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The Second Most Famous Christmas Story

Even if you are unlucky enough never to have read anything by Mr. Charles Dickens, you will still know the story of the Three Ghosts – the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come – that haunt the miserly and continuously ill-humoured businessman Ebenezer Scrooge and make him aware of how he has been excluding himself from all human fellowship when actually no man should consider himself an island. You may not have read this little Christmas novella, but you will have seen one or another screen adaptation for sure, and there might even be a considerable number of people who make a point of enjoying this story whenever Christmas is near.

So maybe in the light of all this, it is not an exaggeration to say that Dickens probably wrote the most famous Christmas Story in the world if you leave aside the original Nativity Story that is re-told or enacted in churches all over the world every year. Being the next in line to the story that started it all is quite some achievement, I should think.

However, when you take a closer look at the novella itself, you will notice that Dickens’s achievement not only lies in the popularity his 1843 tale would immediately gain – he could not have known that it would become such a success when he was writing it –, but more so in the richness of the tale itself. Do not make the mistake and assume that A Christmas Carol will give you the story of an old geezer who is visited by a bunch of spectres that make him afraid of dying a lonely and unlamented death and who therefore completely and miraculously changes his ways for in that case you would hardly do justice to Dickens’s deftness at drawing his characters. On the contrary, when you read the book carefully you will notice how skilfully Dickens invites the reader to draw his own conclusions as to why Scrooge has become the flinty recluse as who he appears in the first chapter of the book, and to follow his gradual reform. Just compare the hints Dickens offers with the development of Scrooge’s character as it is intimated in the enjoyable Muppets version of the story, and you will see that by 1843 Dickens was no longer prone to using the one-sided characters you know from his earlier works such as Oliver Twist or The Old Curiosity Shop.

What is more, the book also shows Dickens as somebody deeply concerned with social and political questions: Whereas the Christmas scenes in Pickwick Papers are exclusively characterized by cheerful and buoyant conviviality, in A Christmas Carol Dickens also pursued some social motive, namely that of raising the public’s awareness of the harrowing needs of the poor, whose numbers had increased in the wake of industrialization. Some might criticize Dickens for advocating the idea of better-to-do people’s responsibility for the indigent classes and urging them to donate money as a rather paternalistic approach of alms-giving that denies the socially deprived their right to have their basic needs satisfied – but what these critics actually fail to see is that Dickens criticized the Poor Law and its affiliated measures as utterly counterproductive and inhumane and that this was the reason why he underlined the necessity of private people’s feeling responsible to give their share for the common good. You may remember that Scrooge rebuked the portly gentleman’s request for a donation by referring to the Treadmill, the Prisons and the money he paid so that these institutions could be run. It is this attitude of transferring one’s duty towards other people to official institutions – that may fulfil this duty well or poorly – that is becoming increasingly typical of modern societies, and in that respect I would say that Dickens’s approach was anything but old-fashioned.

Nevertheless the question whether Dickens’s appeal to private charity is “enlightened” or not may be a matter of little concern given the depth and power of this little book, and as far as I am concerned Christmas would hardly be Christmas without Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, the genial Mr. Fezziwig and last not least without Tiny Tim.

Every year or so I re-read this lovely Dickens' classic, and I appreciate it the same every time. It is one of the few stories that is so well written that even Hollywood dares not tamper with it. I have seen (as no doubt you have) multiple versions of this story and no one ever tries to add or subtract from the events. That is a statement in itself.

When we think "Christmas", much of what comes to mind comes directly from the pages of this book. I hope we can all find a moment to include the three spirits in our lives this year. And, as Tiny Tim would say, "God Bless us, every one."

By God, Dickens just got me into a Christmas spirit!
I’m so glad I finally read this classic. It’s an excellent tale of redemption and joy.

If you have been living under a rock all these years and have not read this yet, what are you waiting for? Don't be like Scrooge. It's only 162 pages of pure unadulterated Christmas joy. Bah humbug!

4+ out of 5 stars to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, a story almost everyone is likely familiar with as early on as childhood. And we've all seen some form of this in a TV show, movie or another book, given how familiar the three ghosts of Christmas have become.



n  n    Why This Bookn  n
I honestly don't recall how I stumbled upon this book, perhaps by watching one of the movie versions as the first foray. Sacrilegious, I know. But once you see it on a TV screen, the story compels you to want to read it. And when it's the great Charles Dickens, how can you say no, right? I was 17 when I read the book... the summer before college started. And I often wonder if I missed out by not reading it when I was younger... but then again, the movie had already formed images in my mind and set the expectations, so probably turned out OK.



n  n    Overview of Storyn  n
A quick summary, as I'm sure we're all familiar. Jacob Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge run a business. Bob Cratchit works for them and several young kids. Marley dies. Scrooge is a penny pincher. He forces Cratchit to work too hard and the man is already so poor and loving to his family. One night, Scrooge is visited by Marley's ghost, forewarning him to be a nicer person and to listen when "they" come. Scrooge laughs. "Who's they?" He mocks him. And then it happens... three ghosts visit Scrooge and show him a Christmas from the past, a current Christmas and a future Christmas, all resulting from the way Scrooge and Marley ran their business -- essentially, a way to show the old man what his behavior has caused all around him. A reflection pool of the inner workings deep in your mind you've refused to hear or see for far too long. And when Scrooge sees poor Timmy, Bob Cratchit's son, and the maladies surrounding him, Scrooge realizes he, too, must re-learn his lessons.



n  n    Strengthn  n
In true Dickens style, the words are beautiful. The story reads itself, not the reader. And you find such broad strokes of characters and morals within these 100 pages. You learn from it. You open your mind and accept what's already somewhere in your heart.



n  n    Open Itemsn  n
None really... mostly when's the best time to introduce this to children? Too young and you scare them. Too old and you miss out on helping them. It's one of those books you should read together with your kids.



n  n    Final Thoughtsn  n
Read the book before you watch any movies. Then figure out how to help people in your life, just like Scrooge learns to. This book is all about lessons... and every reader can take away something different with their imagination and application to their own thoughts and actions.



n  n    About Men  n
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures.

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*Read for class

1. This is the first book I've finished in September I am so damn excited.
2. I have endless love for this story because my mom is obsessed with Christmas movies so I've seen at least a million adaptations of it. Happy to say the book was even better! Short and sweet, yet still Dickensian!

Reread 2024: I love this addition, with the red and gold foiling. The illustrations are not really to my taste (a bit scratchy) but the story as ever is just as good.

Reread 2020: Due to a migraine, this year I turned to an audio version for the first time. It was a different experience, not entirely unenjoyable, but I think I'd try a different narrator if I went down this route again.

I like to reread A Christmas Carol every couple of years on Christmas Eve to get me into the Christmas spirit. All I could think about this year was A Muppet Christmas Carol. Not necessarily a bad thing, as I love that film.

I do find Dickens writing a little over descriptive at times, but I liked the little quips and puns that are scattered throughout, and I had a few little chuckle to myself (again, possibly also linked to The Muppets). I think the ghost of Christmas present is my favourite. He’s just everything that I think of when I imagine Christmas.

A festive classic.

This short parable or morality tale is probably one of the most read novellas within Charles Dickens’ vast body of work, and one that truly embodies the spirit of Christmas. A short book we could all do with on these cold winter nights (on this side of the world, they are, at least)!

I guess everyone knows the story in broad strokes: Ebenezer Scrooge, a disgusting narrow-shouldered old misanthrope and life-denying penny-pincher (the avatar of Shylock, Volpone, Harpagon and many more literary misers) is about to spend Christmas Eve alone in his cold house, after having dismissed his nephew, his underpaid clerk, everyone. During the night, he meets the ghost of Jacob Marley, his late business partner, then three successive spirits, like the three Biblical Magi, each with a terrible vision of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come. At the end of this long nightmare, where Scrooge travels in space and time, he sees the error of his ways, repents, promises to amend his behaviour and abandon his avarice.

The story is, of course, if not familiar, entirely predictable, but the genius of Dickens lies in his ability to breathe life into his characters and settings. In particular, the description of Victorian Camden market in Stave four, with the seasonal food and drink and preparations for Christmas Eve dinner is mouthwatering. The chapter titled “The end of it”, when Scrooge wakes up to a bright golden Christmas morning, filled with bells ringing at full peal, is probably one of the most elating pieces of literature I have ever read. In the edition I own, Arthur Rackham’s illustrations, have, as always, the quaint charm of bygone days.

The film industry has plundered Dickens shamelessly on this one. Robert Zemeckis’ version, with Jim Carrey, is probably the most respectful of the text, although the CGI is frankly horrendous. I much prefer Frank Capra and James Stewart’s inverted variation in It’s a Wonderful Life.

And with this, dear Goodreads people and friends, have a holly jolly Christmas, read on, and may Santa Claus bring you three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree!

4.75⭐️ a brilliant classic, probably going to read this every year now

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843.

A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an old miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.

عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «سرود کریسمس»؛ «آواز کریسمس»؛ «اسکروچ»؛ اثر: چارلز دیکنز؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش در سال 1974میلادی

عنوان: سرود کریسمس؛ اثر: چارلز دیکنز؛ مترجم: حسین سپهری نیک؛ تهران، چاپخانه بانک بازرگانی ایران، 1334، در 100ص؛ موضوع داستانهای کودکان از نویسندگان بریتانیا سده 19م

عنوان: سرود کریسمس - متن کوتاه شده؛ نویسنده: چارلز دیکنز؛ مترجم: محسن سلیمانی؛ تهران، نشر افق، 1375، در 64ص؛ شابک9646003141؛ چاپ دهم 1392؛ چاپ یازدهم 1394؛ 9789646742512؛ در 57ص؛

عنوان: آواز کریسمس؛ اثر: چارلز دیکنز؛ مترجم: کتایون حدادی؛ تهران، سازمان تبلیغات، 1375؛ چاپ سوم مهرماه 1376، در 83ص؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس؛ اثر: چارلز دیکنز؛ اقتباس: سعید مقدم؛ تهران، جاده ابریشم، 1376، در 32ص؛ شابک 9646225144؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس - متن کامل؛ اثر: چارلز دیکنز؛ مترجم: حسین ابراهیمی؛ تهران، مدرسه، 1378، در 174ص؛ شابک 9644365720؛ چاپ ششم 1392؛ چاپ دیگر: 1397؛ در 148ص؛ شابک 9789640816318؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس - متن کوتاه شده؛ اثر: چارلز دیکنز؛ مترجم: مهین دانشور؛ تهران، نشر مرکز، 1375؛ در 111ص؛ چاپ دوم تهران، نشر مرکز، مریم، 1381، در 93ص؛ شابک ایکس - 964305201؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس به نثر: داستان ارواح کریسمس؛ نویسنده: چارلز دیکنز؛ مترجم: فرزانه طاهری؛ تصویرگر: جان لیچ؛ تهران: نشر مرکز‏‫، ‏‫1394؛ در شش و 138ص؛ شابک 9789642132966؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس: متن کوتاه شده؛ نویسنده: چارلز ديكنز؛ مترجم: شایسته ابراهیمی؛ ویراستار: سلاله حقی‌ ناوند؛ تهران انتشارات بین المللی گاج‏‫، 1395؛ در 47ص؛ شابک 9786003593879؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس؛ نویسنده چالز دیکنز؛ مترجم: فاطمه باغستانی؛ تصویرگر: روبرتو اینوچنتی؛ تهران انتشارات چکه‏‫، 1396؛ در 152ص؛ شابک 9786007216231؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس؛ نویسنده: چارلز دیکنز؛ مترجم: سپیده حبیبی؛ تهران موسسه نگارش الکترونیک کتاب‏‫، ‏‫1396؛ در 47ص؛ شابک 9786008299523؛ مصور، رنگی؛ عنوان دیگر اسکروچ؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس؛ نویسنده: چارلز دیکنز؛ مترجم: وجیهه آیت‌ اللهی؛ تهران؛ بنگاه ترجمه و نشر کتاب پارسه‏‫، 1396؛ در 174ص؛ شابک 9786002532862؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس؛ نویسنده: چارلز دیکنز؛ بازنویس جوان کالینز؛ تصویرگر جان هولدر؛ مترجم: المیرا کاس‌نژاد؛ تهران پینه‌ دوز‏‫، 1396؛ در 52ص؛ شابک 9789642886975؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس؛ نویسنده: چارلز دیکنز؛ مترجم: بهارک قهرمانی (قهرمان)‏‫؛ ویراستار صحرا مولایی؛ تهران دادجو‏‫، 1398؛ در 82ص؛ شابک 9786226210799؛

عنوان: سرود کریسمس؛ نویسنده: چالز دیکنز ؛ ‏‫مترجم: عاطفه جلیلی‌ مرند؛ تهران: نشر نودا، 1398؛ در 80ص؛ شابک 9786009868711؛

این داستان شاهکار را، نخستین بار در دوران دانش آموزی در دبیرستان «فیوضات» در «تبریز»؛ در یکی از سالهای دهه ی چهل از سده چهارده خورشیدی، و در کتابهای درسی آن روزگاران دبیرستانها، به زبان انگلیسی خوانده ام؛ داستان یک مرد پیر، «بی احساس»، و «خسيس»، به نام «ابنزر اسکروچ» است؛ همگان «اسکروچ» را میشناسند، و شمایان هم «اسکروچ»های بسیاری را دیده اید، و آنها را میشناسید؛ فیلمها و کارتونهایی که با اقتباس از این کتاب، ساخته و پرداخته شده اند را هم، لابد دیده، و به تماشا بنشسته اید؛ پس بیش از این نمینویسم؛ کتاب را نخستین بار جناب «حسین سپهری نیک» ترجمه، و در سال 1334هجری خورشیدی، در 100ص، به نشر سپرده اند؛ اما متن کامل کتاب را جناب «حسین ابراهیمی» ترجمه کرده اند، و متنهای کوتاه شده را بانو «کتایون حدادی» با عنوان «آواز کریسمس»؛ و بانو «مهین دانشور» با عنوان «سرود کریسمس»، و جناب «محسن سلیمانی» و جناب «سعید مقدم»؛ و ...؛ شاید دیگرانی هم باشند، که این فراموشکار هنوز ندیده است، همه چیز را همگان دانند

نقل از متن: («اسکروچ» با عصبانیت گفت: وقتی آدم در دنیای احمق‌ها زندگی می‌کند، چرا عصبانی نشود؟ «کریسمس» مبارک! هه! اصلا «کریسمس» یعنی چه؟ فقط باید موقع «کریسمس» بیش‌تر از آن‌که داری خرج کنی؛ و می‌فهمی که یک سال دیگر پیرتر شده‌ ای، اما یک ساعت هم ثروتمندتر نشده‌ ای؛ به نظر ��ن، باید هر احمقی را که راه می‌افتد، و می‌گوید «کریسمس» مبارک! در همان غذای «کریسمس» اش بیندازند تا با غذا بپزد.)؛ پایان

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 06/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 20/05/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.
A Christmas Carol ~~~ Charles Dickens


I have a tradition of reading something by Dickens over the Christmas holidays. Sometimes a full novel, often a short story, mostly re-readings of A Christmas Carol, this being my favorite of all Dickens' writings. Rather than writing a review for this, I thought I would make some general observations I have on A Christmas Carol.



1) It is a timeless biblical story of redemption and grace without reference to any scripture. But reading A Christmas Carol you somehow feel that Charles Dickens knew what he was doing.

2) Dickens writes a better ghost story than most horror writers do.

3) Dickens must have been familiar with Hindu philosophy as karma is a prevalent theme.



4) I can't help but think that Scrooge is largely biographical -- a profound confession by a man terrified at the way he may have misspent his life amongst his fellow human beings.

5) Although it is a ghost story, it is largely optimistic and filled with hope.

6) Dickens was very bright as he saw the role ignorance would play in the world. Look at how the world has been dumbed down and how it, ignorance, has played a role in Brexit and in Trump's appointment to the presidency.

7) Question for you, is A Christmas Carol a manifesto from Dickens?

n  December 2, 2021n
I knew what to expect of A Christmas Carol going into this reading, what I wasn’t expecting was the emotional impact it would have on me. Perhaps it was due to losing my father this year. 175+ years later, A Christmas Carol still endures in a world that is almost unrecognizable from the world Dickens lived in when he first published A Christmas Carol.

n  December 19, 2021n
Every time I read A Christmas Carol, it's nourishing to my soul.

Update on December 24, 2020:

I listened to this on audio this time around; something a bit different for me. I enjoyed the narration quite a lot, but there's nothing that beats reading Dickens in print. This story never fails to cheer, inspire, and give me pause to reflect on those things that I hold most dear in my life. Here's to a 2021 that will hopefully shine much brighter than 2020!

Original review (2016):

When I think of Christmas and all those things that make Christmas so special, A Christmas Carol immediately comes to mind right along with family, friends, beautiful Christmas trees, Mom’s anise cut-out cookies, brilliant holiday light displays, gently falling snow, festive instrumental and choral concerts, quiet, reflective moments, and angel trees. A Christmas Carol truly is a timeless classic and a beloved tradition, whether you see the movie or read the book. The blessing of this treasure is that you don’t have to celebrate Christmas to enjoy and appreciate this novella. The message is there for anyone that celebrates life and family and giving to others, those who want to examine their life and make the most of it and share it with others. Furthermore, it’s a winner all the way around – aside from the powerful message, we are also rewarded with a wonderfully written and atmospheric story. So, if you have a morsel of time you can spare in the next couple of days, treat yourself to a well-deserved break and grab a copy of this book. As you journey into those Christmases of Past, Present, and Future with Ebenezer Scrooge, your heart will feel lighter and your spirit revived as you hopefully gear up for not simply the chaos of the holidays but also the gifts of love, fellowship and gratitude.

I wish for joy and peace for each and every one of you this holiday season and the coming year.

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future."