Book Review: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean, cold-hearted, miserly man, whose life is changed when he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley.  Marley informs him that he will be visited by three ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

And so begins one of the most famous tales of redemption in literature….

It has only been a few years since I last read A Christmas Carol, but I was surprised to learn that when I checked my review index, I hadn’t reviewed it.  (I knew that A-Z index would come in handy one day).  So, I thought it would be a great addition to this year’s Festive Reads Fortnight.  To add a little festive fun to the reading of it, I read a chapter a night, by candlelight, in the run-up to Christmas Eve, the last chapter being reserved for the night before Christmas.

What struck me most about the story on this particular reading, was the humour with which Dickens tells the story of Scrooge, something that I think I haven’t picked up on previous readings.  Of course, humour isn’t something one readily thinks of when reading Dickens, but it’s refreshing to read an old classic in a new light.  However, that doesn’t mean that the philanthropic message and the plight of the poor was lost.  Nor the warning that by putting money before all else, you will create a cold and lonely life for yourself: a message that is just as important today, as when the story was written in 1843, I think.

Compelling reading, and perhaps my favourite Dickens story.