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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty.
Ebenezer Scrooge, the embodiment of grumpiness, hates Christmastime. There is nothing profitable about being merry and nothing sensible about frolicking around "picking people's pockets". In his own words- If I had my way, every idiot who goes around with Merry Christmas on his lips, would be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Merry Christmas? Bah humbug!
This tale has so surely survived the test of time that it'd be hard to find someone who doesn't have at least an inkling of an idea of how the story goes. It's nearly impossible to spend a holiday season without some form of exposure to Ebenezer Scrooge or his three spirits. It has withstood numerous adaptations, from silent dramas to modern contemporary retellings.
It is a classic tale of redemption, a straightforward parable. Three spirits- the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come- take Scrooge around town on various Christmases across time. These visits imbibe in Scrooge a generosity of spirit, and convert him in one night from an extreme misanthrope to a man of great benevolence. There are poignant scenes of him revisiting his own wretched childhood and witnessing the misery of other people. Generally an unfeeling fellow, he is moved to the point that he sits down and weeps at all the anguish.
A Christmas Carol was written during a period when the British were first creating and exploring holiday traditions like caroling and Christmas trees that are still beloved today. It thus captures the zeitgeist of the Victorian Christmas revival. It's a favourite holiday read, for its descriptions of family gatherings, dancing, games, and seasonal food and drink put people in a festive humour.
However, what today is a representation of good cheer and celebration had in fact emerged from darker origins.
To battle financial difficulties that had arisen as a result of his father's spendthrift tendencies, young Dickens had to leave school and work at a dirty, rat-infested shoe-blacking factory. In 1843, he came across a government report about the appalling conditions in which women and children were forced to work long hours in factories and underground, and beheld such suffering himself at a school for street children. These experiences perfectly horrified him, perhaps more so because of its parallels with his own life. He determined to strike the "heaviest blow in his power" on behalf of the victims of the Industrial Revolution and thus, as an expression of his deep personal and societal outrage, A Christmas Carol was born.
Whatever the story behind its creation, the fact of the matter is that we were gifted with an irrevocably Dickensian work that has been warming hearts for centuries and will continue to do so for many more.
I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!
Ebenezer Scrooge, the embodiment of grumpiness, hates Christmastime. There is nothing profitable about being merry and nothing sensible about frolicking around "picking people's pockets". In his own words- If I had my way, every idiot who goes around with Merry Christmas on his lips, would be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Merry Christmas? Bah humbug!
This tale has so surely survived the test of time that it'd be hard to find someone who doesn't have at least an inkling of an idea of how the story goes. It's nearly impossible to spend a holiday season without some form of exposure to Ebenezer Scrooge or his three spirits. It has withstood numerous adaptations, from silent dramas to modern contemporary retellings.
It is a classic tale of redemption, a straightforward parable. Three spirits- the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come- take Scrooge around town on various Christmases across time. These visits imbibe in Scrooge a generosity of spirit, and convert him in one night from an extreme misanthrope to a man of great benevolence. There are poignant scenes of him revisiting his own wretched childhood and witnessing the misery of other people. Generally an unfeeling fellow, he is moved to the point that he sits down and weeps at all the anguish.
A Christmas Carol was written during a period when the British were first creating and exploring holiday traditions like caroling and Christmas trees that are still beloved today. It thus captures the zeitgeist of the Victorian Christmas revival. It's a favourite holiday read, for its descriptions of family gatherings, dancing, games, and seasonal food and drink put people in a festive humour.
However, what today is a representation of good cheer and celebration had in fact emerged from darker origins.
To battle financial difficulties that had arisen as a result of his father's spendthrift tendencies, young Dickens had to leave school and work at a dirty, rat-infested shoe-blacking factory. In 1843, he came across a government report about the appalling conditions in which women and children were forced to work long hours in factories and underground, and beheld such suffering himself at a school for street children. These experiences perfectly horrified him, perhaps more so because of its parallels with his own life. He determined to strike the "heaviest blow in his power" on behalf of the victims of the Industrial Revolution and thus, as an expression of his deep personal and societal outrage, A Christmas Carol was born.
Whatever the story behind its creation, the fact of the matter is that we were gifted with an irrevocably Dickensian work that has been warming hearts for centuries and will continue to do so for many more.
I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world! Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's a familiar story, but I recommend reading it if you never have. The writing is very pleasant.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
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
((via audiobook))
first time reading this classic- its exactly as you expect! i was glad it wasnt somehow more dense than the various renditions you have seen over the years. it is a quick, easy, heartfelt read. i will say i also enjoyed the darker elements, and the creepy/horrific imagery when needed to evoke an understanding of scrooge's fate.
overall, classic read worth enjoying once.
first time reading this classic- its exactly as you expect! i was glad it wasnt somehow more dense than the various renditions you have seen over the years. it is a quick, easy, heartfelt read. i will say i also enjoyed the darker elements, and the creepy/horrific imagery when needed to evoke an understanding of scrooge's fate.
overall, classic read worth enjoying once.
I absolutely adore Scrooge's transformation in this. I love how Dickens highlights many of the wrongs in Victorian society including poverty and the very real threat of the workhouse. The themes of Want and Ignorance feel even more apt this year, with so many families struggling to make ends meet. Always 5 stars for my favourite book. ❤️
Added in 2023 - It's incredible that at 180 years old this year, the story is as relevant as ever.
Added in 2023 - It's incredible that at 180 years old this year, the story is as relevant as ever.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
[3.5] “bah humbug!” is one of the best utterances ever!