A Christmas Carol: Level 1

Re-read this month for a book club, along with four other Charles Dickens stories. Reading all the stories so close together, the thing that struck me most is how much Dickens is on the side of the poor and often points out the hypocritical attitudes of the Victorian establishment towards them.In this story, Scrooge berates the Ghost of Christmas Present saying that people are campaigning for the bake houses to be closed on Sundays, thus depriving the poor of a hot meal on Sundays, and the Ghost says although people claim to be doing it in his name, they are nothing to do with him.

Better than watching all the movie and play variations.

What better way to get oneself into the Christmas Spirit than by reading THE Christmas story?Think about how many times this tale has been told and retold, adapted to stage and screen, and even used in multiple television shows for that one-off Christmas episode the writers just weren't in the mood to be original on (kidding... sort of...). It all comes back to Ebenezer Scrooge and the Christmas he was visited by three spirits (four counting his former business partner, Jacob Marley). A visit that would leave him greatly changed for the better. I think one of the reasons the story resonates so well is it has the power to remind us of the worst parts of ourselves as human beings, and makes sure we know there is still time to fix things if we need to. And, among other things, be kind.After this year (2016), I know that I for one needed the message Dickens provides in this classic, so I'm definitely glad I decided to read it again this particular Christmas season.

Did you know that when Dickens wrote this little novella in 1843 as part of his ‘Christmas Series’, it changed all our Christmases? Traditional practices were going out of fashion at the time, and the book revived them. Groaning boards of turkey and iced cake, presents, dancing and mistletoe were all saved for our enjoyment…or not! At the same time it was a clear comment on early Victorian society, as when the Ghost of Christmas Present reveals two children saying; “This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased.”For me, the book was a tradition in itself. Every year, as my children grew, I’d read it, over four or five nights, ending the story with Scrooge’s transformation on Xmas Eve. Heady days!

This was my first time actually reading A Christmas Carol, although I've been familiar with the story from a young age. I enjoyed both an illustrated version and the audiobook, narrated by Tim Curry. I can assuredly say that no adaptation does this story justice. Dickens is a master of words and I felt utterly transported by his descriptions. I highly recommend reading this one if you never have. And then I recommend watching Scrooged, just because. Merry Christmas!

This feels more like a book Dickens discovered than one that he wrote. Worth re-reading every few years.

A Christmas Carol, a well known classic by Charles Dickens. I don't know if I ever really read it or just knew it from the many TV and radio shows that I have seen, many of which are quite true to the book. This story read as if the narrator was talking directly to me. It was a bit sarcastic and a bit dry humor and it was a fun read. I am not going to worry about spoilers here as who wouldn't know this story? The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future come to Scrooge and teach him to be a better man. The ghost of the past is shiny because the past always seems brighter than the present but with parts fading from memory, the present was an interesting blend of paganism and Christianity (our modern Christmas). What descriptions of colorful foods and Christmas scenes! The Ghost of the future was hardly visible and had no voice. Dickens always likes to deal with social problems and here he deals with ignorance and want which threaten the future. Dicken's characters of course our stereotypes; greedy oppressive capitalist, the noble poor, Tiny Tim the precocious Prophet-child and Fred the optimist. And all ends well, and "may we know how to keep Christmas well."

Lovely pictures grace this large-format edition of the classic.

I recently received a new version of a great classic, A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens. This particular version is illustrated by Francine Haskins with an afterword by Kyra E. Hick. This version has wonderful illustrations that belong in everyone's collection. Thank you to Kyra E. Hick for bringing this to my attention so that I may share it. Francine Haskins brings to live a Christmas Carol for ALL to enjoy regardless of where we live.

Inhaltsangabe:Ebener Scrooge ist ein reicher Kaufmann, der aus ärmlichen Verhältnissen stammt. Seit dem Tod seines Geschäftsparnters Marley ist er noch geiziger, noch kaltherziger und garstiger geworden. Und die Weihnachtszeit ist ihm sowieso ein Greuel, denn das bedeutet, das sein Kommis Cratchit einen bezahlten freien Tag bekommt.Doch am Abend vor Weihnachten bekommt Scrooge plötzlich Besuch: Den Geist von Marley. Marley kündigt ihm den Besuch von drei Geistern an: den Geist der vergangenen, der gegenwärtigen und zukünftigen Weihnacht. Und Marley mahnt ihn, sich sehr bald zu ändern, denn sonst würde ihm das gleiche Schicksal ereilt wie ihm.Mit schlotternden Knien erwartet Scrooge die Geister und macht sich mit ihnen auf eine Reise, die ihn für immer verändern.Mein Fazit:Eine bezaubernde Weihnachtsgeschichte, die heute traditionell einfach nicht mehr fehlen darf, weder als Buch noch im Fernsehen. Schon mehrfach verfilmt, strahlt die Geschichte immer wieder eine Botschaft aus: Es ist Weihnachten, habe Mitleid, praktiziere Nächstenliebe und schieb den Groll beiseite.Charles Dickens bedient sich dabei einer sehr bildlichen Sprache, beweist zuweilen trockenen Humor und zeigt ohne mahnenden Zeigefinger die Mißstände in der zwei-Klassen-Gesellschaft auf, die damals in England herrschten und im Grunde zeitlos überall bis heute vorherrschen. Deshalb hat diese Geschichte ihren wahren Charakter bis heute nicht verloren und kann noch viele weitere Generationen zu Weihnachten erzählt werden.Dies ist eigentlich eher eine Kindergeschichte, aber ich denke, auch -oder gerade- Erwachsene haben etwas davon. Ich kann es immer wieder empfehlen. Trotz der an einigen Stellen holprigen Sprache (ist ja auch schon 160 Jahre alt) kann man es ganz gut verstehen.Von mir bekommt das Buch 4,5 von 5 Sternchen.Anmerkung: Die Rezension stammt aus Dezember 2009.Veröffentlicht am 22.12.15!

Great classic that every kid needs to read. I learned about this for the first time in like the third grade when we did a play of it, and I loved it.

As many times as I have watched the movie versions, I have never read the book until now. Not being a literature major in college, I don't know if it is the language of the time or the man, but the descriptions are refreshingly different. One that really stopped me was the lobsters that glowed green in the basement. I read the book in installments from Daily Lit.

This is an every Christmas classic.

Great story, love the way the ghosts show Scrooge that he's going wrong, and how Scrooge alters his life for the better.In a very short novel we get to know many different characters, and we get to know them well and feel for their troubles like they're our friends.Though Scrooge is horrible at first, I also felt for him; it seems like he just doesn't know any better, but he is still being punished. The last ghost is especially horrific, and I really felt for Scrooge.Fortunately he gets his second chance, and all's well that ends well :)

Ebenezer Scrooge is the definition of a miser, reluctant even to wish anyone a merry Christmas for Christmas is but a “humbug.” But on Christmas Eve, he is shocked by a visit from the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who had been like Scrooge in life. Marley warns Scrooge that if he doesn’t change his ways, he’ll be cursed like Marley to walk the earth wearing chains, regretting that he hadn’t been kinder in life. To further prompt Scrooge toward goodwill to men, he is visited by three more spirits – the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future – who show him the cheer others feel on Christmas but also warn him of what may be if he doesn’t become more giving.A Christmas Carol has been told and adapted so many times as to become trite, but the original is still great to read, even if you know what's coming. The last time I read it I was 14, so coming back to it after all this time, I'm realizing just how funny Dickens can be. For instance, there is his musing right in the beginning as to the expression dead as a doornail: “Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country's done for.” It's this humor that is often missing in all the adaptations, which are either completely serious or completely silly, rather than the perfect combination of both. In many ways, A Christmas Carol is a morality tale, warning us about being too greedy instead of sharing our wealth with the poorest and neediest in our communities. It’s interesting how this book was so influential in our celebration of Christmas and has even affected our language so that “scrooge” has now become synonymous with miser. But despite all this, do we always remember to take the real story to heart? Do we remember to take care of those living in poverty all the year long, as Scrooge finally does at the end?For this re-reading, I listened to the audio version read by Frank Muller, who was excellent. If A Christmas Carol isn’t already a part of your holiday tradition, I highly recommend that it become so.

We listened to this on the way to my parents' house for Christmas. It was perfect. Dickens has an amazing way with descriptions... he's just delightful. My only complaint about the audio version I listened to (read by Anton Lesser) was that it was so quiet one second and then SO LOUD the next! His variation in voices was great, but he needed to think about poor people trying to adjust and readjust their volume constantly so as to be able to hear it but not get blasted out of their seats.

Read this Christmas season 2011. It was really delightful.

I selected Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol to read as my classic selection. First off, I completely agree that all authors have the ability to teach a lesson throughout each of their written pieces of work. Teaching children how they should behave through literature is a rewarding and positive things. This story is one of my all time favorites. Who has not been told the great story about Mr. Scrooge? We have seen him on the big screen in movies and cartoons all beginning in the mind of the great author Charles Dickens in 1843.Mr. Scrooge (felt sorry for the guy..kind of:) was a greedy, cold hearten business man that lost his business partner Jacob Marley. Scrooge lacked many needed skills to be a loving, caring, compassionate person no goodwill or charity in his body. Scrooge is visited by his business partners ghost and is warned to shape up and change his ways because he would lead a miserable afterlife like Mr. Marley is currently doing. He is then visited by three ghosts- The ghost of Christmas past, present and the Christmas yet to come. All themes revolve around Scrooge changing his heart and his ways. That the benefits of changing far out way his old, lonely, cold miserable ways. Lessons throughout the story to have love and family in your life. Treat others how you would loved to be treated, give to others that are not a lucky as you and your wealth. Great story to share with any age group of students especially around the holiday season.

There are many books about the Christmas season that are well written. One of them at the top of my list is "A Christmas Carol". Mostly because I believe it speaks about generosity. But also because it ties in things that are important to me about the season, like gathering together with family and supporting children in need.I've viewed the mid - Victorian story on film and stage, but the book is my most beloved. And, it has been translated into several languages.I love the wordiness of Dickens and feel that he makes us aware Christmas is a time when, "Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices". And, I expect it would have been great to live in a time to hear Dickens recite this himself. Yes, Ebenezer Scrooge, is haunted by his business partner Jacob Marley with the ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet To Come. In reading this, you know that Scrooge is melancholy. But after their haunting visits he learns of his own ignorance and wants and is a changed man. This story make us all realize the lessons life teaches us in controlling the shadow of our own growing tree. As this book points out in the beginning, where our shadow may fall.Purchased

Dickens eminently accesible, immortal masterpiece.

This is a lovely and fun book, and would be a great introduction for anybody intimidated by the larger size of some of Dickens other books.I only started reading this book last year (I don't know why!) and was surprised just how much it added over and above any of the movies. I suppose I should not have been surprised. I really should have known better. At least it was a pleasant surprise. Last year I was impressed with the newness of it all, and this year I seem to have taken more time with it. Dickens I think is an author best read more than once, I have a feeling each time I read this book I will see fun details I either missed or had forgotten over the course of the year. I felt myself almost compelled to read this book aloud to myself, and if I had smaller cousins would probably attempt to rope them into a storytime.

Dickens never disappoints. While I have seen many of the multitudes of movie adaptations, I have no clear recollection of ever reading the novella. So I sat down and read it this year. It's actually amazing how much this classic novella has influenced English (and American) culture, and Christmas traditions. At the time of publication, many of the nostalgia and tradition associated with Christmas had been in decline.

Dickensian characters are always a delight, and this certainly holds true for A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, the Fezziwigs, they all hold their own in comparison to other great Dickensian characters.

It was interesting to read Dickens immediately following Twain, who were contemporaries. I appreciate them both.

Having watched the movies based on this book since I was a child this book was purchased in order to read it to my children. It is of course a classic for a reason. The characters are engaging, the story absorbing, and it is in every way Charles Dickens.

A great festive read,, 9 December 2015This review is from: A Christmas Carol (Paperback)Have read most of Dickens' novels but only just got round to A Christmas Carol, a lovely little novella which may be sentimental but is still a real tear jerker.We meet Ebenezer Scrooge, a joyless, utterly mean employer, sitting in his freezing office on Christmas Eve. He rejects his good-natured neplhew's invitation for Christmas dinner, turns away two gentlemen collecting for the poor: ("Are there no prisons?...the Union workhouses? Are they still in operation?") and complains of his clerk, young family man Bob Cratchit, wanting the next day off.But Scrooge is to meet three spirits that show him Christmases past, present and future. We glimpse the Cratchit family making merry as best they can, and Scrooge sees how he will be remembered by his acquaintances in the future, and changes his outlook in consequence.Although I'd never read this before, I'd picked up quotes and the general theme from snippets on TV, and had envisioned it being too syrupy for me ... but it's a wonderful read.

So my animosity toward all things Dickens continues. It's not that I don't like this story. Who could dislike it, having seen it umpteen-million times since childhood and knowing that it's basically responsible for Christmas as we know it today? But really, Dickens is so sentimental and so melodramatic. Every character stands for something but isn't really a person. Tiny Tim--need I say more? I read this, and fairly quickly too, and I finished it, which I haven't done with a Dickens work since I was forced to read Hard Times in college. But yet again, I am reminded that Dickens' style and subject matter is the antithesis of what I like to read. I should honestly stop trying, but his belovedness confounds me. Now you'll be saying that I'm the Scrooge!

Great classic story!

A book which might be avoided by some readers because of the cliches that the text has generated. Any such bias should be overcome though. It is a witty engrossing read, with some enthralling passages, most notably in those parts where Dickens describes family and social scenes. It is also sensuous in some places, and is all the more rewarding for it.

Why I Read It:Like many people, I have yet to experience a Christmas during which A Christmas Carol is not on the television at some point during the day. Despite this, though, I’ve only seen snatches of the movie, so I thought I’d pick up the book this year.Plot: 4/5Classic. Everyone knows it. Ebenezer, the Original Scrooge, is the most miserly old man you’ll ever meet. He doesn’t have a single kind word or deed to spare for anyone, and he has no use for Christmas. Of course, all of that changes when he is visited by three ghostly acquaintances.This story is very heartwarming in the way that Scrooge transforms at the end, which makes it a satisfying Christmas tale.Characterization: 5/5Dickens has given us some of his most memorable characters in A Christmas Carol. “Scrooge” has become a household term. He is outrageously hateful at the beginning, and terribly pitiful in the middle, and wonderfully lovable at the end. Scrooge’s character (and the changes he undergoes) is what makes the lesson of the book so strong. And of course, Scrooge’s foils–Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, his sister Fan–only serve to highlight how crotchety he is.Voice/Style: 5/5I love Dickens, so I love his writing style. This book didn’t disappoint–it was in turns funny, eerie, sentimental and heartwarming. I liked that the creepiness of the ghosts balanced out the at times sickly sweet narrative.Additional Elements: 5/5My favorite thing about this story is the method that the ghosts use to turn Scrooge’s heart from stone to warm, beating flesh. It’s not just that he is scared into change, although fear does play a part in his transformation. No, he also remembers what he once had and the people he once loved and who loved him. Memory, empathy, and knowledge help him to see how much he still has to offer the world. And I think that’s a valuable lesson during Christmastime or anytime: remember the good times in life, be grateful for what you have, and share with people who don’t have as much.Recommended for: People who want a good Christmas classic or a quick, heartwarming read.

Uiteraard erg melo en wat belegen, maar toch mooi. Licht dantesk van opbouw

First time I've actually read the story. Well worth it, if only for those little details the movies might miss...And replete with messages for the current debt crisis :-)

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I have not completed the ritual reading of this tale in the run up to the festive season, for the past three years. This year I have and Christmas seems complete!I doubt there is a single reader in the world, nay, the universe who does not know the story of the miser forced to face his own unpleasant nature and so, I shall not bore you with a resume of the plot: suffice to say, that after more readings than I would care to admit (well into double, if not quite triple figures!), Dickens still manages to supply that warm glow of Christmas. We are lead to believe that, having turned over a new leaf, Scrooge is forgiven his past and yet, we still associate the name with penny pinching, rather than the generosity of the reborn Scrooge: perhaps we have to be a little more forgiving.....MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!