A review by morningtide
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

My friends on instagram kept sharing that meme that was like, "A Christmas Carol the book is long and boring, don't read that when you can watch A Muppets Christmas Carol" and it's right that the Muppets adaptation is a wonderful gift to us all, but there's no need to slander the book!!! So out of spite I wanted to read this book again for Christmas. Unfortunately I got knocked completely off my feet with covid right before the holiday and didn't finish it until later, but it's fine because I still adore this book.

The thing I always really forget is that this story has such funny moments alongside the charming ones. Scrooge in general is a hoot - from insisting he ate a bit of bad pototoes to explain his ghost sightings, thinking that his welfare would be better cared for if the ghost hadn't interupted his sleep, and insisting that, no he was not crying, that's a pimple you see on my face!

But really is such a charming and hopeful story, and so short I can see now why it's such a classic that can be enjoyed year after year. And I did take it as a nice little reminder to appreciate the people and things around me.

Charles Dickens as the narrator just comes off so positive, I love the moments when he compliments a character. If they are not Scrooge, they have something good to be said about them.

"If that's not high praise, tell me higher, and I'll use it."

"If you should happen, by any unlikely chance, to know a man more blest in a laugh than Scrooge's nephew, all I can say is, I should like to know him too. Introduce him to me, and I'll cultivate his acquaintance."

And for Scrooge himself, he's not so bad as he's been stereotyped to be in pop culture now. (Another good reason to come back to the original on occasion!) After the first ghost's visit, he's openly ready to submit to learning the lesson. The edition I read this time remarks that, while Scrooge himself is frugal and does not pay his employee well or give to others, he doesn't go so far as trying to take what others have away. Sadly, that really hit home with me on how we would see a similar "villain" today, seeing as the Scrooge types today would not only be keeping for themselves, but doing their best to keep it from others as well.

And every man on board, waking or sleeping, good or bad, had had a kinder word for another on that day than on any day in the year;

When I was younger, I used to think it was a cheap effort to be kinder on Christmas - shouldn't we be kind all the time? But now I can also appreciate the reminder to step back and look at life and take the moment to remember to be kind. And this book is quite a nice little reminder.