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ladyr's review against another edition
4.0
This is my go to book for feeing festive and takes centre stage on my table each Christmas!
This year I have read A Christmas Tree and What Christmas is As We Grow Older from it.
You can't beat Dickens and especially at Christmas!
This year I have read A Christmas Tree and What Christmas is As We Grow Older from it.
You can't beat Dickens and especially at Christmas!
sannemeier's review against another edition
Not in the mood for Christmas stories anymore. Maybe next December.
juerbu's review against another edition
3.0
A Christmas Carol 4/5
The Chimes 1/5
The Cricket on the Hearth 2/5
The Battle of Life 2/5
The Haunted Man 2.5/5
The Chimes 1/5
The Cricket on the Hearth 2/5
The Battle of Life 2/5
The Haunted Man 2.5/5
shauni's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
annabelljar's review against another edition
I'd like to come back to this collection at some point when I'm more in the mood. Just wasn't really feeling Dickens!
karelle's review against another edition
4.0
J'ai juste lu "A Christmas Carol" dans le recueil, je me réserve les autres pour des prochains Noëls, et déjà que c'était pas toujours facile comme lecture, alors que je connais bien l'histoire, je ne voulais pas me lasser du style de Dickens avant d'avoir lu "The Mystery of Edwin Drood", que j'envisage lire avec mes yeux de lynx (pour essayer de percer le mystère irrésolu, t'sais).
balancinghistorybooks's review against another edition
4.0
It is said,’ states the blurb of this book, ‘that Charles Dickens invented Christmas, and within these pages you’ll certainly find all the elements of a traditional Christmas brought to vivid life: snowy rooftops, gleaming shop windows, steaming bowls of punch, plum puddings like speckled cannon balls, sage and onion stuffing, magic, charity and goodwill’. Sounds marvellous, doesn’t it? Thankfully, ‘marvellous’ is an adjective which can be applied in good measure to this lovely book.
Dickens at Christmas contains many extracts from his seasonal writings, some of which are short novellas (‘A Christmas Carol’, which takes pride of place as the second story in the collection, and ‘The Cricket on the Hearth’, for example), and others which number just a few pages. All of Dickens’ Christmas books are included, along with a standalone story from The Pickwick Papers and those from various short story collections.
Dickens’ wit and love of Christmas shine through on each and every page. All of the many elements of this time of year have been presented by the master himself, and encompass both the rich and the poor, the merry and the miserly, the ghostly and the real. The religious aspects are mentioned in some detail, along with the importance of the family dynamic over the Christmas period. Each scene is wonderfully written and beautifully evoked. Only Dickens could write so meticulously and creatively about a rainy day: ‘the cold, damp, clammy wet, that wrapped him up like a moist great-coat… when the rain came slowly, thickly, obstinately down; when the street’s throat, like his own, was choked with mist; when smoking umbrellas passed and repassed, spinning round and round like so many teetotums…’
I cannot write a review of Dickens at Christmas without mentioning how beautiful this edition is. The cover sparkles, and Emily Sutton’s illustrations, both on the cover and before each story, have been wonderfully drawn. It is truly an object of beauty, and is sure to delight many people this Christmas – a perfect gift to show you care, or simply one with which to adorn your own bookshelves.
Dickens at Christmas is wonderful for already established fans of Dickens’ work, but it also provides a lovely introduction to his stories and style of writing. The volume can be easily dipped in and out of, and the stories themselves are so rich in detail that they can be read again and again. Their sheer timelessness makes them suitable Christmas fare for many years to come.
Dickens at Christmas contains many extracts from his seasonal writings, some of which are short novellas (‘A Christmas Carol’, which takes pride of place as the second story in the collection, and ‘The Cricket on the Hearth’, for example), and others which number just a few pages. All of Dickens’ Christmas books are included, along with a standalone story from The Pickwick Papers and those from various short story collections.
Dickens’ wit and love of Christmas shine through on each and every page. All of the many elements of this time of year have been presented by the master himself, and encompass both the rich and the poor, the merry and the miserly, the ghostly and the real. The religious aspects are mentioned in some detail, along with the importance of the family dynamic over the Christmas period. Each scene is wonderfully written and beautifully evoked. Only Dickens could write so meticulously and creatively about a rainy day: ‘the cold, damp, clammy wet, that wrapped him up like a moist great-coat… when the rain came slowly, thickly, obstinately down; when the street’s throat, like his own, was choked with mist; when smoking umbrellas passed and repassed, spinning round and round like so many teetotums…’
I cannot write a review of Dickens at Christmas without mentioning how beautiful this edition is. The cover sparkles, and Emily Sutton’s illustrations, both on the cover and before each story, have been wonderfully drawn. It is truly an object of beauty, and is sure to delight many people this Christmas – a perfect gift to show you care, or simply one with which to adorn your own bookshelves.
Dickens at Christmas is wonderful for already established fans of Dickens’ work, but it also provides a lovely introduction to his stories and style of writing. The volume can be easily dipped in and out of, and the stories themselves are so rich in detail that they can be read again and again. Their sheer timelessness makes them suitable Christmas fare for many years to come.
aoutramafalda's review against another edition
4.0
Only read "A Christmas Carol" and "The Chimes" in the Christmas of 2016.
I'll save the rest of the stories for next year.
I'll save the rest of the stories for next year.
julieputty's review against another edition
4.0
Between his books, I forget how much I love Dickens. I still can't remember if I've read "A Christmas Carol" before, but in any case I've just finished it for perhaps the first, perhaps the second time.
Now on to two stories I know I've never read.
***
"The Chimes" is a very odd story, and one where the point seems to be flying right over my head. It is compelling, though too long, and without the punchiness of "A Christmas Carol."
***
"The Cricket on the Hearth" is more accessible than "The Chimes" and more enjoyable. Still, having read all three, it's apparent why "A Christmas Carol" became the most famous. It's simply head and shoulders above the other two.
Now on to two stories I know I've never read.
***
"The Chimes" is a very odd story, and one where the point seems to be flying right over my head. It is compelling, though too long, and without the punchiness of "A Christmas Carol."
***
"The Cricket on the Hearth" is more accessible than "The Chimes" and more enjoyable. Still, having read all three, it's apparent why "A Christmas Carol" became the most famous. It's simply head and shoulders above the other two.
cheshta's review against another edition
4.0
Needless to say, I love Dickens, anything he wrote is a literary gem and I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories by him.
I've not finished reading all the stories (saved some for 2019 ;)) but I read all the Christmas short stories and loved them! My favourite being A Christmas Carol, of course
I've not finished reading all the stories (saved some for 2019 ;)) but I read all the Christmas short stories and loved them! My favourite being A Christmas Carol, of course