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A review by book_concierge
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
5.0
Of course, I'd had this story read to me as a young child, and I'd read it myself in high school (or thereabouts), but my book group was looking for a work that was "seasonal." We decided to have an English Tea for our meeting and several members brought their children along. The younger set made a number of insightful comments. This is a true classic. We especially found it interesting to note that Dickens was writing of the effects of child abuse so many years ago.
Update August 2011
Long before Dr Suess created the Grinch with a heart “two sizes too small,” Dickens wrote about a character so iconic that he became synonymous with a stinginess, bitterness, and smallness. But you have to love Scrooge. When he gets his wake-up call, in the form of the ghosts of Christmas Present, Christmas Past and Christmas Future, he heeds their message and reforms. I’ve read this many times since childhood. But my adult self is particularly struck by how so many centuries ago, Dickens wrote of the long-lasting effects of child neglect on the person now grown to adulthood. What a timeless treasure this work is!
UPDATE - 29 Nov 2011
I listened to the audio book, performed by Jim Dale. He is a wonderful actor, and voice-over artist. Many will know him as giving voice to the many characters in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter audio books. To say that Dale is talented doesn’t begin to express what a wonderful job he does.
He’s expressive, including chortles or grunts or sighs, as the text requires. His pacing is spot-on perfect, giving the listener enough time to absorb the information but not dragging it out. The voices he uses are sufficiently distinct that you have no trouble distinguishing who is talking when there is a two-(or even three-)way conversation.
UPDATE - 04 Dec 2015
For my birthday, my brother (who is an estate-sale junkie) sent me an ancient leather-bound edition of this classic. It's too fragile to actually read, but the back page has a faint date stamp that appears to read March 8,1897. Inside there is a gentleman's calling card on which is written (in a lovely script) To Mrs Fannie from Frank L Williams, with best wishes for a Happy Xmas
Anyway ... I'll treasure it always, but read the newer edition I have in my library.
Update August 2011
Long before Dr Suess created the Grinch with a heart “two sizes too small,” Dickens wrote about a character so iconic that he became synonymous with a stinginess, bitterness, and smallness. But you have to love Scrooge. When he gets his wake-up call, in the form of the ghosts of Christmas Present, Christmas Past and Christmas Future, he heeds their message and reforms. I’ve read this many times since childhood. But my adult self is particularly struck by how so many centuries ago, Dickens wrote of the long-lasting effects of child neglect on the person now grown to adulthood. What a timeless treasure this work is!
UPDATE - 29 Nov 2011
I listened to the audio book, performed by Jim Dale. He is a wonderful actor, and voice-over artist. Many will know him as giving voice to the many characters in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter audio books. To say that Dale is talented doesn’t begin to express what a wonderful job he does.
He’s expressive, including chortles or grunts or sighs, as the text requires. His pacing is spot-on perfect, giving the listener enough time to absorb the information but not dragging it out. The voices he uses are sufficiently distinct that you have no trouble distinguishing who is talking when there is a two-(or even three-)way conversation.
UPDATE - 04 Dec 2015
For my birthday, my brother (who is an estate-sale junkie) sent me an ancient leather-bound edition of this classic. It's too fragile to actually read, but the back page has a faint date stamp that appears to read March 8,1897. Inside there is a gentleman's calling card on which is written (in a lovely script) To Mrs Fannie from Frank L Williams, with best wishes for a Happy Xmas
Anyway ... I'll treasure it always, but read the newer edition I have in my library.