Reviews - A Christmas Carol

4.33k reviews for:

A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens

3.99 AVERAGE

hanny_the_great's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

evas_book_reviews's review against another edition

3.0

This was certainly an interesting read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone has watched or read a version or adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but it is very different to read the novel itself. It was exceptionally well-written and conveyed, which is no surprise for Dickens.

The writing is very well done, the characters are well-developed and fit their roles perfectly. Scrooge is one of the most fascinating characters in fiction, having been repeatedly recreated without losing his character despite shifting times. His character is very well portrayed from beginning to end and his slow progressions are extremely well done. Dickens’ success is completely understandable given the social and economic class gaps of the time. Unsurprisingly, his morals on the value of life and the value of goods are still applicable today, and there are many Scrooge-like characters in modern societies. This is a story for the lower classes, a story that should provide hope for those with very little and warning for those with a lot.

Although the morals and ideas surrounding the rich and poor are still very applicable the audience must be aware of the many Christian values that are brought forth in this piece. Despite having read numerous fairy tales and short stories with intensely religious morals and subjects, I struggled somewhat with the spiritual element of this novel.

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I expected, but it was not comparable to recent reads. The story is certainly not for everyone but works as a quick Christmas-themed read for those who celebrate the holiday and want to mirror it in their reading.

kathrynko's review against another edition

4.0

By far my daughter’s favorite Christmas book. It took several reads for her to grasp most of the story, but she loved it and likened it to a fairytale. Because it’s a shortened version of the original story, I think it’s missing some key elements and that it’s kind of confusing. I still give it 4 stars since my daughter loves it that much and since the illustrations are so great.