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Title: A Christmas Carol by CHARLES DICKENS ISBN: 0-553-21244-3 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 November, 1986 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $3.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.58 (116 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A Christmas Tale With Sincere Heart and "Spirits"
Comment: "You will be haunted by Three Spirits." So forewarns Jacob Marley's ghost to Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, a miser of stingy, unfavorable traits. And so begins the enduring Christmas classic distinguished by almost everyone. Come along on an erratic journey with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, all of whom attempt to point Scrooge onto a virtuous path. Meet the most notable characters ever introduced in literature: Bob Cratchit, angelic Tiny Tim, and good-natured Fred. With vivid descriptions of Victorian England and enlightening dialogue, 'A Christmas Carol' will enrapture both the young and old throughout the year with a vital lesson on hope and benevolence for humanity. This, I find, is treasured most of all in this brief story marvelously crafted by the creative Charles Dickens. No matter how many adaptations of the book one has seen on television or as films, the real source is highly recommended and should not be missed. For if you do pass the book up, you are being just a Scrooge (metamorphically speaking, of course!).
Rating: 5
Summary: A Christmas Carol
Comment: Well, I finally read it (instead of just watching it on the TV screen).
This is what you can call a simple idea, well told. A lonely, bitter old gaffer needs redemption, and thus is visited by three spirits who wish to give him a push in the right direction. You have then a ghost story, a timeslip adventure, and the slow defrosting of old Scrooge's soul. There are certain additions in the more famous filmed versions that help tweak the bare essentials as laid down by Dickens, but really, all the emotional impact and plot development necessary to make it believable that Scrooge is redeemable--and worth redeeming--is brilliantly cozied into place by the great novelist.
The scenes that choke me up the most are in the book; they may not be your favourites. I react very strongly to our very first look at the young Scrooge, sitting alone at school, emotionally abandoned by his father, waiting for his sister to come tell him there may be a happy Christmas. Then there are the various Cratchit scenes, but it is not so much Tiny Tim's appearances or absence that get to me--it's Bob Cratchit's dedication to his ailing son, and his various bits of small talk that either reveal how much he really listens to Tim, or else hide the pain Cratchit is feeling after we witness the family coming to grips with an empty place at the table. Scrooge as Tim's saviour is grandly set up, if only Scrooge can remember the little boy he once was, and start empathizing with the world once again. I especially like all Scrooge's minor epiphanies along his mystical journey; he stops a few times and realizes when he has said the wrong thing to Cratchit, having belittled Bob's low wages and position in life, and only later realizing that he is the miser with his bootheel on Cratchit's back. Plus, he must confront his opposite in business, Fezziwig, who treated his workers so wonderfully, and he watches as true love slips through his fingers again.
It all makes up the perfect Christmas tale, and if anyone can find happiness after having true love slip through his fingers many years ago, surprisingly, it's Scrooge. With the help of several supporting players borrowed from the horror arena, and put to splendid use here.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent book - A Must Read!
Comment: Charles Dickens's classic novel, A Christmas Carol, is his most famous and beloved story. Millions around the globe have read this touching book, about brotherly love and charity, since it was first published. Countless people have seen Ebenezer Scrooge, the selfish and unkind man, transform in to a kind and generous person by the visits of four mysterious ghosts.
The story begins in the afternoon of a frigid Christmas Eve, as a mean-spirited man named Ebenezer Scrooge sits in his office. Scrooge is a cold-hearted and selfish miser, who isn't in the spirit of Christmas. Every so often, he shouts, "Bah!" or "Humbug!" He doesn't even buy coal for the fireplace, so he and his clerk freeze away. No one likes him, and no one stands up to him. Dickens describes him thus: "No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge." However, this is exactly what Scrooge wants - to be in his own world.
Dickens starts out the story by stating that Scrooge's former partner, Jacob Marley, is dead. Then, he reverts back to what Scrooge is up to. As it is Christmas Eve, Scrooge isn't happy. He scares all the carolers away, and refuses to donate money to the poor. When the day is finally over, he goes back to his house, and tries to go to sleep. As he locks the door, he sees an apparition. There is Jacob Marley's ghost - looking right at him! Scrooge is shocked at first, and still is shocked when Marley's phantom tells him some surprising news. The ghost explains that there will be three other ghosts yet to come: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. Then, he leaves.
As promised, the ghosts of the past, present, and the future visit Scrooge. The ghost of the past shows Scrooge how he used to be. Scrooge discovers that his life was somewhat pleasant, but still lonely. The ghost of the present reveals to Scrooge his more recent attitude toward Christmas. It shows Scrooge the consequences of his actions, most of which are to Scrooge's dislike. The ghost also informs Scrooge how other people are celebrating. Dancing, playing blind man's buff, and caroling aren't part of Scrooge's world for certain. The ghost of the future shows the time when Scrooge is dead and no one cares for him; actually everyone is happy that he is gone. Meanwhile, all of these visions have Scrooge sobbing in tears and he is finally ready to make changes in his life. After the final ghost leaves, Scrooge runs about his little town donating money, greeting people, and visiting his nephew and clerk's family. It turns out to be a very happy Christmas after all.
I liked A Christmas Carol very much. Charles Dickens's style is very descriptive. I especially liked the vivid verbs and adjectives Dickens used when he described Scrooge as a "squeezing, wrenching, gasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!" As for Scrooge, I liked him a lot. The book was funny when he said something completely nonsensical like "Bah!" or "Humbug!" On a scale of one through ten, I would give A Christmas Carol a ten. It was enjoyable and interesting to read, especially over winter break, as it heartens the spirit of Christmas itself.
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Title: A Christmas Carol Study Guide by Rebecca Gilleland ISBN: 1586091859 Publisher: Progeny Press Pub. Date: April, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
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Title: The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke ISBN: 1410103269 Publisher: Fredonia Books (NL) Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Frederick Busch ISBN: 0451526562 Publisher: Signet Pub. Date: August, 1997 List Price(USD): $4.95 |
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Title: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens ISBN: 0812580036 Publisher: Tor Classics Pub. Date: 15 August, 1998 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
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Title: David Copperfield (Penguin Classics) by Charles Dickens, Jeremy Tambling ISBN: 0140434941 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: September, 1997 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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