A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens that was originally published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. The narrative of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, is told in A Christmas Carol. Scrooge is turned into a nicer, gentler guy as a result of their visits.

Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol at a time when the British were examining and re-evaluating old Christmas traditions like carols as well as emerging ones like Christmas cards and Christmas trees. He was influenced by his own childhood memories as well as the Christmas stories of other authors such as Washington Irving and Douglas Jerrold. Dickens had previously written three Christmas stories and was inspired to write the novella after visiting the Field Lane Ragged School, one of several institutions for London's street children. The story's main themes are the treatment of the poor and the ability of a selfish man to redeem himself by transforming into a more sympathetic character.

The spirit of the mid-Victorian revival of the Christmas holiday was captured in A Christmas Carol. Dickens recognized the modern Western Christmas observance's influence and later inspired several aspects of Christmas, including family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games, and a festive generosity of spirit.

Detailed information:

Author: Charles Dickens

Published: December 17, 1843

Genre: Classics, fiction, holiday

Link to read: goodreads.com/book/show/5326.A_Christmas_Carol