A Christmas Carol (Bantam Classics)
Merry Christmas, everyone!
“Bah!” said Scrooge. “Humbug!”
With those famous words unfolds a tale that renews the joy and caring that are Christmas. Whether we read it aloud with our family and friends or open the pages on a chill winter evening to savor the story in solitude, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a very special holiday experience.
It is the one book that every year will warm our hearts with favorite memories of Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future—and will remind us with laughter and tears that the true Christmas spirit comes from giving with love.
With a heartwarming account of Dickens’ first reading of the Carol, and a biographical sketch.
“Bah!” said Scrooge. “Humbug!”
With those famous words unfolds a tale that renews the joy and caring that are Christmas. Whether we read it aloud with our family and friends or open the pages on a chill winter evening to savor the story in solitude, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a very special holiday experience.
It is the one book that every year will warm our hearts with favorite memories of Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future—and will remind us with laughter and tears that the true Christmas spirit comes from giving with love.
With a heartwarming account of Dickens’ first reading of the Carol, and a biographical sketch.
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Community Reviews
⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Timeless Classic, but Not Quite a Favorite
Reading A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve felt like the perfect way to experience this story, and in many ways, it delivered exactly what I expected. The themes of redemption, generosity, and second chances are timeless, and Dickens’ writing truly captures both the magic and eeriness of the ghosts. The atmosphere is so rich—you can feel the chill in the air, the warmth of the Cratchit family, and the weight of Scrooge’s past mistakes.
That said, while I appreciated the story, I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped. Some of the prose felt a bit dense, and since the plot is so well-known through countless adaptations, there weren’t many surprises. I found myself admiring the message more than being completely swept up in the narrative.
Still, A Christmas Carol has undeniably stood the test of time, and I understand why it remains a holiday tradition for so many. It’s a story worth reading at least once, even if it didn’t fully become a favorite for me.
"...No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunities misused!"
The ultimate never-too-late-to-change tale, where a cold-hearted man's heart is unfrozen after being visited overnight by three spirits who show him that life is never as bleak as it seems and that unchanged ways have consequences.
My favourite part is Christmas morning when he opens the window and talks to a young boy about the Christmas goose that’s as big as the boy is. His joy and giddiness get me every time.
The best film adaptation of this is the 1951 film starring Alistair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge .
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