A Christmas Carol and Other Short Stories

by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol -- Mugby junction -- Mr. Lirriper's lodgings -- The seven poor travellers.

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Fiction, British Literature, English Literature

221 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1866

About the author

Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.

Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.

Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.

On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Dickens at his best. I thoroughly enjoyed these charming, funny, touching stories. It was a fun, light read. Dickens is a master of characterization, and I marveled at how well I could get to know a character in these stories in such a short period of time and how each character or story teller had their own individual voice.

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel bad that I'm DNFing this collection, as well as, giving it a rating, but I have gotten bored (I know I used the "B" word.) with this. The writing is great of course, as its Dickens after all, but the stories are too short for me. I know, I know they are short stories, but I am used to his novels, and I have a complicated relationship with short story collections. Sometimes I like them well enough, but most of the time they are just disappointing. I'm used to Dickens' complex plot lines and long stories. The ones in this collection that I read were okay such as Mr Minn's Cousin, The Bloomsbury Christening, and Horatio Sparkins. The Boarding House was a bit dull and I could not comprehend Nobody's Story. The last one I started was Somebody's Luggage but I could not get through the first chapter, because it was very confusing. This edition does have some lovely water color drawings throughout the collection of scenes from the stories. Though, I have become a fan maybe I am a hardcore enough fan to really appreciate this and I have plenty of other library books (and ones from my personal library) to get through to continue.

[Mark Matzeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of sketches of people and places of Dickens' England in his inimitable style. These are not so much stories in the traditional sense of narratives having a beginning, a conflict, and a resolution, but are more glimpses into the characters who inhabited a world at the cusp of industrialization where shifting paradigms created horrible, inescapable poverty, told with sincere affection for the individuals he portrayed.

[Franz Lerch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of short stories gathered from various points along the timeline of the author’s (writing) life. Dicken’s never disappoints. His writing, even his earlier prose, seems to transport you to the Victorian Era where you feel like an in-person observer to the everyday life(s) of an ordinary citizen in both mundane and strange, even extraordinary situations.

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the short stories were very good and some I did not like.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to read other things in Dicken's style.

[Jeff Hobbs]

Read so far:

*The boarding house(+)--
*Horatio Sparkins(+) --
The Bloomsbury christening(+) --
Mr. Minns and his cousin(+) --
Nobody's story --3
*Going into society --
*Somebody's luggage (His leaving it till called for, His boots, His brown paper parcel, His wonderful end)--
*Mrs. Lirriper's lodgings (How Mrs. Lirriper carried on the business, How the parlours added a few words)--
*Mrs. Lirriper's legacy (Mrs. Lirriper relates how she went on and went over, Mrs. Lirriper relates how Jemmy topped up)--
*Dr. Marigold --
Mugby Junction (No. 1 Branch Line: the Signalman)--3
"Births. Mrs. Meek, of a son" --
*The lamplighter --
To be read at dusk --2
Hunted down --3
*George Silverman's explanation --
***
Boots at the Holly Tree Inn --3
On duty with Inspector Field --1
Three detective anecdotes (A pair of gloves, The artful touch, The sofa) --2
The black veil(+) --2
*The magic fishbone --
*The seven poor travellers --
The drunkard's death(+) --2
The election for beadle(+) --2
*A visit to Newgate(+) --
*The battle of life --
A child's dream of a star --2
(+) from Sketches by Boz

[Fazackerly Toast · Rating 3 out of 5]

brilliant denunciation of the hypocrisy of those who would bring in a bill to Parliament to prevent the poor either working or having any pleasure on Sundays, while ensuring that the rich themselves can still enjoy their leisure activities and employ servants on that day. And the same kind of appalling cant, right honourable and wrong honourable members of the jury, is still being heard in Parliament today.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book as I drove back and forth to work. It's a collection of four stories by Dickens: The Signalman, Mr. Testator's Visitation, The Bagman's Story, and Christmas Ghosts. The reading was well done, and the stories were pretty good. I was surprised by how several of the stories ended without seeming to wrap things up. With at least one of the stories, I actually exclaimed aloud at the abrupt ending.

[Connor Kinkade · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Christmas Carol was a great story. It was better than the shows by far. There really isn't much more to say than it was a great story.

The other short stories were okay. That's why I have three stars.