A review by catrev
A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Books by Charles Dickens

5.0

A Christmas Carol Special Edition by Charles Dickens edited by Stephen Skelton makes the timeless classic new again. Dicken's A Christmas Carol has been told hundreds of times over in many different formats with varying degrees of success. Skelton doesn't change one word of the original story, but provides footnotes that offer new understanding of the story giving it added depth and power. He explains the various references to spirits in the opening chapter of the story that would have told Victorian era readers that the story would have a spiritual element, something that today's readers wouldn't necessarily notice. He also offers definitions of words not commonly used anymore. It was neat finding out that a Glee means a group of people singing a song with at least two different parts in harmony. At the end of each chapter, Skelton includes several questions to encourage readers to think more deeply about the story and to bring the message home. The questions vary in difficulty from those for adults to questions perfect for children. I have read the classic book before, but this study made its message fresh and relevant for today's readers.