This is a great little Christmas story. Though Mr Scrooge is probably an extreme version, I think there is some of Mr Scrooge in all of us. This story encourages you to look into your life and evaluate how you treat others. I recommend this story for everyone, but the level of reading is probably best for about 12 and up.
reflective medium-paced

Who could ever suffer disappointment at the hands of a Dickens classic? I love reading A Christmas Carol. It's always such an excellent reminder of what the season is about: family, friends, spreading joy and good will towards men. I was glad to find this compact leather-bound edition at Barnes and Noble. It's easy to carry around and because of the leather binding, durable enough to suffer much love and attention.
dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-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

And what if I cried?
dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Typically I stay away from Dickens. I find his prose to be convoluted and tiresome, especially when he tries to make a character or a scene cutesy (any dealing with children.) A "Christmas Carol" however, is short - just a few hours are needed for completion. Even if the language can be a annoying the back-and-forth, humorous bickering between Scrooge and the various ghosts make reading worth while. And to be honest, Scrooge's 180 degree change-of-heart is emotionally thrilling. It's hard to put this book down a harder person than before.

I'd recommend this book, especially around the holidays, and even for more than one read.

It's a classic for a reason. Absolutely outstanding. What caught my attention when compared to the many media adaptations was how early and readily Scrooge was willing and ready to acknowledge the fault in his ways.

Neil Gaiman's reading at the New York Public Library.
challenging dark funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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