- A Christmas Carol (Calla Editions)

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone,” (Dickens 144) the once miserly, old Scrooge pledges desperately to the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come as they stand over Scrooge’s future grave, following their witnessing of the nightmarish images of his own forthcoming death and its pitiable consequences. Charles Dickens’ charming and clever classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his change of heart has touched a countless number of people over generations. This five-star novel’s utterly moving message and immense genius will touch many more to come, and urge others to make the pledge to “honor Christmas in [their own hearts], and try to keep it all the year,” (Dickens 144), as Scrooge so thoroughly did himself that one Christmas night. Originally published in the year of 1843, A Christmas Carol summons us to Victorian London, contemporary to the year the story was published. The selfish, stingy, miserly, and miserable, old Ebenezer Scrooge broods in his hatred for the Christmas Season, as Scrooge greatly detests happiness, generosity, love, and family. Christmas Eve night, he is haunted by the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley, who appears to Scrooge with a long, heavy chain made from all of the terrible things that Marley pursued in life. Marley warns Scrooge that he is doomed to Marley’s same, terrible fate unless he changes the way he lives his life. So he tells Scrooge that three more Spirits will haunt him during the course of the night. We all know the story: the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet To Come visit Scrooge and show him moments in his lifetime in order to instill in Scrooge the idea to stop being so dreadful and instead to become compassionate. Throughout Scrooge’s tale, Charles Dickens introduces to us three different methods (one for each of the three spirits) as the tools for a person, such as Scrooge, to change one’s life. A very prominent theme portrayed in A Christmas Carol, is how the application of these three methods will change someone’s heart. The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first of the three to appear to Scrooge and the first to apply one of Dickens’ methods to change Scrooge’s heart. The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge back to his childhood and early years to show him all of the people he has loved. He sees his beloved, younger sister, Fan, the mother of his ever-encouraging nephew, Fred; he sees the jolly man to whom he was once apprenticed, Fezziwig, and the jovial love he showed to all his family and friends; and Scrooge also sees his former fiancée, reliving not only the scene of when she left him due to his growing greed, but also the images of the happy life she led after she left him. Seeing these people in his past renews Scrooge’s spark of love for his family and friends. Dickens’ first step to a change of heart— love. The jolly Ghost of Christmas Present succeeds the Ghost of Christmas Past and leads Scrooge through the existing world to see all those who were currently celebrating Christmas. He shows Scrooge the Cratchits, the family of Scrooge’s clerk Bob Cratchit, demonstrating to Scrooge how his habit of penny-pinching and ill behavior toward Bob Cratchit is affecting the poor, struggling family, in particular Bob Cratchit’s crippled son, Tiny Tim. This helps Scrooge feel regret for the decisions he has made and become more generous to those in need. The second method to the changing of Scrooge’s heart was the feeling of regret. Then the wraithlike Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come appears to Scrooge and shows him scenes from the future. At first, these scenes meant nothing to Scrooge as he saw the people of London’s disgraceful response to a terrible man’s death until Scrooge realized that this terrible man was Scrooge himself. This sudden realization at the setting of Scrooge’s own future grave was the sign of his complete conversion to kindheartedness. He felt absolute fear of the images he saw, and wanted nothing more than to reverse them. Hence, The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come applied the final method of transformation— fear for the future’s terrible consequences. So there are the keys to Scrooge’s conversion— love, regret, and fear for the future. The theme of how the application of these three methods is the key to changing someone’s frame of mind I believe is both valid and properly conveyed. With the help of the three spirits that fateful, Christmas Eve night, Ebenezer Scrooge realized that he must always have, “the Spirits of all Three… strive within [him, and] not shut out the lessons that they teach,” because if he went back to not loving, not feeling regret and guilt, and not being wary or fearful of future consequences, Scrooge would return to the greedy, wicked state in which he had found himself the night before. But that theme isn’t the most prominent in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The most prominent theme is the happiness one feels when one shows more benevolence, and I think that Dickens displayed this intent more than thoroughly by the end of his tale. And how true that is. Scrooge would’ve gone on living his rotten life with no lasting legacy when he died if it were not for the spirits’ visits. Instead, he spent the rest of his years becoming “as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world,” (Dickens 158). In Charles Dickens’ flawlessly written tale of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge learns that happiness can come to us if we will forget self and worldly gain, concentrating instead on helping others and learning to embrace the love of family and friends. Dickens’ clear, concise, and beautiful depiction of the world’s most beloved Christmas story second only to Christmas’ inspiration is one that everyone would benefit from reading. And may those who read it, remember themselves to “honor Christmas in [their hearts], and try to keep it all the year,” (Dickens 144).

In Charles Dickens' classic masterpiece, the miserable Scrooge is given a chance to repent of his selfish lifestyle when he is visited by four spirits -- first, his tormented former business partner, sentenced to wander the netherworld until he has atoned for his sins -- and then three "Spirits of Christmas," who show him the past origins of his lifestyle, the present effects of his selfishness on people in his life, and the future toward which his life is tending. He wakes from the final vision a changed man, renounces his selfish ways, and lives a generous, loving life from that time forward. This hope-filled moral tale contains themes of redemption, hope, and generosity that resonate with Christianity, but it isn't really a Christian story. In fact, it is a good example of how a Christian holiday has come to be observed in a way that diffuses its religious meaning. For Christians, Christmas is a day to celebrate God's gift of his Son to humanity. The familiar phrase "Peace on earth, goodwill to men" was first spoken by angels announcing Jesus' birth (Luke 2:13-14). This peace primarily refers to the relationship between God and humanity (Romans 5:1-2). God miraculously extended Himself to us in the body of Jesus, ending the hostility that had separated us from Him since Adam's rebellion (Romans 5:15-17). As Christians rejoice in the miracle of Christ's reconciliation, God's love naturally pours out into joyful generosity toward other people. This significance of the holiday has been largely forgotten in our post-Christian society, but you can still feel the shadow of that joy in a general sentiment of humanitarian goodwill recognized as "Christmas spirit." In Dickens' story, the Spirit of Christmas is personified in the three figures of past, present and future Christmases, and it is to Christmas Spirit, not to God, that Scrooge turns in his repentance. In his own words: "Spirit!" he cried, tight clutching at its robe. "Hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse..... I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach." For Christians, who believe the only way to change your life is to trust in Jesus, Scrooge's repentance will be somewhat unconvincing -- but that doesn't mean thoughtful Christians can't appreciate the author's brilliant portrayal of human sin, selfishness, and suffering. This is a moral tale, excellent for demonstrating the consequences of sin and the benefits of goodness. Unlike many moral tales, this one is infused with joyful hope, executed with a literary excellence that has endeared it to readers for over 150 years. Dickensian language can be difficult for children to follow, and the content of this story may be troubling to an elementary audience, but for parents who think their kids will enjoy this story, an illustrated version can go a long way toward bridging the language gap. My favorite edition is illustrated by P.J. Lynch, whose exemplary gift for depicting human emotion makes his characters very real. They almost seem to breathe on the page, and the reader is effortlessly drawn into their thoughts and interests.

A few weekends ago my husband had to go on a work trip and this was one of the audiobooks we listened to while driving. My family has watched several versions of this story and so when I first suggested I put this on to help keep my husband's interest, (we'd driven about 1,000 miles at that point in a very short amount of time and we were all a little antsy) he looked at me and said "please no." Well, fortunately for me, I had started it playing before he realized what was going on. When he asked me to turn it off I had my hands full with something so told him just a minute and I would. I got to the point where I could turn it off a couple minutes later and he said "just leave it, it's ok." Ha! He was hooked from the very get go. I mean come one, we're huge Charles Dickens fans in my house and combine that with Tim Curry narrating, what's not to love????? I don't know if this is available as a freebie for you audible users but I would definitely look into it. Or if you're looking for a great classic and Christmas story I highly recommend snagging a copy of this. Definitely one my whole family enjoyed, from my husband on down to teenagers and littles. I'm not going to go on and on and on about the story and my thoughts and opinions of it. There are thousands of reviews and thoughts and opinions on this book. Go read it for yourself and enjoy (it's free on Amazon). I'm just going to leave it at this...5* (more if the rating allowed for it) and delighted and content smiles on my family's faces during and after listening. A definite reread/relistening novel for sure!!! Happy Reading!!! (or in this case listening)

"A Christmas Carol" is not just A Christmas story, but one of THE Christmas stories -- not only is it instantly recognizable by pretty much everybody, but it's relentlessly copied and spoofed in countless Christmas specials. But taken just by itself, Charles Dickens' yuletide novella is a pretty bleak and bittersweet affair, with brilliant imagery and lots of ghostly weirdness. Scrooge is... well, a scrooge -- a professional miser who hates Christmas, goodwill, charity, puppies, kittens, his relatives, his employees, and virtually everything else except money. And on Christmas Eve, his dead partner Jacob Marley comes back, wrapped with supernatural chains, and claims that Scrooge is doomed to the same fate. But he has a chance at redemption: three ghosts representing will visit him that night, taking him on a guided tour of Christmases past, present and yet to come. So Scrooge is transported on a trio of hourlong trips through time. The childlike Ghost of Christmas Past takes him to his bleak childhood, when he was less jaded and hard. The jolly Ghost of Christmas Present takes him to people's homes on the very next morning, specifically of of his nephew and the poor miner Bob Cratchit. And finally a Ringwraith-like spirit gives him a glimpse of Christmas years in the future... a bleak and terrible future, unless he changes his ways. You can read plenty of symbolism into a story like "A Christmas Carol"; I've heard speculation about Dickens' father, the Industrial Revolution, spiritualism, and all sorts of other stuff. But at its heart, "A Christmas Carol" is the most powerful when appreciated for its story alone -- a story about a greedy, miserable man who redeems himself by learning to love all humanity. Dickens' writing is utterly brilliant here. Most of the book is bleak, grimy and painted in shadows, with Dickens only rarely holding back from showing the dark situation of England's poor. A great example is the symbolic children Want and Ignorance ("a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled them into shreds"). As for the Grim-Reaperlike third ghost, it's the stuff of nightmares. But all isn't dark here. Occasionally Dickens splashes it with moments of crystalline brilliance ("It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and... its dress trimmed with summer flowers"). And as dark as the book is, Dickens offers hope for the future. He also does a brilliant job with Scrooge, " a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire." Having worked hard to make us hate Scrooge, Dickens then deftly displays his skill at slowly revealing how Scrooge became who and what he is, and slowly redeeming him. Charles Dickens created one of the greatest Christmas stories with "A Christmas Carol" -- bah humbugs, merry Christmases and all. God bless us, every one!

My favorite Donna Summer song, and there are many from which to choose, is “Last Dance.” When I hear it, I visualize a school dance where most of the kids are dancing. However, there are a few boys standing on one side of the gym and a few girls standing on the opposite side, each wanting to find a dance partner, and reaching the point of the evening when there is one last dance. I can hear Donna Summer singing. “Last dance, Last chance for love. Yes, it's my last chance, For romance tonight.” For Scrooge, the last chance is not for romance. It is a last chance to redeem his life. That is how I view the visit to Scrooge of Marley’s ghost. In stave one of the book, Marley’s ghost tells Scrooge that, upon his death, he, Marley, learned a lesson too late. “it is required of every man … that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world … and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness!” Then, Marley’s ghost tells Scrooge that he, Scrooge, can avoid that doom. “I am here to-night to warn you, that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate. A chance and hope of my procuring, Ebenezer.” In death, Jacob Marley is a good friend to his old business partner, Ebenezer Scrooge, giving him one last chance. Almost all know the rest of the story. As Marley’s ghost departs, Scrooge is told that he will be visited by three spirits. For those who have not yet read A Christmas Carol, I will provide no details other than to say that, after these visits, Scrooge has his promised last chance on Christmas Day. A Christmas Carol is not just a story about Christmas. It is a story of recognizing the eventual end of life. I believe that the saying “it is never too late” is often a lie. However, it is possible that some good can be done even at an old age. It is a matter of recognizing that opportunity and acting upon it. Charles Dickens is my favorite author. I read Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities in high school. I have read A Christmas Carol multiple times, including the edition I now review. The story is so well written and so descriptive that you almost see the story portrayed before you as you read it. I doubt that there is anyone who has read it and doesn’t recognize its greatness. Some people have already read A Christmas Carol. Others may have seen it presented as a movie or a play but have never read the book. And there may be a few who know nothing about A Christmas Carol other than the title. To all of you, I suggest that you read the novella, even if you have read it once, twice, or many times before. It is a wonderfully written lesson that should be learned over and over again.

"No space of regret can make amends for one life's opportunity misused" Ebenezzer Scrooge is one of the most miserly, greedy, selfish businessmen, especially at Christmas. Through the visions of his dead partner, Jacob Marley, and three Ghosts, Scrooge is sent on the learning experience of a life. There is a reason why this book is so prevalent in our (Western) culture, how everyone, even those who've never read the novella/book, know the story so well (which is why this review will not have any spoiler notices). This story is a story that hits us to the core, that forces us to look outside our selfish lives and to think of others. And while the characters aren't the most nuanced, it is the story, it is the heart of the book that is most important and most inspiring. The characters are rather one-note, if you think about it. Scrooge is the only one that undergoes any change (somewhat expected, as it is a novel about his growth), but he starts out as the hideously over-done selfish man and ends up as the happiest, most joyful man in the world. Seeing his drastic change, however, does make the story more compelling, which is probably why Scrooge was painted so over-the-top in the beginning. From his little sister to Belle to Bob Crachit and his family, the characters tend to be blindly cheerful and happy despite their conditions. About the only one I can think of off the top of my head that isn't is Mrs. Crachit, who definitely harbors some resentment to Mr. Scrooge. But the remarkable thing about "A Christmas Carol" isn't the nuanced, varied characters, but the story, the journey, Scrooge's miraculous change. Reading it for the second time (I read it once in high school on my own), I was still touched and intrigued. I discovered more of the humor (the bit about Marley being more of "gravy than of grave"), the deeper meaning of the story. A lot of times, it seems that movies take the bits about Scrooge celebrating and honoring Christmas, and while that is an important theme, I thought the more important theme was to look out for your neighbor and open your heart. Scrooge was miserly, giving his employee a crappy wage (something like 15 shillings a week!). He refused to have anything to do with his nephew, he wouldn't give to the poor, and he had no compassion for beggars. While he lived in a huge home, he only lit a single candle and lived in a single room. And as the Ghosts reveal his past, present, and future, he slowly realizes, "Hey, I should have been nice to that kid on the street", "Hey, I wish I had agreed to visit my nephew", and "Hey, I should do something about my employee's work conditions". And that is why this book is so great, in my opinion. Christmas is one day and not everyone celebrates it the same way (or at all!); but kindness and generosity can be expressed ALL YEAR LONG and EVERYONE can share it. That is how I interpret it when Scrooge says, near the end: "I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year". Christmas isn't the Christian holiday, or the commercialized version that we see all around us; Christmas is the compassion we have to those around us. Brought to you by: *C.S. Light*

KindleUnlimited review. In recent years I have reread this short book each Christmas season and acquire a renewed appreciation each time. With only five chapters, it’s a short book and takes less than three hours to read in one sitting (as does the audiobook version). Nearly everyone knows the story or some variation of its retelling. Therefore, I’ll not attempt a synopsis but rather highlight my favorite passages and those different from the more familiar film adaptations. For instance, the arrival of the three spirits visiting Scrooge is always differently presented in film adaptations: “Expect the first to-morrow, when the bell tolls One… Expect the second on the next night at the same hour. The third upon the next night when the last stroke of Twelve has ceased to vibrate.” Most versions depict all three ghosts in one night. Scrooge specifically requested this but was rebuffed by Marley: “Couldn’t I take ’em all at once, and have it over, Jacob?” hinted Scrooge.” Dickens’ ability to poetically describe a scene is best presented by the mines absent from film adaptations: “… they stood upon a bleak and desert moor, where monstrous masses of rude stone were cast about, as though it were the burial-place of giants; and water spread itself wheresoever it listed, or would have done so, but for the frost that held it prisoner; and nothing grew but moss and furze, and coarse rank grass. Down in the west the setting sun had left a streak of fiery red, which glared upon the desolation for an instant, like a sullen eye, and frowning lower, lower, lower yet, was lost in the thick gloom of darkest night.” Likewise, the Ghost of Christmas Present’s two companions - the boy as Ignorance and the girl as Want - is a more harsh rebuke of Scrooge than many adaptations. Most versions retain the book end narrations but omit the internal ones. That’s a shame but the best reason to read the original text. The narrator’s interpretations of place and people would be an improvement in any film adaptations. However, most renditions do end with this poignant verse: “Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew... May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!” This story will pluck at one’s emotional heart strings each time.

I’ve pledged to read this classic every Christmas till I die; it is a gem! It is a true classic: characters that are unforgettable, a story that transcends any place or time, morals that make the human race better, and the language... what a gift Dickens had! Plucky, humorous, warm, bristling with imagery and a richness that you can feast on. Read this about a dead end place in London: “They were a gloomy suite of rooms, in a lowering pile of building up a yard, where it had so little business to be, that one could scarcely help fancying it must have run there when it was a young house, playing at hide-and-seek with other houses, and have forgotten the way out again.” This is the timeless story of a miserly old money lender who mocks Christmas and scorns all who celebrate it. He is visited Christmas Eve first by the ghost of his long-dead partner, who manifests with a dire warning to change his ways, and warns him he will be visited by three spirits. The three spirits appear one by one throughout the night, visiting him on the hour: one to take him to his past, where he can reconnect with this lost feelings; another to show him the present, to spy the sad position of his very own employee and family; and finally, the future, where he witnesses the outcome of his greed and despicable contempt for all humans. The effect is so powerful, he emerges from the “dreams,” from the spiritual visits, a completely changed man, and his marvelous legacy is secured. This story has been told countless times, mirrored in movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life,” even by the Muppets! Like Scrooge, you can do this in a night, and it just might change your life! That’s the magic of it.

Nice little copy, thought there were to be illustrations but actually thats on the hard copy but this is a sweet book

I love this story so much! And what a beautiful edition!

The perfect combination Audio version read by Monica Dickens for the I pod and original unabridged text for my kindle, it made me feel all festive and really Christmassy, plus proceeds to charity too. Buy it now

Très belle édition !

So once again I'm late to read a book that most of the English-speaking world at least has read before they leave school. I was captivated by A Christmas Carol. It's first and foremost a moral, cautionary tale, which is primarily why I'd never read it. I went to a Catholic school and recieved quite enough moral instruction on a daily basis. But it's not just about learning a lesson. You find yourself wondering, and never get a solid answer, whether Scrooge has really experienced the visitations, or is in fact dreaming vividly as a result of the day's events. We've all had dreams so vivid that they seem like reality. Perhaps Dickens himself had a dream that sparked changes in himself. From what I understand he wasn't the nicest of men and a pricking conscience is one thing that will enter our dreams. A Christmas Carol is done and finished in no time at all and is a real joy to read. Dickens' usual powerful characterisation enables an immediate knowing of each person. The descriptive language paints vivid pictures of people, ghosts and places transporting you into the world of Ebeneezer Scrooge and you understand that he is a lonely man who simply won't acknowledge that fact. Not long after my Mum passed away in October just gone, I had a dream not unlike the visit of the three ghosts, probably, I hope, as a result of reading the story, and it had a similar impact on me to the ghosts on Scrooge. So perhaps it is a morally edifying tale. Perhaps if I'd read it years ago, my dream would not have been necessary. It's a story that makes you think about your life and how you conduct yourself and provides a strong visual to aid the analysis. I'm not at all like Scrooge, I hasten to add, but I'm human and there's room for improvement. A Christmas Carol does not need to be read at Christmas to have its impact. It is well worth a read and is a story I'll read again from time to time, quickly established as one of my favourite pieces of literature.