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A Charles Dickens Christmas
Beautiful Gift Book
- GenresLiteratureClassics
308 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Charles Dickens
12.9k books31.5k followersCharles 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)
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)
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 29, 2024
“ARE THERE NO PRISONS? ARE THERE NO WORKHOUSES?”
December 24, 2019
"A Christmas Carol" is always a fun read, but after reading this book I can see why Dickens' other Christmas stories didn't receive the rave reviews the former did. "The Chimes" is similar to "A Christmas Carol," sort of like he wrote the former first and when it failed he edited it into the latter which actually was a giant hit. "The Cricket on the Hearth" is not, as I see it, a Christmas story at all, as it takes place in January; though I suppose some would argue that Christmas begins Dec. 25 and lasts through Jan. 6. This is not my experience, so I was disappointed in the lack of Christmas season festivities.
I had a difficult time understanding what was happening in "The Chimes" and "The Cricket on the Hearth;" there were a lot of words in the stories and not much comprehensible therein. At least, not to me. There is, of course, a culture gap, seeing as how this was written in a different country at least 150 years ago, but I've read quite a bit of Dickens and haven't struggled as much as I did with these two stories. (The exception being Bleak House, which I never did make it more than halfway through.)
Dickens is Dickens no matter how you read him; he blathers and over-describes but in a beautiful, surprising way. He has an unexpected sense of humor and his narration sometimes surprises the reader in its cleverness and humor. That I always appreciate about Dickens.
If you're interested in exploring new Dickens, this could be a simple choice, as they are short stories, but be prepared to re-read paragraphs and/or sentences (sometimes the same thing because #Dickens) and perhaps not even then fully understand what is happening.
Overall, I was disappointed by these new stories, but I'm glad I've read them anyway, since they are written by a legend and master.
I had a difficult time understanding what was happening in "The Chimes" and "The Cricket on the Hearth;" there were a lot of words in the stories and not much comprehensible therein. At least, not to me. There is, of course, a culture gap, seeing as how this was written in a different country at least 150 years ago, but I've read quite a bit of Dickens and haven't struggled as much as I did with these two stories. (The exception being Bleak House, which I never did make it more than halfway through.)
Dickens is Dickens no matter how you read him; he blathers and over-describes but in a beautiful, surprising way. He has an unexpected sense of humor and his narration sometimes surprises the reader in its cleverness and humor. That I always appreciate about Dickens.
If you're interested in exploring new Dickens, this could be a simple choice, as they are short stories, but be prepared to re-read paragraphs and/or sentences (sometimes the same thing because #Dickens) and perhaps not even then fully understand what is happening.
Overall, I was disappointed by these new stories, but I'm glad I've read them anyway, since they are written by a legend and master.
December 30, 2019
Audio. The narrator of this collection sounds like an announcer from the 1940s. I found this a bit annoying but since he only spoke to introduce the tales it worked. I almost gave up because of it. It was a nice way to familiarize myself with lesser known works and get into the holiday spirit. I quite enjoyed this quick audiobook.
January 4, 2026
A Christmas Carol is of course fantastic, but The Chimes is just plain bad, and A Cricket on the Hearth takes too long to get going and doesn’t earn its resolution.
January 30, 2017
Of these three short stories, A Christmas Carol is the best remembered, and it’s easy to see why. Both The Chimes and The Cricket in the Heart – holiday season follow-ups to the immensely popular A Christmas Carol – borrow heavily from the first of Dickens’s Christmas stories but lack its charisma. They’re perfectly good stories and I’m glad I read them – The Chimes in particular, despite its mawkishness, is perhaps even more relevant today than in the 1840s – but it also isn’t shocking they aren’t as beloved as the story of Ebenezer. If nothing else, they’re missing a good, memorable catchphrase. Recommended.
December 18, 2016
För mig fungerar inte Dickens som ljudbok. Tycker att det var svårt att hitta fokus och att förstå händelseförloppet. Jag som annars älskar Dickens! Kanske är det språket som sätter upp hinder för mig? Men då vet jag det. Då har jag i alla fall provat.
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January 20, 2012in Christmas Books
February 28, 2013
It was an interesting book, but I don't plan on reading it again.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews