A Christmas Carol (1843)

by Charles Dickens

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Conversations / Mentions
18,211	391	165	(4.08)	3 / 1330
A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future.

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100
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (ncgraham)
100
The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford (bell7)
bell7: Les Standiford explores the many ways in which Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" affected our celebration of Christmas.
70
Stories For Christmas by Charles Dickens (ReadHanded)
40
The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde (chrisharpe)
30
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain by Charles Dickens (souloftherose)
souloftherose: The Haunted Man is the last of Charles Dickens' five Christmas tales and the one most like A Christmas Carol.
42
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass and Alice's Adventures Under Ground by Lewis Carroll (cometahalley)
21
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (cometahalley)
10
The Lives and Times of Ebenezer Scrooge by Paul Davis (JGKC)
10
A Monster Calls: Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd by Patrick Ness (keremix)
keremix: I don't wanna give spoilers, but for me it was hard to miss the things these two books have in common.
10
Marley: A Novel by Jon Clinch (Cecrow)
00
When We Were Young: A Novel (The Baxter Family) by Karen Kingsbury (JenniferRobb)
JenniferRobb: Both have male protagonists who experience visions of the past and of the future and whose visions cause a behavioral change. Dickens's work is about Christmas while Kingsbury's is not.
11
The Haunted Looking Glass: Ghost Stories Chosen by Edward Gorey by Edward Gorey (jonathankws)
11
A Christmas Carol as a mime with narration by Kay Macaulife (KayCliff)
00
I Saw Three Ships by Elizabeth Goudge (Voracious_Reader)
Voracious_Reader: Sweet, short Christmas story. Not a similar plot to A Christmas Carol, but I find it more enjoyable.
01
The Three Christmases of William Spencer by Derek Blount (JenniferRobb)
JenniferRobb: Both books look at three different periods in the main characters life. In Dickens it is past, present, and future. In Blount, it is childhood, adulthood, and old age.
01
The Greatest Gift: The Original Story That Inspired the Christmas Classic It's a Wonderful Life by Philip Van Doren Stern (Anonymous user)
Anonymous user: The Greatest Gift is the book that was turned into It's a Wonderful Life, probably the second best Christmas story after A Christmas Carol!
13
Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth by Margaret Atwood (kathrynnd)

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Topics	messages	Last message
Tattered but still lovely : Book covers - A Christmas Carol	12 unread / 12	MissWatson, December 2014
The Green Dragon : DISCUSS "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" HERE	13 unread / 13	clamairy, January 2007
The Green Dragon : The "A Christmas Carol" Reading and Discussion Thread	7 unread / 7	Sabarade, December 2006

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▾Member reviews

English (373) Italian (3) Dutch (3) Spanish (3) French (2) German (2) Swedish (1) Catalan (1) Japanese (1) Portuguese (Brazil) (1) Danish (1) All languages (391)

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Showing 1-5 of 373 (next | show all)

I love the lyrical feeling to this story. I'm not sure that I would rate it five stars if this was my first experience with it, but I have so many good memories surrounding this story (and the seeing play performed live many, many times, plus a host of movies) that I can't help but feel good when reading it.

This book won't be for everyone; Dickens isn't for everyone even in this, his most accessible work; but those who can find it in themselves to enjoy this story should love it for the generous spirit it encourages.

(Those long sentences, though. They get in your brain and it can be hard to get them out again.) (

)

ca.bookwyrm | May 18, 2020 |

The 8th of Dickens' 24 major works, and the 1st of his 5 "Christmas novellas".... well, this is just wonderful, isn't it? Next to the characters of Oliver Twist, Scrooge and his ghosts - not to mention that little brat Tim - must be the most well-known Dickensians of our cultural consciousness. This is just first-class stuff, showcasing Dickens' skill for shorter fiction. Scrooge is perhaps Dickens' first real character. No, he's no Emma Bovary, I'll admit. But the short bursts we get of his life, combined with the ultimate causes of his change, give more insight than we saw in Oliver, Nicholas, Nell, and Barnaby. I think every person in the Western world has read this novella but, if you haven't, what are you waiting for? (The other four Christmas novellas... yeah, not so much.) (

)

therebelprince | Apr 27, 2020 |

Near fine with original cover

JamesLemons | Apr 26, 2020 |

Very good condition

JamesLemons | Apr 26, 2020 |

Hadn't read this before but every page seemed familiar somehow, from the 'male was dead' opening line onwards. A tale of redemption it seems slightly flatter than some of Dickens' other works, we never even know what the nature of scrooge's business is. Come on we all the story or think we do? And indeed there are no surprises. A mere 100 pages I read in two sittings. A four star book. (

)

mick745 | Apr 8, 2020 |

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▾Other authors

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Charles Dickens	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Altın, Sami	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Altena, Ernst van	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Anttila, Werner	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Appelbaum, Stanley	Editor	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Aquilano, Mariela	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Atwood, Margaret	—	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Aya, Emilio Olcina	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Baker, Tom	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Ballini, Frida	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Barkóczi András	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Beck, Charles	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Bedford, Francis D.	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Blake, Quentin	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Brock, C. E.	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Buckinx, Théo	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Chesterton, G. K.	Preface	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Colombo, Ruth	Introduction	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Coolen, Anton	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Curry, Tim	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Dale, Jim	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Díaz, José	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Dewsnap, Robert	Editor	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Dunn, Charles	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Enhörning, Eva	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Fluck, Peter	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Foreman, Michael	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Garcia, Laura	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Helanen-Ahtola, Marja	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Helquist, Brett	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Holmberg, Nils	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Hoog, Else	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Hyman, Trina Schart	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Ibarra Montilla, Alfredo	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Ingpen, Robert	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Innocenti, Roberto	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Jacobi, Derek	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Jones, Lawrence	Photographer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Law, Roger	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Leech, John	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Lesser, Anton	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Lund, Stefan	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Lynch, Patrick James	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Mateus, Carlos Ardila	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Palmer, Geoffrey	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Pedraza, Juan Manuel	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Prebble, Simon	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Rackham, Arthur	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Richardson, Sir Ralph	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Stewart, Patrick	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Torvinen, Jukka	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Valkonen, Tero	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Veenbaas, Jabik	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Verdejo Lopez, Carmen	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Vittum, Henry E.	Contributor	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Weise, Arne	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Wilton, Charles	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Worsley, John	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Zwerger, Lisbeth	Illustrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Work-to-work relationships

Is contained in

A Christmas Treasury of Yuletide Stories and Poems by James Charlton

Five Novels: A Christmas Carol/David Copperfield/Great Expectations/Oliver Twist/A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations / Hard Times / A Christmas Carol / A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Christmas Stories, Part 1 by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol / The Chimes / The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens

Christmas Books by Charles Dickens

(show 18 more)

Hard Times and Christmas Books by Charles Dickens (indirect)

Christmas Books, Tales and Sketches by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol / David Copperfield / Great Expectations / Oliver Twist / The Pickwick Papers / A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Hutchinson Treasury of Children's Literature by Alison Sage

Great works of Charles Dickens by Charles Dickens

Kerstverhalen by Charles Dickens

The Annotated Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings (Penguin Classics) by Charles Dickens

Christmas Ghost Stories by Charles Dickens

The Longman Anthology of British Literature, Volume 2B: The Victorian Age by David Damrosch

A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol / A Christmas Tree by Charles Dickens

Great Novels: Charles Dickens by PARR

Dickens' Christmas: A Victorian Celebration by Simon Callow

A Christmas Carol / The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens

Once upon a time; the fairy tale world of Arthur Rackham by Margery Darrell

A Christmas Carol / The Chimes / The Cricket on the Hearth / The Battle of Life / The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain by Charles Dickens

Penguin Christmas Classics by Charles Dickens

Is retold in

A Christmas Carol [adapted - Resnick] by Charles Dickens

Zombies Christmas Carol by Jim McCann

On Top Of The World (Until The Bell Chimes) by David Lamb

Has the (non-series) sequel

Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard

A Christmas Tale by Austin Crawley

Has the adaptation

Mickey’s Christmas Carol by Walt Disney Productions

A Christmas Carol [adapted - Great Illustrated Classics] by Malvina G. Vogel

Scrooged [1988 film] by Richard Donner

A Christmas Carol [adapted - Oxford Bookworms] by Clare West

(show 21 more)

A Christmas Carol [1999 film] by David Jones

A Christmas Carol (Usborne Young Reading) by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley by Israel Horovitz

Zombies Christmas Carol by Jim McCann

A Christmas Carol: Dicken's Classic Tale Retold for Young Children by Linda Parry

A Christmas Carol [adapted - Michael Cole] by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol (Through the Magic Window Series) by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol [adapted - Macmillan Heinemann Reader] by Charles Dickens

Scrooge [1935 film] by Henry Edwards

A Christmas Carol [adapted - Longman Classics] by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol [graphic novel - Campfire Classics by Charles Dickens

First Classics Illustrated: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol: A Graphic Novel by Benjamin Harper

Classics Illustrated Deluxe #9: Scrooge, A Christmas Carol & A Remembrance of Mugby by Charles Dickens by Rodolphe

A Christmas Carol [radio drama] by Lionel Barrymore

A Christmas Carol: adapted for the stage by Paul Sills

A Christmas Carol..Charles Dickens by Nigel Flynn

A Christmas Carol (Bring the Classics to Life: Level 1) by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol by Craig Sodaro

Cuento De Navidad joyas Literarias Juveniles by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol (Audible Original Drama) by Charles Dickens

Is abridged in

Beautiful Stories About Children by Charles Dickens

Reader's Digest Condensed Books 1961 v04 by Reader's Digest

A Christmas Carol [adapted] by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol - A Reader's Digest Condensed Book by Charles Dickens

(show 1 more)

A Christmas Carol [adapted - Dickens Library] by Charles Dickens

Is parodied in

Zombies Christmas Carol by Jim McCann

A Kiwi Christmas carol by Chris Gurney

Inspired

The Muppet Christmas Carol [1992 film] by Brian Henson

Batman: Noel by Lee Bermejo

Mr. Men: A Christmas Carol by Roger Hargreaves

Batman: Ghosts -- Legends of the Dark Knight Special 1995 by Jeph Loeb

(show 1 more)

Miss Marley: The Untold Story of Jacob Marley's Sister by Vanessa Lafaye

Has as a reference guide/companion

The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits by Les Standiford

The Annotated Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol Keepsake: Dickens' Reading Version and Your Victorian Christmas Celebration by Dr. Elliot Engel

Has as a student's study guide

A Christmas Carol Study Guide by Rebecca Gilleland

A Christmas Carol Study Guide CD-ROM by Rebecca Gilleland

view history

▾Common Knowledge

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Series (with order)

Canonical title

A Christmas Carol

Original title

A Christmas Carol in Prose: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas

Alternative titles

Information from the French Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.

Conte de Noël

Cantique de Noël

Chanson de Noël

Original publication date

1843

People/Characters

Jacob Marley (Scrooge's late partner)

Ebenezer Scrooge (rich miser)

Tim Cratchit (Tiny Tim)

Bob Cratchit (Scrooge's clerk)

Ghost of Christmas Past

(show all 25 items)

Important places

London, England, UK

Camden Town, London, England, UK

England, UK

Scrooge's office, London, England, UK

Scrooge's house, London, England, UK

(show all 15 items)

Important events

Christmas

United States Depression of 1837-1844 (started with the Panic of 1837)

Related movies

Scrooge (1951 ∙ IMDb)

A Christmas Carol (1951 ∙ IMDb)

Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962 ∙ TV ∙ IMDb)

Scrooge (1970 ∙ IMDb)

A Christmas Carol (1971 ∙ TV ∙ IMDb)

(show all 12 items)

Awards and honors

BBC's Big Read (Best loved novel, 2003, No 47)

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006 Edition)

1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up (2009.0390|2009, Ages 8↑)

Fantasy: The 100 Best Books (1843)

Audie Winner (2005.23|Classics, 2005)

(show all 19 items)

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge’s name was good upon ’Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

Para começar, quero ganatir que Marley estava morto. Sobre isso não havia a menor dúvida.

Quotations

"God bless us, every one!" said Tiny Tim, the last of all.

"Bah!" said Scrooge. "Humbug!"

Marley was dead: to begin with.

If you should happen, by any unlikely chance, to know a man more blest in a laugh than Scrooge's nephew, all I can say is I should like to know him too.

[This is when Scrooge is about to meet the Ghost of Christmas Past. The clock has struck 12 and he's wondering if it's noon or midnight, even though it's dark. He's not hearing people rushing around outside, though. Because the story was first published in 1843, this snark must be about the US depression of 1837-1844.]

... This was a great relief, because 'three days after sight of this First of Exchange pay to Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge or his order,' and so forth, would have become a mere United States security if there were no days to count by.

(show all 7 items)

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

This work contains various editions of the unabridged book "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. Please do not combine it with adaptations or abridgments, or with collections that contain additional works.

I am assuming (without any evidence!) that the Puffin children's edition is an adaptation: if you know that it is NOT, please combine with the main work, otherwise leave it be.

Specially edited for reading aloud before an audience.

ISBN 1568461828 is not a DK Eyewitness Classics edition.

ISBN 1580495796 is "Unabridged with glossary and reader's notes." "This Prestwick House edition, is an unabridged republication of A Christmas Carol, published by George Routledge and Sons, London."

(show all 6 items)

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Publisher series

Original language

English

Canonical DDC/MDS

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (6)

Adaptations of A Christmas Carol

John Worsley (artist)

Literature of Birmingham

The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.

Wikipedia:WikiProject Spam/LinkReports/charlesdickenspage.com

William Sandys (antiquarian)

▾Book descriptions

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No library descriptions found.

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Filled with description, Charles Dickens writes about the struggles of a poor family and the despicable Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is a ruthless man who only cares about himself and money. Scrooge's entire character is changed on the night of Christmas Eve when is is visited by three ghosts as he relives parts of his past and his future in order to see what has and would become of him if he does not make a dramatic change in his life. I absolutely love this story and all that it entails. It is somewhat towards the bottom of my list though because some of the description can become a bit daunting as you read this novel.

Renowned actor Tim Curry’s voice is warm, deep, and arch to the point of campiness. Curry is an actor’s actor. His voice is so distinctive as to be unmistakable. Fans of this Dickens classic will enjoy hearing Curry manifest the coterie of pithy characters that inhabit this novel, ranging from small boy to old man to dire ghost. Curry’s knowing tone suits this fable well. His dramatic but nuanced performance highlights the emotions of loss, fear, hope, and joy that inform this text. Curry takes delight in the macabre aspects of this gothic tale. His irreverent take on this famous novel heightens the drama even for listeners who know the story inside and out.

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