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Reviews tagging 'Death'
A Christmas Carol (Ad Classic Library Edition) by Charles Dickens
85 reviews
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Classism, Death, and Grief
puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Child death and Death
katndrsn's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death and Chronic illness
joensign's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Death
loyaultemelie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I truly think that if you've never read A Christmas Carol, even if you've seen an adaptation, you're missing out. A Christmas Carol is a wonderful story, at times scary, at times joyful, at times heartbreaking. Its narrator is both humorous and earnest, and the entreaties that are made to audience to look upon others with charity and kindness are very effecting.
There are also parts of the book, often left out of adaptation for time's sake, which are absolutely worth reading. One example is when the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge the ways in which all sorts of people celebrate, from the Crachits to sailors. Dickens' prose is as beautiful and flowing as always, and it makes for a lovely landscape.
I think there really is a reason that this book is the quintessential Christmas book, in a way that no other book is. Its success is the way it ties merriment and cheer with nostalgia, memory, and, yes, death. Christmas is a time to look back upon life, upon the year. Reflection is almost built into it. It is this reflection - of past, present, and future - which is the backbone of the carol and makes it so good.
Lastly, I would like to mention that the copy (well, one of the four copies) of this book that I own - the reproduction of the original - is absolutely beautiful. I would recommend it more as an object d'art, though the binding looks pretty sturdy.
There are also parts of the book, often left out of adaptation for time's sake, which are absolutely worth reading. One example is when the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge the ways in which all sorts of people celebrate, from the Crachits to sailors. Dickens' prose is as beautiful and flowing as always, and it makes for a lovely landscape.
I think there really is a reason that this book is the quintessential Christmas book, in a way that no other book is. Its success is the way it ties merriment and cheer with nostalgia, memory, and, yes, death. Christmas is a time to look back upon life, upon the year. Reflection is almost built into it. It is this reflection - of past, present, and future - which is the backbone of the carol and makes it so good.
Lastly, I would like to mention that the copy (well, one of the four copies) of this book that I own - the reproduction of the original - is absolutely beautiful. I would recommend it more as an object d'art, though the binding looks pretty sturdy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
loyaultemelie's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I truly think that if you've never read A Christmas Carol, even if you've seen an adaptation, you're missing out. A Christmas Carol is a wonderful story, at times scary, at times joyful, at times heartbreaking. Its narrator is both humorous and earnest, and the entreaties that are made to audience to look upon others with charity and kindness are very effecting.
There are also parts of the book, often left out of adaptation for time's sake, which are absolutely worth reading. One example is when the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge the ways in which all sorts of people celebrate, from the Crachits to sailors. Dickens' prose is as beautiful and flowing as always, and it makes for a lovely landscape.
I think there really is a reason that this book is the quintessential Christmas book, in a way that no other book is. Its success is the way it ties merriment and cheer with nostalgia, memory, and, yes, death. Christmas is a time to look back upon life, upon the year. Reflection is almost built into it. It is this reflection - of past, present, and future - which is the backbone of the carol and makes it so good.
Lastly, I would like to mention that the copy (well, one of the four copies) of this book that I own - the reproduction of the original - is absolutely beautiful. I would recommend it more as an object d'art, though the binding looks pretty sturdy.
There are also parts of the book, often left out of adaptation for time's sake, which are absolutely worth reading. One example is when the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge the ways in which all sorts of people celebrate, from the Crachits to sailors. Dickens' prose is as beautiful and flowing as always, and it makes for a lovely landscape.
I think there really is a reason that this book is the quintessential Christmas book, in a way that no other book is. Its success is the way it ties merriment and cheer with nostalgia, memory, and, yes, death. Christmas is a time to look back upon life, upon the year. Reflection is almost built into it. It is this reflection - of past, present, and future - which is the backbone of the carol and makes it so good.
Lastly, I would like to mention that the copy (well, one of the four copies) of this book that I own - the reproduction of the original - is absolutely beautiful. I would recommend it more as an object d'art, though the binding looks pretty sturdy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Child death
erebus53's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I recently read a short story by Ray Bradbury with Charles Dickens in it, and made a checklist of books from that story to read, so this is one of those!
I realised that although I am familiar with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, I had not actually read it for myself. I was interested to find that it is not just a cautionary tale against miserliness, but really it is a story that is about empathy and that it really goes both ways. By exploring the childhood events that lead to the general curmudgeonly meanness of spirit in the old man, the audience gets to empathise with those who have a gruff exterior.
The spooky scary descriptions of the ghosts that come to visit the old man (and scare him straight) are interesting to me because this was published in 1843, and to this day spectres are pictured like this in both books and video media. The idea of a spirit being faintly bioluminescent and translucent, with floaty hair that that moves like it's in a breeze is something I have seen many times over.
(tangent) In this story it actually refers to that same sort of glow that you see in the pantry when the meat goes off.. which I think is amusing. This is a phenom that was noted in the wars with wounded soldiers, and something I first learned of as a wee thing when the cat didn't eat her meat quick enough.
I really like the way the story is written. The banter is witty and the descriptions are clever. For all it's scariness and death and things I can see why it is an enduring favourite.
I realised that although I am familiar with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, I had not actually read it for myself. I was interested to find that it is not just a cautionary tale against miserliness, but really it is a story that is about empathy and that it really goes both ways. By exploring the childhood events that lead to the general curmudgeonly meanness of spirit in the old man, the audience gets to empathise with those who have a gruff exterior.
The spooky scary descriptions of the ghosts that come to visit the old man (and scare him straight) are interesting to me because this was published in 1843, and to this day spectres are pictured like this in both books and video media. The idea of a spirit being faintly bioluminescent and translucent, with floaty hair that that moves like it's in a breeze is something I have seen many times over.
(tangent) In this story it actually refers to that same sort of glow that you see in the pantry when the meat goes off.. which I think is amusing. This is a phenom that was noted in the wars with wounded soldiers, and something I first learned of as a wee thing when the cat didn't eat her meat quick enough.
I really like the way the story is written. The banter is witty and the descriptions are clever. For all it's scariness and death and things I can see why it is an enduring favourite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, and Death
octagon's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Child death
nick13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read this during the Christmas season and though I had an okay time reading it, it was far too wordy which made even this small book feel quite long. Overall, it was okay and I am glad that it helped spark more stories of its kind but as a story itself, I'd rather just watch the movies.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Child death
atalea's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Child death