How the Grinch Stole Christmas! moral and humor. Charlotte Jackson of the "San Francisco Chronicle" called the book "wonderful fantasy, in the true Dr. Seuss manner, with pictures in the Christmas colors." Some writers, including Dr. Seuss himself, have made a connection between the Grinch and Dr. Seuss. In the story, the Grinch laments that he has had to put up with the Whos' celebration of Christmas for 53 years. As both Thomas Fensch and Charles Cohen note, Dr. Seuss was 53 when he wrote and published the book. Dr. Seuss himself asserted the connection in an article in the December 1957 edition of "Redbook":
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film) Phillips and John Davis in attendance, in which Jack Nicholson was in mind to play the Grinch. Additionally, the Farrelly brothers and John Hughes pitched their own separate versions. Universal Pictures held its pitch presentation with Brian Grazer and Gary Ross in attendance, but Geisel refused such offer. Grazer then enlisted his producing partner Ron Howard to help with the negotiations. At the time, Howard was developing a film adaptation of "The Sea-Wolf", and did not express interest in "Grinch", but Grazer talked Howard into traveling to Geisel's residence for the pitch meeting. While studying the book, Howard became interested