Author: Charles Dickens
Series: -
Genres: Classics, Fairytales
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release: 1843
Source: Audiobook
Pages: 104
// Add to GoodReads //
Series: -
Genres: Classics, Fairytales
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release: 1843
Source: Audiobook
Pages: 104
// Add to GoodReads //
BLURB:
In October 1843, Charles Dickens ― heavily in debt and obligated to his publisher ― began work on a book to help supplement his family's meagre income. That volume, A Christmas Carol, has long since become one of the most beloved stories in the English language. As much a part of the holiday season as holly, mistletoe, and evergreen wreaths, this perennial favourite continues to delight new readers and rekindle thoughts of charity and goodwill.
With its characters exhibiting many qualities ― as well as failures ― often ascribed to Dickens himself, the imaginative and entertaining tale relates Ebenezer Scrooge's eerie encounters with a series of spectral visitors. Journeying with them through Christmases past, present, and future, he is ultimately transformed from an arrogant, obstinate, and insensitive miser to a generous, warm-hearted, and caring human being. Written by one of England's greatest and most popular novelists, A Christmas Carol has come to epitomize the true meaning of Christmas.
MARTYNA's REVIEW
EXPECTATIONS: I think there isn't a person in the entire world who wouldn't know Christmas story about an old grumpy man, who got on more chance to change his life and become kind and open his heart to other people. I actually remember seeing this story in a form of a cartoon years ago and it just stick with me!
THE WORLD: We find ourselves in Victorian London. It's Christmas Eve and London is getting ready for the holidays. It sounds like a nice picture and while I was listening to it I was in the best Christmas mood but actually there is poverty and trauma and people who almost don't get by. So while this is a Christmas story I think it has really good message, but all in good time.
CHARACTERS: The main character in the book is Ebenezer Scrooge, a rich man who has a heart as cold as ice. He is grumpy, he hates everyone, he's not kind or even remotely nice to anyone! For those who don't know, the plot of this story is that at Christmas Eve Scrooge is visited by the spirit of his late partner Fezzwig, who basically tells him that if he won't start being nice, he will end up in a horrible place, and that three ghosts will visit him tonight. Therefore, apart from Scrooge we have Ghost of Christmas Past, who sup possibly has to resemble a child. This ghost takes Scrooge to his past and all the past Christmas, to the time when he was a happy kid who believed in everything, was kind and happy. Here we get to know Scrooge as a person a little more. We learn that something has happened to him in his past that caused him to slowly shut out as a person. After the Past Ghost leaves we meet the Ghost of Christmas Present, who is this weird giant, takes Scrooge to take a lot of how people he knows celebrate Christmas. They visit the house of Bob Cratchit, Ebenezer's clerk, who is rather poor and we get to know that he has a tragedy in his home, but what touched me the most was that even thought Bob was poor and had a huge issue in this family he and his family were still so thankful, so kind so full of hope. We also get to see how Scrooge other family, celebrate Christmas without him. We visit Fred's (his nephew's house) and we see the family eating and having a good time, but they're still sad that Scrooge is not there with them.
Lastly, we get to meet Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, and here we get to really Gothic vibes for me. We go through this mysterious funeral, and we find out whose funeral it is and our main character is so shocked that it makes Scrooge rethink his priority in life!
Lastly, we get to meet Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, and here we get to really Gothic vibes for me. We go through this mysterious funeral, and we find out whose funeral it is and our main character is so shocked that it makes Scrooge rethink his priority in life!
ROMANCE: Apart from love for family and one selves I didn't find love to have any other role. Maybe just a small one.
GOOD: I enjoyed how simple this story is and what huge lesson it teaches everyone! That you should never be grumpy and mean to others, or stingy and obnoxious! You must always be thankful for what you have to always always be kind!
GOOD: I enjoyed how simple this story is and what huge lesson it teaches everyone! That you should never be grumpy and mean to others, or stingy and obnoxious! You must always be thankful for what you have to always always be kind!
BAD: I have to admit, I did at one point got a little bored. Shame on me! The language at times was also a little bit too much for me. Too complicated.
OVERALL: I would most definitely recommend this as a gift for smaller kids, just to set them an example of how important it is to be kind and nice and also it's a story that will never lose it's wonderful importance!
I also wanted to wish every single reader a wonderful and happy Christmas! May the days be cozy and warm and never forget to smile and be kind to each other! Merry Christmas!
HANNAHCASSIE's REVIEW
EXPECTATIONS: As one of my goals is to read as many classics as I can and it was Christmas time when I was deciding for the next book I ended up picking up Christmas Carol. It was short, apparently very famous and I had no idea whatsoever what it was about. Yes, I am that one kid who didn't like Christmas movies and only ever saw Home Alone 1 and 2.
THE WORLD: I could not not associate this book with London central streets during Christmas. Oxford and Regent streets get decorated very beautifully and everybody is doing gift shopping and the music...very Christmas like. Also if I remember correctly at least once they had Christmas Carol everywhere, I normally don't like masses of people so I always stay away from Oxford street around Christmas tho. Anyways, the book itself is set in old London where it was not all that pretty actually so don't expect beautiful holidays in it.
CHARACTERS: So the main character is called Scrooge and one note here, is Scrooge from Donald Duck based on this character? Because my oh my could I not dissociate these two :D Anyways Martyna already did a detailed analysis of the character so I will make it short. I think this book had typical Charles Dickens character and every single one was a tool rather than a person with a story. I mean I get it it is a carol so they should be religious lessons right? But really, I will never understand how any of Dickens work is so famous. The main idea of the book was that if you don't care that much for others you are evil. It is a threat that if you don't help others you will burn and be tortured. So in the end everybody does good for their own gain right? Just not to be tortured. I highly dislike this kind of stories but again I dislike religion and that is where it comes from. I think if one desires to be good it should not be because one is threatened. Also the examples this book was given, yes Scrooge was bad but he was rich and he lived good and we are made to dislike it, the fact that he is successful is something to be ashamed of. Ah, I am really annoyed right now.
ROMANCE: None.
GOOD: It was short.
GOOD: It was short.
BAD: Religion. I mean okay this is a Carol but come on, can we for once promote the fact that people themselves achieve things and are not just simply given? Let's acknowledge the fact that nobody gave it to any of us, some special power or something. We all did it ourselves.
OVERALL: Stay away from Dickens. This was the last push for me, I openly and publicly dislike his writing style, his stand on things and his two faced character. I don't like when authors are paid to write what others tell them and then are considered the best. Do not recommend this or any books of Dickens.
What do you think about CHRISTMAS CAROL?
