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Ein Weihnachtsmärchen
Weihnachtsmärchen - bk1390; Veralg Arthur Moewig; Charles Dickens; Paperback; 1900
127 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1987
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About the author
Charles Dickens
13k books31.6k 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 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 5, 2024
I don’t think I have to explain who Charles Dickens is, and I’m quite sure everyone knows his famous “Christmas Carol in Prose” about hard-hearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge who is purified during the night before Christmas.
But this story collection contains more (some of them quite unknown) tales, although I have to mention that, despite the title, only a part of them are really Christmas stories.
Different in tone and atmosphere, all these stories can easily be recognized as being written by Dickens, by his unmistakable narrative style with elements of picaresque novel, Gothic fiction and satire, among others, even though a certain development, a turn to more seriousness, gradually becomes apparent.
The heroes and heroines here are often much too good to be true, that is, strikingly generous, altruistic and noble-minded, whereas the antagonists undergo remarkably speedy changes. Well, I guess that’s the fairy-tale part of the stories …
Anyway, “positive” women and girls in these tales are almost always soft, gentle, kind, indulgent, pretty etc., in short: they have all sorts of “female virtues”, or the typical female connotations of the Victorian era, which eventually started to get on my feminist nerves.
But nevertheless, both books are skillfully (or rather, masterfully!) written, with a decent portion of social criticism.
4.5 stars.
But this story collection contains more (some of them quite unknown) tales, although I have to mention that, despite the title, only a part of them are really Christmas stories.
Different in tone and atmosphere, all these stories can easily be recognized as being written by Dickens, by his unmistakable narrative style with elements of picaresque novel, Gothic fiction and satire, among others, even though a certain development, a turn to more seriousness, gradually becomes apparent.
The heroes and heroines here are often much too good to be true, that is, strikingly generous, altruistic and noble-minded, whereas the antagonists undergo remarkably speedy changes. Well, I guess that’s the fairy-tale part of the stories …
Anyway, “positive” women and girls in these tales are almost always soft, gentle, kind, indulgent, pretty etc., in short: they have all sorts of “female virtues”, or the typical female connotations of the Victorian era, which eventually started to get on my feminist nerves.
But nevertheless, both books are skillfully (or rather, masterfully!) written, with a decent portion of social criticism.
4.5 stars.
December 4, 2024
It's a CLASSIC!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews