My annual reading of A Christmas Carol. I always enjoy watching Scrooge change his ways. This time I picked up some new things that Scrooge says and does. Didn't expect that after all these years of reading it. Worth reading. The Christmas season would not be complete without reading this.

by Jim Piecuch

An interesting idea, which I've seen attempted once before with dubious results, but this one very quickly looked like it would shape up to be a worthwhile story. The pacing was a little slow at first, but soon began to pick up and I found myself being engaged by the characters.

There was an element of Romance, but that wasn't the main focus of the story. I liked the plot progression a lot despite the sometimes slow delivery and a fairly weak ending. The characters were very well defined and brought reader reactions, sometimes strong ones. Tim is a likable character. He's generous, charitable and everything you would expect him to be, based on where Dickens left his story.

There were a few things that made it glaringly apparent that the book was written by an American author; terms like 'washcloth' and 'Mom' and drinking coffee in a situation where a Victorian Englishman would be far more likely to have tea for example. Otherwise there weren't any huge problems, although a sudden pov change to Jane did stick out a little. Also the ideas of gift giving at Christmas were very modern and didn't reflect the actual customs of the Victorian English as you might expect from a History teacher, even one who specialises in American history.

Conversely, there were some smooth transitions into visions from Tim's childhood which were very well done, although one extensive flashback seemed to go on too long.

Overall I enjoyed reading it and feel my time was well spent. As Christmas stories go, this one is a nice, light read. You have to suspend disbelief on some things, like how long it takes to recover from a major operation before someone can be moved, but generally it kept my attention and has left me feeling that now I know what eventually happened to Tiny Tim.

by Charles Dickens

What can anyone say about a Dickens Classic?

This story has stood the test of time for good reason. Some of Dickens' stories can be overly wordy and full of too many characters and get confusing, but this one is straight forward and tells the story in a clear, linear fashion like the best of his work; stories like David Copperfield and Oliver Twist. Only it's a short story so it sticks closely to the main character: Ebenezer Scrooge.

Most people in the western world will have either read this or seen a movie version at some time in their lives. If you haven't read the original, I highly recommend it. Only one film version has ever really done it justice in my opinion and that was an old black and white version with Alastair Sim playing the title role.

It is an interesting look at the supernatural and a highly moral story, highlighting the pitfalls of greed and avarice. Most of all it gives the reader a feeling of the joys of the Christmas holiday and the traditions which became attached to it in Victorian England. Dickens effectively gave us Christmas as we have come to know it in this story, beautifully told.

by Charles Dickens

What can anyone say about a Dickens Classic?

This story has stood the test of time for good reason. Some of Dickens' stories can be overly wordy and full of too many characters and get confusing, but this one is straight forward and tells the story in a clear, linear fashion like the best of his work; stories like David Copperfield and Oliver Twist. Only it's a short story so it sticks closely to the main character: Ebenezer Scrooge.

Most people in the western world will have either read this or seen a movie version at some time in their lives. If you haven't read the original, I highly recommend it. Only one film version has ever really done it justice in my opinion and that was an old black and white version with Alastair Sim playing the title role.

It is an interesting look at the supernatural and a highly moral story, highlighting the pitfalls of greed and avarice. Most of all it gives the reader a feeling of the joys of the Christmas holiday and the traditions which became attached to it in Victorian England. Dickens effectively gave us Christmas as we have come to know it in this story, beautifully told.

TITLE:  A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings

AUTHOR:  Charles Dickens

ISBN-13:  9780141195858

EDITION:  Penguin Classics Clothbound Series

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DESCRIPTION:

"After reading Christmas Carol, the notoriously reclusive Thomas Carlyle was "seized with a perfect convulsion of hospitality" and threw not one but two Christmas dinner parties. The impact of the story may not always have been so dramatic but, along with Dickens other Christmas writings, it has had a lasting and significant influence upon our ideas about the Christmas spirit, and about the season as a time for celebration, charity, and memory.

Dickens's classic A Christmas Carol has had significant influence on our ideas about the Christmas spirit, and the season as a time for celebration, charity, and memory. This handsome edition features appendices on A Christmas Carol and The Haunted Man, an essay on Dickens and The Arabian Nights, and Dickens's prefaces to the collected editions of the Christmas books.

This edition is part of the Penguin Classics Clothbound series designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith."

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REVIEW:

This is a collection of Christmas stories written by Charles Dickens, including the famous "A Christmas Carol", as well as other stories (The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton and The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain) and writings that come across as more reflective musings than actual stories (A Christmas Tree and Christmas Festivities).  All very sentimental and "feel-good" Christmas stories that attempt to remind the reader to be especially kind to those less fortunate at this time of year.  As is usual with a collection like this, some stories are better than others.  I especially enjoyed "A Christmas Carol" and "The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton".  The rest were either too vague in terms of plot or too long.  Original black and white illustrations are included in this book, along with notes, introduction and appendices.