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    Christmas Carol
    Christmas Carol
    Christmas Carol
    Audiobook2 hours

    Christmas Carol

    Written by Charles Dickens

    Narrated by Simon Vance

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman and Hall and first released on 19 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visitations of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published at a time when Britain was experiencing a nostalgic interest in its forgotten Christmas traditions, and at the time when new customs such as the Christmas tree and greeting cards were being introduced. Dickens' sources for the tale appear to be many and varied but are principally the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and the Christmas stories of Washington Irving. The tale was pirated immediately, was adapted several times to the stage, and has been credited with restoring the holiday to one of merriment and festivity in Britain and America after a period of sobriety and somberness. A Christmas Carol remains popular, has never been out of print, and has been adapted to film, opera, and other media.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChristianAudio.com
    Release dateSep 1, 2011
    ISBN9781610452618
    Author

    Charles Dickens

    Charles Dickens was born in 1812 near Portsmouth, where his father worked as a clerk. Living in London in 1824, Dickens was sent by his family to work in a blacking-warehouse, and his father was arrested and imprisoned for debt. Fortunes improved and Dickens returned to school, eventually becoming a parliamentary reporter. His first piece of fiction was published by a magazine in December 1832, and by 1836 he had begun his first novel, The Pickwick Papers. He focused his career on writing, completing fourteen highly successful novels, as well as penning journalism, shorter fiction and travel books. He died in 1870.

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    Reviews for Christmas Carol

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    5,579 ratings216 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Great story with fantastic writing. It’s been a while since I’ve read Dickens, and I love his storytelling and way with words. We can all learn some important lessons from Scrooge’s transformation about living a life of joy with regard to the impact we’re making around us.
    • 5/5
      The narrator did a great job in telling this story.
    • 2/5
      Great reading; however, the end of each chapter was cut off.
    • 5/5
      Classic riveting tale. Beautiful narration.
      The description is like a cross between F Scott Fitzgerald with the light heartedness of Roald Dahl.
    • 5/5
      Great story and great narration! A Christmas Carol has been on my TBR list for more years than I can remember but I just never got around to it. I've seen various productions on TV or in movies but never read the actual story.

      Audible gave away the version with Tim Curry doing the narration, last year I believe, but still I didn't listen. It took a good friend mentioning that she was listening to it yesterday to get me going. Well, that and the fact that I still need five books for my annual challenge and this was short.

      I loved it. Tim Curry did a fantastic job and I even found myself tearing up three times. Yes, I'm PMSing but still...
    • 4/5
      2013, January -- No entry


      2015 -- Audio Book Reading by Neil Gaiman

      A favorite habit of mine is to read this book every year at Christmas. I got lucky this year and Neil Gaiman read it to me, flush with all of Dicken's own personal notes for how the piece was best performed to audiences.
    • 4/5
      Over the course of December, I've participated in an online book club called A Dickens December where Charles Dickens' classic story of Christmas redemption was released in short chunks for each day up until December 26.  I am, like most people in the English-speaking world (and beyond), very familiar with the story of the greedy and self-interested old Ebeneezer Scrooge who is transformed by spirits of the Past, Present, and Yet to Come.  Not only have I seen this story adapted into several films, but also I participated in two different stage productions in my childhood!And yet this is the first time I've actually read the book.  The adaptations tend to get it right, adding embellishments more than leaving anything out.  The big thing about reading the book though is seeing Dickens way with words.  I've included several of my favorite passages below that show Dickens' talent with a turn of the phrase.  As always it's nice to revisit something familiar and see it in a new light.Favorite Passages:Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade.Oh! but he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, 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; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.The ancient tower of a church, whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down at Scrooge out of a Gothic window in the wall, became invisible, and struck the hours and quarters in the clouds, with tremulous vibrations afterwards, as if its teeth were chattering in its frozen head up there.Scrooge had often heard it said that Marley had no bowels, but he had never believed it until now.You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"

      The sky was gloomy, and the shortest streets were choked up with a dingy mist, half thawed, half frozen, whose heavier particles descended in a shower of sooty atoms, as if all the chimneys in Great Britain had, by one consent, caught fire, and were blazing away to their dear hearts' content. There was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, and yet was there an air of cheerfulness abroad that the clearest summer air and brightest summer sun might have endeavoured to diffuse in vain.

      They are Man's," said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!"He broke down all at once. He couldn't help it. If he could have helped it, he and his child would have been farther apart, perhaps, than they were.Really, for a man who had been out of practice for so many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs!Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and, knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.
    • 5/5
      It isn't Christmas without a bit of Dickens and this audio edition narrated by Hugh Grant was just excellent.
    • 5/5
      My annual reading of A Christmas Carol. I always enjoy watching Scrooge change his ways. This time I picked up some new things that Scrooge says and does. Didn't expect that after all these years of reading it. Worth reading. The Christmas season would not be complete without reading this.
    • 5/5
      What a classic Christmas story!

      It has been a very long time since I read the book and I wish I had re-read it before now. I am sure everyone knows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, so I will not go into a long drawn out review. However, I will say this: it is better to be a giving spirit than to be a "scrooge" as having the spirit of Christmas makes you feel better as a person.

      Loved this book once again and I will have to make it a Christmas tradition to read it every year from now on. Five "Christmas" stars!
    • 5/5
      Loved the book. Wonderful story.
    • 4/5
      One of the best-loved and most quoted stories of “the man who invented Christmas”—English writer Charles Dickens—A Christmas Carol debuted in 1843 and has touched millions of hearts since.

      Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn’t like...and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill.

      Listened to as part of Craftlit podcast. This was actually 2010's Christmas book, but I've only got around to listening to it in full now. The book has pervaded so much of our definition of Christmas that it's actually good to go back to the original text and find out what was covered.

      Heather, as an English Lit teacher, gives an excellent commentary over the various chapters and manages to give a little context around Dickens, how his upbringing could well have affected the writing of the book - eg Scrooge's attitude towards the poorhouse for instance, and why the Ghost throws it back in his face.

      The Narrator (from Librivox I believe) was excellent and well suited to the story
    • 4/5
      For something that's had a thousand adaptations, the original holds up very well. Short and sweet and sentimental.
    • 5/5
      Christmas may be just another day for avaricious Ebenezer Scrooge, but perhaps he’ll change his mind when the ghost of Jacob Marley, his former business partner [dead some seven years] comes to visit. If not, perhaps the three spirits of Christmas will bring about some changes.And, although his clerk, Bob Cratchit, has Christmas Day off, it was a grudgingly-granted concession from Scrooge to conform to social custom.Can Ebenezer change his greedy, selfish ways or is his fate already decided?=========This novella, originally published in December 1843, has never been out of print. Themes of the narrative concern redemption, change, and kindness. In the unfolding story, the author also addresses the treatment of the poor, especially children. Tiny Tim, evoking sympathy with the reader, provides a platform for the author to speak to the need for charity without alienating his audience.Widely translated, adapted for both the screen and the stage, the classic story is timeless; here readers can appreciate the author’s eloquent tale of kindness. Dickens advocated family gatherings, a special meal, and generosity of spirit as the focus for Christmas, all of which remain part of the celebration of the season. With its focus on the true spirit of the holiday, readers will find much to appreciate here.Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      I reread a Christmas Carol with the holidays poised to start, for me the first thought of the holiday's always begins with the Macy's Parade. Anyway while reading I came to Negus and being unfamiliar with the word,I just had to look it up and found the following recipe.


      from Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management, originally published in 1861:

      1835. INGREDIENTS - To every pint of port wine allow 1 quart of boiling water, 1/4 lb. of sugar, 1 lemon, grated nutmeg to taste

      .Mode.—As this beverage is more usually drunk at children’s parties than at any other, the wine need not be very old or expensive for the purpose, a new fruity wine answering very well for it. Put the wine into a jug, rub some lumps of sugar(equal to 1/4 lb.) on the lemon-rind until all the yellow part of the skin is absorbed, then squeeze the juice, and strain it. Add the sugar and lemon-juice to the port wine, with the grated nutmeg;pour over it the boiling water, cover the jug, and, when the beverage has cooled a little, it will be fit for use. Negus may also be made of sherry, or any other sweet white wine, but is more usually made of port than of any other beverage.Sufficient—Allow 1 pint of wine, with the other ingredients in proportion, for a party of 9 or 10 children.

      Kids most have had some wicked hangovers, wine always used to give me a splitting headache if drunk in quantity.
    • 3/5
      A wealthy, uncaring man is haunted by Christmas spirits.3/4 (Good)It's become kind of redundant. The Muppet version is extremely faithful to the book, while the book does not, technically, have any Muppets in it.
    • 4/5
      This is the best thing Dickens ever wrote. It shows that it was the only thing that he wrote because he wanted to tell the story instead of getting paid by the word.
    • 5/5
      The classic book presented as it originally was. The story of deep humanity is my annual favorite read.
    • 5/5
      I don't know what to say about this classic. Everyone knows the story--they've watched the movies, listened to the radio broadcasts, seen the readings at a Christmas concert. But reading the actual text is a joy in itself. Dickens can craft a sentence like no other.
    • 5/5
      Charles Dickens’s 1843 novella A Christmas Carol tells the now-world famous story of three ghosts haunting elderly miser Ebenezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve in order to teach him the value of charity and helping his fellow men. The story captures many Victorian Christmas traditions, in particular the tradition of telling ghost stories. The success of this work led Dickens to return to Christmas-themed stories several times, including The Chimes in 1844, The Cricket on the Hearth in 1845, The Battle of Life in 1846, and The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain in 1848. The story further linked Christmas with humanitarianism, combining traditional celebrations with charity and reconciliation. To this day, Dickens’ examination of class consciousness and economic disparity remains significant and timely. This Barnes & Noble leatherbound edition features gilt-edged pages and John Leech’s original illustrations for the 1843 edition. The red leather and gilt pages resemble the first edition from 19 December 1843 while the block-printed designs on the cover convey the spirit, to use a pun, of the work. It makes for a lovely gift.
    • 4/5
      A charming story re-read on Christmas Eve. Bah Humbug Scrooge is visited by the Spirits of his past, present & possible future, then wakes in delight realising he isn’t dead but has more life to make amends and spread compassion & happiness.As relevant in these COVID times as it has always been .
    • 5/5
      A Christmas Carol is a classic that makes my eyes do that weird leaking thing every time.I loved listening to the story on audio. Simon Prebble does a masterful job on the narration. I was told a story; I experienced it.While this is a Christmas story, it's one whose message we should carry with us each day of the year.
    • 4/5
      What struck me was how playful the narrator is at the beginning of the story, engaging us when Scrooge is so unengaging, and being less obvious the more Scrooge takes up his own redemption, realizing to his own positive feelings first, then opening his eyes to others and then recoiling at the horror of what he's become to connect to good feelings. But there is the little narratorial glint in the final paragraph: "He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterward."
    • 5/5
      I finished this book today and then found out that it was published on this day exactly back in 1843. A Christmas miracle! I really thought I had read this before, but I think I had only read a children's version and (of course) seen about a billion adaptations and parodies. Nothing is quite the same as Dickens, though. His pacing, his descriptiveness, and his humor just can't be beat. The final chapter where Scrooge is SO HAPPY to have a chance to turn his life around was just perfect and the three ghosts are truly chilling -- this could be a Halloween/Christmas crossover story for sure. If you haven't read the original before, pick it up this season -- it is a quick, comforting, and entertaining read.One of my bookclubs is reading Dickens' The Cricket on the Hearth for our next read, which is the third of his five Christmas novellas (A Christmas Carol is the first). I had no idea there were more! In honor of the Christmas season and my love for Dickens, I've decided to read all five, so stay tuned for more Christmasy reviews.
    • 4/5
      Jim Dale reads this audio version of the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, and does a fantastic job of it! Dale is the master narrator of the Harry Potter books and brings all of his character skills and perfect inflections to this reading too. Don’t miss listening to this version; it’s better than reading it yourself, and almost as good as the Muppet movie version!
    • 5/5
      If all the best qualities were taken from each of the various TV and film versions, and combined together, then that is roughly what we get in the original book. Scrooge’s sarcastic wit, miserliness, and meanness, the door-knocker turning into Marley’s face, the biting cold winter, the merriment of Fezziwig’s ball, Tiny Tim, the classic Christmas traditions, the fantastic spirits, and the ending we all know and love.As a short story of only 90 pages it works very well. Some of Dickens’s writings can be a bit over-detailed and redundant, however this is relatively compact for him, and achieves the impact, the atmosphere, and the character development that sometimes take him a lot longer in other works. Deserving of its central place in the Christmas season.
    • 4/5
      I can't quite believe that I've not read this before, but I think this is the first time I've read it (and seeing as I listened to it, you could argue I've still not read it!). It is a story that has been on screen so many times that you can't not know it. My personal favourite being the Muppet version with Michael Caine as Scrooge, which actually is remarkably faithful to the original. What they miss is all the description that Dickens packs into this small volume. It takes a good 20% for Scrooge to even meet the ghost of Marley that sets up the three further encounters. I was stuck by the fact that noth the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present are described in detail, where as the Ghost of Christmas yet to come is barely described at all. In the midst of all the description, it's a noticable omission. The scenes presented by the third ghost are really very dark, particularly when he discovers his own future fate. The final section, on Christmas day, has a roller coaster feel about it, as if you're carrering towards a conclusion and he's running out of words to do so. It's all a bit breathless, especially after the dismal previous chapter. Excellent and I will continue to enjoy the Muppet's version with all the good will that the season can offer.
    • 5/5
      No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty.
      This was surprisingly quite funny! The narration was done in that particular style that seems to have been largely abandoned by modern authors: third-person told from a first-person non-character narrator. I love this style! Many of my favorite classics (Peter Pan, The Chronicles of Narnia, etc) are told in this style, and it always lends itself a storybook quality that is sorely lacking in today's literature.

      The story itself was something I am at this point extremely familiar with, as it has permeated all corners of Western civilization at this point, but still, there were some things that are often excluded in most adaptations, such as the children of mankind: "They are Man's," said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased." (Except for that one with Jim Carrey, but it added that weird chase scene.) Those parts not oft-explored were really interesting and added a great deal of meaning to the story.

      I am quite glad I read this. This was my first Dickens experience and it has fully convinced me that I really need to read more classics! Time to read them instead of watching their BBC Masterpiece Classics adaptations!

      "There are some upon this earth of yours," returned the Spirit, "who claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us, and all our kith and kin, as if they had never lived."
    • 5/5
      Such a pleasure to read these lovely words! You may know the story, but until you read Charles Dickens’ own words you haven’t truly experienced the magic.
    • 5/5
      I just absolutely love this story. I love how it teaches you that anyone can change who they are as a person. Charles Dickens definitely shows that by his character Ebenezer Scrooge a grumpy lonely old man that cares about no one except himself and his money. The reality is money is just a thing you can't take it with you when you go so you might as well share your wealth. Ebenezer Scrooge definitely realizes that after his 3 visitors taught him that lesson. They taught him he would die alone with not a single care in the world. In the end Ebenezer Scrooge makes a 360° turn around and becomes a cheerful lovely old man that everyone could love. This is such a great classic story with such a great lesson for everyone.