Reviews

A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings by Charles Dickens

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jack_grayland's review against another edition

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dark reflective medium-paced

3.0

be11aloca's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

readingoverbreathing's review against another edition

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4.0

"Christmas time! That man must be a misanthrope indeed in whose breast something like a jovial feeling is not roused—in whose mind some pleasant associations are not awakened—by the recurrence of Christmas."

God, have I read a lot of Dickens in my time, and I can tell you right now that if all his books were more like this collection of short fiction—moralizing ghost stories and tales of festive cheeriness that revel in the nostalgia and overall phenomenon of Christmas—we'd have gotten along a lot better over the years.

I think Dickens's writing really shines in these shorter pieces in a way it simply doesn't in the long-winded, complex plots of his novels. When he's forced to stick to the point, rather than rambling for the sake of pennies, I actually found myself enjoying and appreciating his writing like I never have before. And you really do have to appreciate A Christmas Carol for the cultural phenomenon it has become, how its story has become so familiar to us, so captivating that it's been retold again and again in so many different ways (a few Disney Channel/Nikolodeon retellings from my childhood stick out in my mind).

I haven't picked up any Dickens in a while, but honestly, reading this collection has given me a renewed appreciation for his work, as well as, of course, a good dose of Christmas cheer to boot.