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Charles Dickens: Christmas Stories

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In these five stories, Dickens celebrates the spirit of Christmas, sharing and charity, and denounces the social injustice that excludes the poor from this feast. It is a truculent portrait of everyday life and an unqualified condemnation of exploitation and misery. This social message, Dickens gives us gently, by the detour of the tale and the fantasy.

-A Christmas Carol
-The Chimes
-The Cricket on the Hearth
-The Battle of Life
-The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain

Hardcover

First published November 1, 2017

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About the author

Charles Dickens

12.6k books31.3k followers
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)

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5 stars
45 (18%)
4 stars
72 (29%)
3 stars
79 (31%)
2 stars
41 (16%)
1 star
11 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Joy D.
3,133 reviews330 followers
December 25, 2023
As the title suggests, this book is a collection of short stories related to Christmas, including a batch of lesser known of Dickens’s tales. They are written in his elaborate and elegant style, which I always enjoy. My favorite is A Christmas Tree (1850), in which Dickens presents “a lively realisation of the fancies of childhood.”

Other stories include:

What Christmas Is as We Grow Older (1851) – A short essay written after the deaths of Dickens’s father and daughter, this is a poignant reminder of the need for acceptance and understanding.

The Poor Relation’s Story (1852) – A “poor relation” tells a story around the Christmas fire, first a sad story of his life that turns into a more optimistic one, at least in his mind.

The Child’s Story (1852) – The narrator relates a parable about an explorer who meets six individuals, representing the narrator’s life from childhood to old age.

The Schoolboy’s Story (1853) – The narrator relates the story of Old Cheeseman, who went from fellow schoolmate to instructor, which created animosity among his former peers. It changes tone by the end (which is set at the holiday break) into one of friendship, where the bad feelings have been overcome.

Nobody’s Story (1853) – A hard-working man has little in material wealth but takes comfort in his family. This one criticizes Victorian society and highlights the needs of the marginalized.

I had not previously encountered any of these stories and this collection was a wonderful read for the holiday season. I always enjoy Dickens’s emphasis on the need for compassion and understanding in our world, a message that continues to be relevant today.
Profile Image for Neil R. Coulter.
1,300 reviews150 followers
December 17, 2019
The Haunted Man

I've long treasured Dickens's A Christmas Carol, reading it aloud with the family every year before Christmas. Dickens loved Christmas, commemorating several Christmases by publishing new books. A Christmas Carol was the first of his five Christmas novels (published in 1843), and The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (1848) was the last. I'd never read any of these books except the most famous one, but I'd always been a little curious. Earlier this year I read an enormous biography of Vincent Van Gogh, where I learned that The Haunted Man was one of Vincent's favorite stories, one that he would often read at Christmastime. So I decided to read it this year.

The Haunted Man is an intriguing idea. We meet Redlaw, a scientist, who wants to forget all the sorrow, wrong, and trouble he has ever known. A doppelgänger ghost appears in his room (much like Marley appears to Scrooge) and offers to grant him this wish—with the additional caveat that not only will he forget his own sorrow, wrong, and trouble, but that he will impart this same gift to everyone he comes into contact with. "All men and women have their sorrows,—most of them their wrongs; ingratitude, and sordid jealousy, and interest, besetting all degrees of life," Redlaw muses as he considers the bargain. "Who would not forget their sorrows and their wrongs?" (323). When he asks the ghost what he will lose in this bargain, he is told, "No knowledge; no result of study; nothing but the intertwisted chain of feelings and associations, each in its turn dependent on, and nourished by, the banished recollections. Those will go." Redlaw is only able to ponder this according to his study of the natural world: "But, if there were poison in my body, should I not, possessed of antidotes and knowledge how to use them, use them? If there be poison in my mind, and through this fearful shadow I can cast it out, shall I not cast it out?" (324). He takes the bargain.

When he awakes from this nightmarish evening and begins moving about the neighborhood, he finds that the effect, on himself and on those around him, is not at all what he imagined. In this story, Dickens is exploring the purpose of sorrow, wrong, and trouble in our lives. Are all of these a mistake? Wouldn't we be better off without them? What Redlaw learns is that it is those very things that give us the capacity for compassion, mercy, and forgiveness. Without the sorrows we've experienced and even the wrongs we've committed, we are angry and bitter. The people whom Redclaw comes near emerge much worse from the encounter, as they receive his "gift." Families break down, common courtesy and compassion evaporate. It's quite horrifying.

The ghost's bargain is irreversible, but Redlaw begins to find his way free of it through the mercy and love of another person, Milly. He sees that the natural law that he had studied and taught is not all there is in the world. Clinging to science alone doesn't bring us to life as God intended it to be.
"I have no learning, and you have much," said Milly. "I am not used to think, and you are always thinking. May I tell you why it seems to me a good thing for us, to remember wrong that has been done to us?"
"Yes."
"That we may forgive it." (379)
It's a powerful story. Though it's not quite as perfect a tale as A Christmas Carol, it cuts a little deeper in the error and deception it exposes within all of us. It's more uncomfortable to read (and also more confusing—this first time through, I was a little baffled by some of Redlaw's history, which for much of the book seems to be only assumed and hinted at where I wanted more detailed explanation). I can see why Vincent appreciated it, and I believe I'll return to it in future Christmases, too.
Profile Image for Lydia.
39 reviews
December 6, 2022
A lovely little short collection of stories to listen to and I enjoyed the narration. However, a little bit gloomy and not many Christmas vibes, but I do love a bit of Dickens style.
Profile Image for Paul.
2,783 reviews20 followers
December 27, 2025
4.4 stars

A Christmas Carol - 5 stars
The Chimes - 4 stars
The Cricket On the Hearth - 4 stars
The Battle of Life - 4 stars
The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain - 5 stars
Profile Image for Lexie P.
57 reviews12 followers
December 24, 2018
eh. I love Charles Dickens, I also love short stories but these were not catching my attention and I MUST have something to catch my attention.
Profile Image for Jaśminowa.
17 reviews
December 24, 2024
Once, for a few years, around Christmas, I would return to ‘A Christmas Carol’. When I get known that the story of Scrooge was just one of five Christmas stories, I decided that this year I would read them all.
This return to Dickens was really interesting. I would perceive these stories depending on the day and mood, just like their characters before and after their encounter with ghosts. One day, the descriptions of the wind in the church or the whistling teapot, stretching over several pages, seemed fabulous to me, and I admired the author who could build a mood in such a way, but the next time they would be perceived as verbose and tedious. At one time, the messages of the stories seemed wise, but the next time I returned to them, they were naive and irritatingly moralistic.
Apart from ‘A Christmas Carol’, only ‘The Haunted Man’ is a typical Christmas story and I think it is worth reaching for it at this time. The action of ‘The Chimes’ takes place just before the New Year, but I think that this story, as well as ‘The Cricket on the Hearth’ and ‘The Battle for Life’ can be read at any time of year and not lose anything in their reception.
‘The Battle of Life’ is definitely the weakest story in my opinion. I don’t know if it is me, as an only child, who does not understand the relationship between the sisters, or if the author, as a man, was not able to describe the relationship between the women well. In any case, the whole idea for this piece seemed absurd to me. On the other hand, I liked ‘The Cricket on the Hearth’ the most. ‘A Christmas Carol’ will of course always hold a special place in my heart.
Profile Image for Michael Fitzgerald.
Author 1 book64 followers
January 1, 2025
Slightly confusing in presentation - I wish the stories had been separated into tracks. Instead they just sort of flowed into each other. I also wished for a bit of context - now I have learned that the last four stories come from two different Christmas issues of the Household Words publication.

A Christmas Tree (1850)
What Christmas is as We Grow Older (1851)
The Poor Relation's Story (1852)
The Child's Story (1852)
The Schoolboy's Story (1853)
Nobody's Story (1853)

A Christmas Tree is wild - it just leaps here and there reminiscing and then decides it wants to tell ghost stories for a while.

Those last four are a bit of a stretch in terms of the Christmas theme. However, I did particularly enjoy The Schoolboy's Story (even if it was a little predictable in outcome). Nobody's Story is basically entirely non-Christmas and pure political/social philosophy with the ending line "O! Let us think of them this year at the Christmas fire, and not forget them when it is burnt out." The Child's Story also has just the tiniest mention of Christmas in it.

Good narration by James Adams, even with Dickens's made-up word "sassigassity." (And note that the audiobook replaces the word "Reader" with "Listener".)

Glad to have listened, though it didn't really satisfy my craving for Christmas short stories.
Profile Image for Heather.
705 reviews
February 29, 2024
"He lived in chambers which had once belonged to his deceased partner. They were a gloomy suite of rooms, in a lowering pile of building up a yard, where it had so little business to be, that one could scarcely help fancying it must have run there when it was a young house, playing at hide-and-seek with other houses, and forgotten the way out again. It was old enough now, and dreary enough, for nobody lived in it but Scrooge, the other rooms being all let out as offices." ~ A Christmas Carol in Prose: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas

Charles Dickens is one of my favourite authors. I read "A Christmas Carol" year after year. It is food for my soul. When I saw this short story collection at my library, realized I hadn't read 2 out of the 5 stories, I had to read it. 4 of the 5 stories in this collection are wonderful and 1, sadly, has not stood the test of time. I particularly enjoyed the new-to-me story: "The Cricket on the Hearth."

Charles Dickens truly makes my heart smile, makes me think, and I delight in his words and sentences and paragraphs and chapters.

54 reviews
December 6, 2025
This was just okay. I got this at a bookstore in Inverness, Scotland. I was looking for a copy of "A Christmas Carol" but they unfortunately didn't have one so I got another Christmas themed Dickens work.
I was shocked at how some of the stories don't relate to Christmas at all, but it makes more sense once you read the introduction and learn that he printed these stories in a newspaper around Christmas time. Some of the stories had parts that weren't included because they weren't written by Dickens so that was slightly frustrating. I really enjoyed the story about the poor travelers and the one where a man recounts every experience he's ever had at an inn. I've haven't read a classic in awhile so it was a bit hard, I really had to concentrate on what I was reading. It was nice to read short stories again, this has made want to pick up some more anthologies.
Profile Image for Scott.
169 reviews
January 10, 2021
While Charles Dickens' prose is nearly always a delight to read, and his A Christmas Carol is a classic holiday tale of redemption, working through all five of his Christmas stories is a chore. Like the musician trying to recreate the magic of that first hit single, the next four all fall short. There are moments of charm, moments that tug at one's heart-strings, and instances of reclamation, particularly in the final chapter of The Haunted Man & The Ghost's Bargain. Yet none reach the degree of elation of Ebeneezer Scrooge's delight that all was not, in fact, lost and he could alter the images that had been presented to him.
Profile Image for Ashley.
232 reviews
October 2, 2024
This was in my top books of hardest to concentrate. Too atmospheric + not enough plot. It also wasn't very Christmasy! I was catfished! Also the old Englishyness was too much for me (I will admit this is my fault though I shuold have expected this). I read this today and already don't remember what happened in most of the stories except 1) the boy/ghost and 2) the nice girl everyone likes/the eccentric boy in the wagon! I am sorry Charles Dickens... I am glad you are not around to read my scathing review. I honestly should have DNF'd this but then I thought it would get better and it never did.
Profile Image for David.
2,571 reviews57 followers
December 18, 2021
Obviously, don't go looking for A Christmas Carol here. Also, don't go looking for "Cricket on the Hearth", "The Chimes", or "The Haunted Man". These are the very minor Christmas stories that Dickens wrote, and don't quite have the impact of the other stories. That said, I particularly enjoyed "The Poor Relation's Story" and "Nobody's Story".
Profile Image for Vanessa Ellermann.
122 reviews1 follower
December 30, 2021
Charles Dickens is one of my favorite authors. I love A Christmas Carol. The other stories are similar, but not as good. The characters struggle and are victims of their circumstances in the lower class. Someone is visited by ghosts and they learn something from that experience.
Profile Image for Ellen.
756 reviews
December 17, 2022
Read all but the last the last story and half of the fourth. Will try to finish them at sometime but all but A Christmas Carol so far are just so so. I like the novels of Dickens I have read but these novellas (accept A Christmas Carol ) seem mediocre and a bit drawn out and boring.
Profile Image for Wendy Smith.
595 reviews2 followers
December 2, 2023
Book contains:
A Christmas Tree
What Christmas is as we Grow Older
The Poor Relation's Story
The Child's Story
The Schoolboy's Story
Nobody's Story

I usually enjoy Dickens, but these stories felt lackluster.
Profile Image for Tabi A.
573 reviews
December 7, 2020
Well this wasn't very Christmas-y despite the title, and I only enjoyed 2 out of the 6 short stories.
Profile Image for Jane.
1,138 reviews20 followers
December 26, 2020
Nicely presented collection of Charles Dicken's Christmas Stories. Includes "A Christmas Carol", "The Chimes", "The Cricket on the Hearth", "The Battle of Life", and "The Haunted Man."
Profile Image for Milwaukee Baker.
50 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2021
A Christmas Carol - 5/5 Stars
The Chimes - 1/5 Star
The Cricket on the Hearth - 3/5 Stars
The Battle of Life - 2/5 Stars
The Haunted Man - 2.5 Stars
3,480 reviews46 followers
December 13, 2022
3.25⭐

A Christmas Carol 5⭐
The Chimes 3.25⭐
The Cricket on the Hearth 3.5⭐
The Battle of Life 2.5⭐
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain 2⭐
Profile Image for B.
2,338 reviews
December 6, 2024
I’ve enjoyed novels of Charles Dickens but was kind of bored with these..
Profile Image for Bt.
118 reviews6 followers
December 13, 2025
This book has 3 great stories in it. However, they are not all that cheerful!
Profile Image for Stefanie M.
98 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2025
I enjoyed this little collection of Dickens stories. He’s a wonderful writer. Of this batch I like The Christmas Tree the best, but the others had their own charm, and their own life lessons.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews

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