yet, you also know that the girl goes on and is in a good place.Very nice twist. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.dk/products/162822326-matchless-a-christmas-story](https://www.desertcart.dk/products/162822326-matchless-a-christmas-story) --- *Product available on Desertcart Denmark* *Store origin: DK* *Last updated: 2026-04-27*