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lighthearted slow-paced

I think there's a reason we don't remember the Other Christmas Books but A Christmas Carol is so good that I'm not going to mark it down

So many angels in so many houses, performing so much emotional labour.

Looking for a story to adapt into a stage play.

I have yet to finish this collection but I'm keeping the rest of the stories for next christmas now. I did not enjoy "The chimes" very much, besides that I've loved most everything so far but I do love me some Dickens on a cold winter evening!

I liked A Christmas Carol, I liked The Chimes and I liked Cricket on the Hearth. The last two stories however, weren't that great in my opinion. I didn't get into the story of The Battle of Life at all until I was well past the first half of it. It wasn't entirely bad because of a few characters I liked; I also liked the little scene at the inn. Come to think of it, that's probably where I finally stopped sighing and got interested instead...
The Haunted Man was entertainable at most. It didn't move me as much as it maybe should have? I knew there was some suspense meant to be in there, but it just didn't have any effect on me whatsoever.

The story I probably liked best was Cricket on the Hearth. Great characters, great story with a very surprising twist in the end.

End conclusion is that I was planning on reading this book every year around the Christmas holidays, but after reading it for the first time now, I say once every 2-3 years and only the first three stories will be a lot more realistic instead.

A must-have for Christmas. This volume contains the most complete collection of Dickens' Christmas books and stories I have come across in years of searching. It's hardbound with simple yet beautifully festive illustrations and is a perfect edition to any holiday favorites shelf. Highly recommended!

A Christmas Carol 5/5

The Chimes 4/5

The Cricket on the Hearth 2/5

The Battle of Life 3/5

The Haunted Man 3/5

The shadows upon Redlaw's mind succeeded thick and fast to one another, and obscured its light as the night-clouds hovered between the moon and earth, and kept the latter veiled in darkness. Fitful and uncertain as the shadows which the night-clouds cast, were their concealments from him, and imperfect revelations to him; and, like the night-clouds still, if the clear light broke forth for a moment, it was only that they might sweep over it, and make the darkness deeper than before. the Haunted Man
hopeful 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