Christmas Stories

Written by Charles Dickens

Narrated by Bart Wolffe and Timothy Ackroyd

An entertaining selection of festive stories by Charles Dickens.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Saland Publishing
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781908650825

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer and social critic. Regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, Dickens had a prolific collection of works including fifteen novels, five novellas, and hundreds of short stories and articles. The term “cliffhanger endings” was created because of his practice of ending his serial short stories with drama and suspense. Dickens’ political and social beliefs heavily shaped his literary work. He argued against capitalist beliefs, and advocated for children’s rights, education, and other social reforms. Dickens advocacy for such causes is apparent in his empathetic portrayal of lower classes in his famous works, such as The Christmas Carol and Hard Times.

Reviews for Christmas Stories

[syndelle777 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Loved reading through A Christmas Carol. However the other stories we're a bit dry and difficult to get into. All-in-all a good classic read.

[matthew.ducmanas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's hard to read Dickens' A Christmas Carol without a strange medley of mental imagery running through my head from every filmed, illustrated, animated, and theatrical performance version of the classic story that I've seen over the years. However, the author's jaunty prose holds its own and the novella remains vibrant despite its countless adaptations. It's no surprise this charming tale has remained so popular. At some point I will read the two other novellas in this collection...

[quaintlittlehead · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Five stars to "A Christmas Carol," and four each to the other two novellas in this volume, which seem just a little bit derivative of the former. I found it a bit difficult to keep up with the characters in the latter two stories and whether the events described were real or imagined in "The Chimes." But both stories were intriguing enough that I may come back to them again the next time the holidays roll around.The Barnes and Noble edition of this book contains an introduction by Katharine Kroeber Wiley, which, while seeming a bit opinionated in places, offers interesting facts that I did not know (such as the telling of ghost stories being an old English holiday tradition). Also included are a timeline of Dickens' life, a discussion of the most famous film adaptations, and a selection of critical comments and questions (though all but one of the critical comments discusses "A Christmas Carol" only).

[thereadingmermaid · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Loved reading through A Christmas Carol. However the other stories we're a bit dry and difficult to get into. All-in-all a good classic read.

[foof2you · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful trio of stories to read during the Christmas season. A Christmas Carol is well known, the other two not so much but they should be since both deal with similar aspects of A Christmas Carol.

[sumisbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Loved reading through A Christmas Carol. However the other stories we're a bit dry and difficult to get into. All-in-all a good classic read.

[bagpuss-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My annual Christmas read! This book is just brilliant - it has it all. Such a fantastic story and just the thing to put one in the mood for Christmas. If you haven't read it I urge you to do so (it's not very long, so there is still time!).

[pgchuis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I just read a Christmas Carol (not the other stories) for a book club. I haven't read it before, although the basic plot was (inevitably) familiar. It is short and moralistic, but more complex than I had expected. I liked the criticism of the church for its attempts to prevent the poor using the bakeries' warm ovens on a Sunday and the reasons given by Scrooge's fiancee for breaking off their engagement. As the introduction to this edition makes clear, the story is about more than Scrooge being a miser, it is about life being about people and charity and happiness coming only through that.

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Christmas BooksOnly A Christmas Carol is worth re- reading from this collection. 4/5A Christmas CarolAs timeless a classic as ever at Christmas. The ultimate secular story about redemption.The ChimesThis had some interesting things to say about class divisions in mid-19th century England, but delivered without the author's usual charm and warmth. This was very bleak until the last two pages. Worse than that, though, it was confusing. It also isn't a Christmas story, though it is a new year's eve one.The Cricket on the HearthCouldn't get into this. Interesting portrayal of a blind character, but overall too dull and I gave up on it.

[leslitgs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ebenezer Scrooge is a selfish, unhappy old miser who makes his way through valuing every aspect of his life to the measure of gold taken. But one Christmas Eve, he is visited by four ghosts who intend on showing Scrooge where he came from, where he is, and where he very may well be going. [Spoilers? Seriously though, if you don't know the premise of this story, that must be some rock you have as a roof.] This is the second piece of Dickens that I have read, the first being A Tale of Two Cities in tenth grade or something like that. And, while I cannot remember any specifics as to why, I must say that I remember thoroughly enjoying the story as well as the style in which it was written. Inasmuch, when I got it in my head to finally read this annually observed story [the basis for one of my favorite Christmas movies, possibly now two], I did not expect to suffer through it. And I did not. I found Dickens to actually be an easy read, if somewhat dry at times. His style, though dated, I am sure, is attractive and flowing. His descriptions bring the mind into the place at hand and set the mood, while the characters form and move about as per their flaws and and histories. I will need to, perhaps, read something somewhat lengthier by him before sending up a resounding cheer for his canon, but for now, at least, I am eager to bread more. Let us just see how long it takes me to get there. Now, beyond that, there is not a lot of brain power I can put into this review, because it is like preaching to the choir--everybody who watches TV has seen this basic plot: unpleasant man, four ghosts, redemption. It has been through several basic interpretations to film by different movie studios, TV channels, and even once by the Muppets. And television shows? It seems fairly mandatory for most cartoons, at least, to have a Christmas Carol episode, including but not limited to Animaniacs. It is just one of those basic plots that has been adopted by the visual media industry. Most recently created is Jim Carrey's rendition. Now, some may say, 'Wait a minnit. Wasn't it billed as 'Disney's?' On a technical level, yes. It was Disney's. But like with Shakespeare plays, since the story has been around for so long, you end up remembering it by performance of specific characters, such as Hamlet. [The plays that are remembered by the companies are generally ones with more than one main character, such as Midsummer Night's Dream or Much Ado About Nothing.] And it will be the Scrooge of a film that will make or break it [unless there is something so horribly horribly wrong that you cannot even pay attention to Scrooge. Like what, I don't know.] Inasmuch, I am going to tell you about Scrooges. Thus far, my favorite Scrooge is, in fact, Michael Caine. He played Scrooge in the 1992 muppet adaptation. I worry that some people believe I chose this as my favorite because of the muppets and not Caine, but it is him. Though they chose to make it a children's film and thereby skipped over certain scenes--ingnorance and want, for instance, and the deathbed--as well as filling it with the oddly shaped and voiced characters of the muppets, including but not limited to Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Rizzo and some singing fruit, Caine played Scrooge straight. He was angry, he was hateful, he was saved. I heartily believe you could put his performance in a normal production and be more than happy with it. I have few qualms with Patrick Stewart's 1999 performance, and the rest of the cast was superb, but he did not, I feel, resonate with Scrooge. For me, this is saying something because Patrick Stewart is one of my all-time favorites. Brilliant, British and disgustingly skilled, he is just awesome. It was just that, in that rich, melodic voice of his, I did not hear Scrooge. In my mind, Scrooge is scratchy and tends to talk in a raspy voice because he cannot be bothered to use a proper one. And Stewart's face is just so blasted noble, his manner to dignified. He played it well, as well as perhaps he could, but he seems more destined to play leaders who don't skip when they are saved. It is a brilliant rendition, but just barely off. And I will finish on the 2009 Jim Carrey Scrooge. I did not like it. It bothered me that he was the only one without an accent. It bothered me that he was also the ghosts of past and present. It bothered me that they injected so much of his brand of humour throughout a story that is supposed to be steady and quite scary at times. Again, I think it was his voice that put me off. Admittedly, it may be because it is quite recognizable. And, with this film, to be honest, there were little things all throughout that bothered me, so I am unable to say anything beyond I truly did not care for his performance. The other characters, however, such as Oldman as Crachit and Firth as Fred, were spot on. the end, I love Caine. I like Stewart. I am irked by Carrey. And, if I were to assemble a new cast for a new rendition, I would actually like to see Oldman play Scrooge. Fred, I support Carey Elwes. Ghost of Christmas Present, I think I would like to see Neeson. Past maybe Julie Andrews. As for Crachit, I am not sure. I'll have to think on it. These are not hard-and-fast favorites. These are more just ponderies. I think it could be good. And never please, give your Ghost of Christmas Future eyes. Just doesn't work.

[anneofia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The three stories in this book include A Christmas Carol, first published in 1843, The Chimes (184-) and the Cricket on the Hearth (1846). I read them all as a kid and I loved them. I still do. Of the three, my favorite is the Cricket.

[bookseller525 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Who doesn't love A Christmas Carol, and the idea that even old Scrooge can be redeemed?

[1morechapter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is just for Cricket on the Hearth.Dickens’ Cricket on the Hearth was his third published Christmas book, after A Christmas Carol and The Chimes, and it outsold them both.John the Carrier and his wife Dot are a couple with a new baby. Included in their home is a cricket on the hearth, who might turn out to be more than just a cricket. They are a happy couple until a misunderstanding arises, but of course, all is well in the end. Other characters include a toymaker and his blind daughter; the toymaker’s boss, Tackleton, who is a Scrooge-like character; and a young girl May (who is supposed to marry Tackleton) and her mother.The book was quite humorous at times and heartwarming. Although I appreciated this novella at the end, I had a hard time getting into this book at first. In fact, whenever I tried reading it, I would fall asleep. That might have something more to do with me than the story, though. Ordinarily I love classics. The book I read the story in also includes A Christmas Carol and The Chimes, so hopefully I’ll get to read those two titles next year.

[simonw11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If only I had been there to offer advice Charles Dickens could have been a truly great author. This read as part of the reading group, where it produced the best discussion for some time. Charles Dickens combined an incredible talent for characterisation with the self indulgence that can marr a rich and popular author. If only a writing group had been there to repeat the basic mantras “show not tell” and so on.