Review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Chatham River Press, 1986 (original story published in 1843)
Fiction; 52 pages

I feel especially in the Christmas spirit having just finished A Christmas Carol. My poor husband and animals have had to put up with my belting out Christmas carols, and taking them for a spin around the house. While my husband and my dog Riley love to dance, the cats aren't quite so willing partners.

I am not sure what to say about this wonderful story. It's one that is known the world over. I have seen the many movie versions (except for the latest animated film which just came out this year), most more than two or three times. It's almost a tradition to see the film at least once each year. I had never read the novella until now, however. It was exactly as I thought it would be; which is to say, if you've seen the movies as often as I have, you know the story well. I felt like I'd read the story before--but it didn't strike me with boredom. Rather it was exhilarating. I can see why so many of you choose to read this story every year.

For those not familiar with the story, it is about a miserly curmudgeon of a man who has no love in his heart for Christmas. He believes in working hard and that's about it. He is hard on his employee and unkind to those requesting charity. He sees others as being greedy, lazy and no good. The night before Christmas, Ebenezer Scooge is visited by the spirit of his old business partner, who lived his life in much the same way as Scrooge when alive. Jacob Marley warns Ebenezer that he is destined to follow in his footsteps, bound by the same chains and suffering in the afterlife, if he doesn't change his ways. Marley foretells that Scrooge will be visited by three spirits, each one representing the phases of life: past, present, and future. And so the story goes. For Ebenezer Scrooge, the spirits were frightening as well as awe inspiring. He was overcome with everything he experienced and saw that night.

Charles Dickens has never been at a loss for words as far as I can tell. In A Christmas Carol, he doesn't hold back on details, painting vivid pictures with words of the characters and scenery in the story. Nor does he write a completely serious tale, as serious as his subject matter may seem. There is humor mixed in as well as pageantry. I love the way he writes. Admittedly, it is hard for me to separate out the movies from the book as images from the movies kept springing to mind as I read.

A Christmas Carol has become a staple of our culture. The lessons learned from it are ones we are all familiar with. The story has been told in countless ways over the years. Charles Dickens' tale is every bit a classic in that way. If you've only seen the movie, whichever version and incarnation, you really must read the story from which it came.

Rating: (Very Good)

Source: I found this gem in a used bookstore one day while killing time on a visit to the courthouse for jury duty. I couldn't tell you what year or month, only that I did buy it myself.

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~ From my Family to Yours ~

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