A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens | Book Review

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens. It was first published by Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843. It tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation resulting from a supernatural visit by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come.

The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published in early Victorian era Britain, a period when there was strong nostalgia for old Christmas traditions together with the introduction of new customs, such as Christmas trees and greeting cards. Dickens’ sources for the tale appear to be many and varied, but are, principally, the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.

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For the Reading Challenge(s):
The Classics Club

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The Reason

Honestly, I wasn’t really planning to read this book. This is one of those stories that get so much reference in pop culture that you feel like you already know the story, so I never thought I needed to read the actual book. However, Charles Dickens’ works have been getting on my radar lately, because of adaptations of his works – Demon Copperhead, The Artful Dodger TV series, and people bringing up A Christmas Carol the whole Christmas season. Shamefully, I have never actually read a single one of his books, even though I’m familiar with the stories and some adaptations. I signed up for The Classics Club in order to remedy some of that, and I thought A Christmas Carol would be a great book to start with!

The Characters

Scrooge must be one of the most well-known characters in pop culture as a caricature of the most miserable, stingy, horrible person. And he was, in the beginning, but I was quite surprised at how quickly he was able to change his attitude, take accountability for his bad behavior, be receptive to the Ghosts’ lessons, and make amends for his mistakes. I hated him in the beginning and loved him in the end.

As for the other characters, I loved the Cratchit family and Tiny Tim and how much love they had for each other. I loved Scrooge’s nephew and his family, they were such fun, boisterous people. And oh, Belle, I love her and I feel so much for her. They all really came to life for me.

The Quotes

“Bah,” said Scrooge, “Humbug.”

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humour.”

“No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.”

My Thoughts

I was having a couple of bad nights and hadn’t slept well, so I read the book aloud while pacing back and forth in order to keep myself awake, and I must say, I initially felt that Dickens was overly verbose. I was tired and there were so many words and descriptions, and I was tired! And yet, I realized I loved it. I loved how descriptive he was of all the characters, the scenes, how he painted such pictures with his words, and made the story come alive for me.

I also realized that I had been missing a lot by thinking I know the story well enough from pop culture and not making an effort to actually read this book until now. There’s so much more to it than I’d thought.

My Feels

It’s so interesting because I think this book runs the gamut. I felt disgusted and angry with Scrooge at the beginning of the book, and also pity. And also horror, at the description of the Ghosts – they were weird! – and later at the potentially horrible end Scrooge might have faced. There was nostalgia about the past, heartbreak with Belle, love and tenderness with the Cratchits, fun and joy with Scrooge’s nephew and family. It was heartwarming in the end and so satisfying. And I felt all of it!

My Rating

5/5 stars. I loved it, and I feel like I’d happily read this again because of how well-written it was and how the characters came to life for me.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?