Reviews

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

ghostlyreader's review against another edition

4.0

This took me a little over an hour to read and I really liked it. This was my first time reading it although I grew up with this story through many movies based on it and I am really surprised to see how close the movies really are to the book. I will be watching the one with Jim Carey tonight!

miaste's review against another edition

hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

snooze fest

aomidori's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

5.0

sumayyaha's review against another edition

3.0

(2ND time reading - 3 Stars - Assigned reading - listened to Audiobook with Ralph Cosham)
I feel like it becomes better every time I read it, slightly. Maybe I didn't really like it at first because I'm not a warm person? But . . .

I felt so connected to Scrooge,

in the beginning ;)


(1ST time reading - 2 Stars - Assigned Reading)

What can I say? Boring

joshlaikinboom's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted 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

2.5

theliteraryapothecary's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

4.5

I've experienced A Christmas Carol in many different ways over the years: the original story by Charles Dickens, Mickey's Christmas Carol (both in print and video), Muppets Christmas Carol, live performances, various audiobooks that have wandered across my path. But I have never heard it performed by Tim Curry until now - and wow what an experience that was! 

Tim Curry took A Christmas Carol and put his own dark sinister spin on it - making it feel as the original Dickens' tale felt for me on first read. It's dark, and spooky, yet with a little bit of light and hope in there. 

CAWPILE Breakdown: 

Characters: 10 - Charles Dickens characters never cease to amuse and amaze me. If you ever need a masterclass in characters and especially character names - just read a Dickens novel. 

Atmosphere/Setting: 9.5 - It had that Victorian Englad feel to it - that dark, depressing, trying to stay positive feel. Curry helped create this atmosphere of unease at Christmas that Ebenezer Scrooge felt while being visited by the three ghosts. 

Writing Style: 7 - While Dickens has been known to be long winded, especially with his descriptions, I've also saw use of his descriptions - they had purpose them and (for the most part) we're not just there to be there. A Christmas Carol is one of, if not the, shortest Dickens novel and it felt like it was the perfect size for this story. 

Plot: 8.5 - By now it's a classic plot that has been rewritten, revamped, reimagined time and time again. In it's day, it was entirely unique and different than the mid 1800s had ever seen (I think, I'm guessing, don't quote me on that). 

Intrigue: 6 - When I first read A Christmas Carol as a kid, I had ALL the intrigue!! Now, as an adult who has seen almost every adaptation and read many different reimaginings, I know what happens so the intrigue as far as the story is concerned is gone. The intrigue here, for me, was how was Curry going to play this story, what kinds of twists would he put in his narration, how would he portray these characters? 

Logic/Relationships: 8 - Loved seeing these relationships develop again and always am in awe of how Dickens reveals certain relationships through the visitations of the ghosts. 

Enjoyment: 10 - Before listening to this audiobook, the Muppets Christmas Carol was by far my favorite version, but now this is the top of the list, no doubt about it. Tim Curry took A Christmas Carol and brought it back to Dickens. 

CAWPILE Total: 59/7 = 8.4 - 4.5/5 stars 

numberoneoliverhater's review against another edition

adventurous funny 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

3.25

cute christmasy book
might be a december re-read

weekday's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

ritasreadingcorner's review against another edition

5.0

I'm so happy I finally decided to read this book!

I saw one of the movie adaptations for the first time a long time ago (it was a Barbie movie, actually) and I loved it. I thought it was such a beautiful and inspiring story. In the following years, I've seen another movie adaptation, which I think is the most famous, many times. It's on TV almost every year. And I saw it every time with the same love for the story.

This year, a new edition of the book came out and I decided it was time for me to read it. So happy I did! This is the most beautiful Christimas' story I know and one of the most beautiful ever. It teaches us so much and makes us think about life, not just ours, but the others' too. I think every single person in the world should read this amazing story.

So yeah, that's it. 5 stars, loved this so much.

jobustitch's review against another edition

5.0

Read this as part of a book club. A universal tale that reminds us that no man is an island and that we all depend on each other for our happiness and survival. An excellent book!