Frecklemaid reviewed Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Review of 'Christmas Carol' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
‘A Christmas Carol’ is cited to have been both the book that saved Christmas and Charles Dickens’ career. The proliferation of this short, but heart-wrenching novella throughout our Christmas tradition and sense of what the holiday means is undeniable. Reading this for the first time is as though I had been described the flavour, texture and smell of an orange my entire life to finally have one in my possession. I knew Ebenezer Scrooge, and I knew the lessons of this story, but they nevertheless filled my heart as I saw the transformation of that iconic character.
Undeniably, Charles Dickens remains one of the most important and popular writers of the Victorian period, and this entry is not to be missed. As my first Dickens, I knew not what to expect in style or salience. I soon discovered what millions have in the 177 years since its publication: that Dickens’ …
‘A Christmas Carol’ is cited to have been both the book that saved Christmas and Charles Dickens’ career. The proliferation of this short, but heart-wrenching novella throughout our Christmas tradition and sense of what the holiday means is undeniable. Reading this for the first time is as though I had been described the flavour, texture and smell of an orange my entire life to finally have one in my possession. I knew Ebenezer Scrooge, and I knew the lessons of this story, but they nevertheless filled my heart as I saw the transformation of that iconic character.
Undeniably, Charles Dickens remains one of the most important and popular writers of the Victorian period, and this entry is not to be missed. As my first Dickens, I knew not what to expect in style or salience. I soon discovered what millions have in the 177 years since its publication: that Dickens’ prose and characterisation is unmatched. Each line was written with poeticism, and each scene with purpose. As the story that gave us Christmas, I was woefully ignorant of just how incredibly Dickens created the feelings of warmth, family and comfort now imbued in popular conscience of the holiday. Notably, A Christmas Carol lacks both Christmas trees and Santa Clause, but the feeling of Christmas is always there. What’s more: Dickens did it all with a strong dose of the wit and absurdism to be expected from a British icon.
The Chiltern Classics edition I read from included the stunning Arthur Rackham illustrations, which successfully captured the feel and imagery of the novel. I particularly loved the attention to detail in Rackham’s representation of fashion across Scrooge’s life, with clear differences between the decades, from the late 18th century robe à l’anglaise to the regency empire-waist. The class and finances of these characters were similarly conveyed through the clothing choices of the illustrations. I adored the use of illustration in this story so much that I ended up buying a second-hand Folio Society edition which I hope to read for many years to come.
I wholeheartedly recommend giving A Christmas Carol a shot, especially if you know the story well through adaptations.
