Book Review: A Christmas Carol

The classic Christmas story known as A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been a staple of the holiday season for over 150 years now. It's a story I have been familiar with since my childhood years. Ebenezer Scrooge has become the iconic Christmas character, a grumpy grouch on par with other Christmas anti-heroes such as the Grinch. Other famous characters from the book include Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and the three ghosts of Christmas. This book can undoubtedly be celebrated as establishing many of the Christmas customs we celebrate today.

While I have been familiar with the story thru countless television and film adaptations, I have never read the novel until now. It seemed like a fitting follow up for this holiday season after reading the behemoth 800 pager David Copperfield. To my surprise the novel is quite brief with just nearly 100 pages and 5 chapters (known as staves). In this post I'll give a detailed description of Dicken's iconic Christmas novel.

The Premise

The story is sent in London 1840s on Christmas Eve where Ebenezer Scrooge is presented in his banking office with his underpaid clerk Bob Cratchit. He cruelly rejects some charity workers asking for a Christmas donation, as well as his nephew's invitation to his Christmas Party. That evening however he is visited by the ghost of Marley, his former business partner who shared his cold business demeanor. Marley informs Scrooge that he will be visited by three ghosts and that he should listen to them, if he doesn't want to end up in chains like he did.

The first ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge his past life as a lonely child in a boarding school. He did however have a good relationship with his sister Fan and was later treated like a son by his first employer Mr. Fezziwig. However as an apprentice of finance, Scrooge did not inherit Mr. Fezziwig's generous demeanor. This became clear when his finance Belle, left him because she realized that Scrooge loved more than her. Scrooge's finance was later showing living happy with a husband and family at which Scrooge requested to see no more in the painful vision from his past.

The second ghost of Christmas Present was perhaps the most iconic of the three ghosts. He was a large bearded fellow wearing a great green fur robe. He first demonstrated Scrooge the scene at his employee Cratchit's house. Despite their meager house the Cratchit family was a merry bunch and very grateful to celebrate Christmas Eve. At the end of the dinner Bob Cratchit offers a toast to his employer which is disputed but later shared by the rest of the family. Scrooge also takes notice of the sickly young child of Tiny Tim and fears that he will die without proper medical treatment. The Ghost of Christmas Present also shows Scrooge his nephew's party who just as Bob did, offers his uncle a toast showing sympathy for Scrooge's cold lonely life.

The third ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is the most frightening of the three taking the form of a deathly phantom or the Grim Reaper. He shows Scrooge visions into the future if he does not change his selfish ways, including his funeral which nobody cares to attend. Furthermore he sadly witnesses the Cratchit family grieving over the death of their young son Tiny Tim. At this point Scrooge promises to change his ways and is most grateful the visions are over. On Christmas day he falls into a jubilant stupor and buys the Cratchit family an expensive turkey, he gives a large donation to charity, and he visits his nephew.  The next day he informs Cratchit that he will raise his salary, and is a changed man devout to kindness and compassion. The book closes with the iconic grateful words of Tiny Tim, "God Bless us All, Each and everyone of us."

The Analysis

The legacy of this book is worldwide, often considered the essence of the Christmas season on par with The Nativity Story or The Night Before Christmas. Charles Dickens captured the spirit of Christmas in this book and presented so many Christmas customs that have become very popular today. For example the popular phrase of "Merry Christmas" was influenced from this book. The character of Ebenezer Scrooge has also became a very iconic figure of the holiday season with his famous catch phrase of "Bah-Humbug".

This was one of several Christmas books written by Charles Dickens to celebrate his love of the season. This was a concept he was first influenced by Washington Irving as a kid in the 1820s. Dicken's publication of A Christmas Carol in 1843 became an instant hit. It was actually one of several of popular Christmas novels he wrote also including; The Chimes and The Cricket and Hearth (which I intend to read next). While this book can hardly be considered a literature masterpiece, it is mostly celebrated for it's holiday theme and powerful message.

For me the greatest theme of Dicken's story is to be grateful for what you have. Scrooge is naturally a cruel selfish man without any enthusiasm in the world, which is especially clear during the festive season of Christmas. However after some ghostly visions he realizes he has had a terrible attitude for most his professional life, and seeks to change it immediately. His transformation to celebrate the Christmas season as the end of the book, demonstrates the powerful and positive magic of the Christmas Season.