Christmas Ghost Stories

Written by M R James and Charles Dickens

Narrated by Timothy Ackroyd and Bart Wolffe

One for the fireside. Spooky tales to enjoy during the festive period.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Saland Publishing
• Release date: Nov 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781910598023

M R James

Montague Rhodes James was born in 1862 at Goodnestone Parsonage, Kent, where his father was a curate, but the family moved soon afterwards to Great Livermere in Suffolk. James attended Eton College and later King's College Cambridge where he won many awards and scholarships. From 1894 to 1908 he was Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and from 1905 to 1918 was Provost of King's College. In 1913, he became Vice-Chancellor of the University for two years. In 1918 he was installed as Provost of Eton. A distinguished medievalist and scholar of international status, James published many works on biblical and historical antiquarian subjects. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 1930. His ghost story writing began almost as a divertissement from his academic work and as a form of entertainment for his colleagues. His first collection, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary was published in 1904. He never married and died in 1936.

Reviews for Christmas Ghost Stories

[tvnerd95 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the way to enjoy this story – having Tim Curry read it to you. He does an absolutely fabulous job and it was just a total delight.

For the story – I love how creepy yet still uplifting the author was able to keep the story. He has really had you feeling for past Ebenezer. I would have liked more about Bob Cratchit because he always seems so much more developed as a character in the cinematic versions of the story. I kind of missed that.

Tim Curry gives this story a fabulous feel and it keeps you listening to very end. He gives each character a distinct voice and really does the creepy justice. Great way to enjoy a classic.

[therebelprince · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.)

[scott_hercher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Arguably my favorite book. It is a friendship that is renewed every year at Christmas time, like putting a cherished sentimental ornament on a Christmas tree, or having lunch with an old friend you only see once a year.

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great performance of a wonderful classic.

I think there are few people who don't know the story: Ebenezer Scrooge, tight-fisted businessman who calls Christmas a humbug and has no use for charity or kindness, goes home on Christmas Eve, and is visited by the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley warns him of the fate he has been forging for himself by caring only for business and not for other people, but promises him he has one last chance at salvation.

He will be visited by three spirits: the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Be. Scrooge is not delighted at this news, but it's not a choice for him. The spirits are coming.

Tim Curry animates the characters with power, flexibility, and control. We feel the chill of Scrooge's office, and rooms, and heart, and correspondingly the warmth of his nephew's home and heart, as well as Bob Cratchit's home, heart, and family. We hear, and thereby see and feel, the hardships of Victorian London, as well as its life and color.

This is a great way to enjoy this wonderful classic of the Christmas season.

Recommended.

I received this book free as a member of the Ford Audiobook Club.

[virago77 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this story, but hated the book.I have always loved the story of Scrooge. I enjoy the movie/play versions of the story--watching the various versions is one of the handful of things I enjoy about this time of year. Having finally read the book a few years ago, I was disappointed. I did not like the written version of the story and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it is because some stories are best when acted? Who knows?With Sir Patrick Stewart as a narrator, I couldn't say no to giving the the book version another try. The story comes to life again in this version and I definitely enjoyed it. It is abridged, but the book isn't very long to being with, so I don't know that it makes much difference in the grand scheme. Maybe one day I will give the written version another read, but for now I'll stick to the movies and this narration.

[jasonlf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This feels more like a book Dickens discovered than one that he wrote. Worth re-reading every few years.

[elkehannover · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Inhaltsangabe:Ebener Scrooge ist ein reicher Kaufmann, der aus ärmlichen Verhältnissen stammt. Seit dem Tod seines Geschäftsparnters Marley ist er noch geiziger, noch kaltherziger und garstiger geworden. Und die Weihnachtszeit ist ihm sowieso ein Greuel, denn das bedeutet, das sein Kommis Cratchit einen bezahlten freien Tag bekommt.Doch am Abend vor Weihnachten bekommt Scrooge plötzlich Besuch: Den Geist von Marley. Marley kündigt ihm den Besuch von drei Geistern an: den Geist der vergangenen, der gegenwärtigen und zukünftigen Weihnacht. Und Marley mahnt ihn, sich sehr bald zu ändern, denn sonst würde ihm das gleiche Schicksal ereilt wie ihm.Mit schlotternden Knien erwartet Scrooge die Geister und macht sich mit ihnen auf eine Reise, die ihn für immer verändern.Mein Fazit:Eine bezaubernde Weihnachtsgeschichte, die heute traditionell einfach nicht mehr fehlen darf, weder als Buch noch im Fernsehen. Schon mehrfach verfilmt, strahlt die Geschichte immer wieder eine Botschaft aus: Es ist Weihnachten, habe Mitleid, praktiziere Nächstenliebe und schieb den Groll beiseite.Charles Dickens bedient sich dabei einer sehr bildlichen Sprache, beweist zuweilen trockenen Humor und zeigt ohne mahnenden Zeigefinger die Mißstände in der zwei-Klassen-Gesellschaft auf, die damals in England herrschten und im Grunde zeitlos überall bis heute vorherrschen. Deshalb hat diese Geschichte ihren wahren Charakter bis heute nicht verloren und kann noch viele weitere Generationen zu Weihnachten erzählt werden.Dies ist eigentlich eher eine Kindergeschichte, aber ich denke, auch -oder gerade- Erwachsene haben etwas davon. Ich kann es immer wieder empfehlen. Trotz der an einigen Stellen holprigen Sprache (ist ja auch schon 160 Jahre alt) kann man es ganz gut verstehen.Von mir bekommt das Buch 4,5 von 5 Sternchen.Anmerkung: Die Rezension stammt aus Dezember 2009.Veröffentlicht am 22.12.15!

[bibleblaster · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First time I've actually read the story. Well worth it, if only for those little details the movies might miss...And replete with messages for the current debt crisis :-)

[tina1969_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Christmas Carol is Decembers book club choice so ive left it to read over the Christmas period. However also over Christmas on the tv there has been several versions of the classic, from Alistar Simm to The Muppets. My husband I think has watched every one.So sitting down to read the book I felt I had already read it. I have read Charles Dickens twice before and both times have enjoyed but found hard going. This book I found easier. The story is timeless and is the Christmas story that everyone knows.The book is sure to bring out the Christmas spirit when read. I give the story five stars quite easily, I just wished I could have read it before the many versions on tv appeared.

[dverdecia-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A timeless classic, especially around Christmas time. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge, I believe is well known to all. It is funny to me, however, that we choose to remember Ebenezer as the former, stingy, selfish individual instead of the man he had been transformed into by his experience. This book has taught me to look at things a bit differently. Now, I look upon Ebenezer as the man who always kept Christmas well in his heart all year long instead of the old decrepid man who hated Christmas.

I gave this book 8 stars only for the fact that I feel we are losing something in translation. The language of the book is eloquent. However, I felt that there were phrases listed that meant something in the old English that have lost their translation today.

The positives about this book is that the story is timeless, creative and world reknown. Charles Dickens obviously meant this story to be told to future generations because in his writing, you are taken back in time to old world England. His descriptions of the surroundings and the characters are vivid. It truly was a pleasure to read this story.

If you have the time to sit down with this classic, I highly recommend it. Better yet, read it to your kids if applicable, they will love it!

Flyinfox

[kassilem · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a short easy book to read, or in my case listen (narrated by Jim Dale). I've known of the story for years and years and have seen many renditions of it in film but had never actually read the book. Having known the story beforehand there was nothing here that was new or exciting but it is nice to have got through it. And it's such a classic, that if you haven't read it, I highly suggest getting a copy while the season is right.

[michael8xolotl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Four stars on its own; five because I read it with Shannon. I like the ghost story part, which was handled better than I thought it would be, but I hate poor Tiny Tim and I don't believe in Total Abstinence. Also, I enjoy as much intercourse as possible with Spirits of any sort or kind.

Dickens was a cheeseball.

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's kind of weird to imagine how I can completely have avoided this book and any adaptations thereof, but up to now, I have. It's one of those things I've always meant to get round to, but never have until now -- at least in the book form: I'm not much one for sitting and watching things. Really I only got round to it because I realised I had the free ebook downloaded, and I wanted something quick and easy to read, even though this isn't exactly the appropriate time of year... I wouldn't normally describe Dickens as "quick and easy", but A Christmas Carol really isn't bad. The style isn't too overwrought. There are sections of thick description, but the whole thing has an easy tone, starting right at the beginning:

Mind! I don’t mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade.

Obviously, the story gets more serious, since it's a moral one, about the meaning of Christmas and about the value of Christian charity. It still has an air of the Christmas cheer about it, the whole way through, except maybe for the part with the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. The story is pretty simple: not many characters, just various lives all followed by each of the ghosts, with Scrooge at the center of the story. I was expecting him to be somewhat more terrible, from the sort of general cultural impression I got -- although of course, he's bad enough as it is, mostly in his ignorance and silly bad temper. Of course, the part where he refuses to give to charity makes him seem pretty awful, too.

The character development which is the entire point of the story is a little overdone, maybe, but it all adds to the good feeling of "yay, everything is better now", at the end.

The moralising didn't really bother me. It's a classic story, and the moralising is part and parcel of that. I even liked a lot of the description in this, though in most Dickens novels the level of description used to frustrate me. Mind you, I should try again now I'm older and wiser.

(Note: The writing isn't on the writing or anything objective, since I don't believe one can be objective about stuff like this. It's purely based on how much I loved the story, whether I would reread it again. As a piece of literature, I'd reflexively rate it higher, but I don't really want to: I "liked" it, but not "really liked".)

[erika.d · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love A Christmas Carol. I've read it over and over. It is one of those stories that I will never grow tired of.

[lisadean_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Christmas Carol is by far the most well written short story I have ever read. The last time I read this story I came away with a greater appreciation for Dickens' breathtaking skill as a writer. His use of words and phrases and the rhythm of his writing draws you in and the story itself keeps you there.Determined curmudgeon Ebeneezer Scrooge is literally spooked back into humanity after being visited by three Christmas ghosts. Through these uninvited supernatural guests Scrooge is forced into painful self-examination and is given a chilling warning of what will happen if he does not change his ways. Though set during the Christmas season, A Christmas Carol, carries lessons that are applicable for every day. From the first time I read it in my teens until today the overarching message I take away from the story is the importance of relationships in our lives. When we shut out others through selfishness or fear of being hurt we become impoverished regardless of what our bank statement says. A Christmas Carol is a story well worth coming back to any time of the year and is a good reminder of what really matters when we get too caught up in the stresses of the holiday season.

[randystafford · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you live in the English speaking world and have spent any time around a tv during the month of December, you know the plot.Is the story worth reading and not just watching? Very much. It preserves the poignancy of lost time and redemption that is at the heart of Scrooge's story - even more than a religious message. Dickens addresses the reader directly, and there is more humor than most adaptations show.This edition has an interesting account of the first time Dickens read the story to a general audience - the beginning of Dickens' career in performing his work which proved almost as lucrative as the mere writing of it.

[nosajeel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This feels more like a book Dickens discovered than one that he wrote. Worth re-reading every few years.

[ganeshaka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My uncle sat me down one Christmas eve past - me, a restless pre-teen brat - and made me take turns with him, reading this book aloud. "Kinda BO-ring and hokey," I thought, "It's Christmas time, I get it." But my uncle had been a sailor. He knew about messages in bottles thrown from ships at sea. Fifty years later, I recall this incident with tears. And somewhere, adrift in The Ether, Dickens nudges my uncle, points at me and winks.

[andy5185 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Never gets old for me.

[leann-362203 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tim Curry is BRILLIANT!!! That.is.all!

[books9n9pickles · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm amazed how much of the Muppet movie came directly from the book, including scenes I thought were too ridiculous to be real! There are also a few Symbolic and Allegorical scenes that just wouldn't float in a modern adaptation. Still, good fun, and I'm glad I finally read the original.

[bcrowl399 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read this book a few times. I always like to read it at Christmas.

[weateallthepi-681576 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read this one every year though I don’t tend to add books I know I’ve read plenty.

This time round it was the audiobook read by Tim Curry which I’d give a four star I think. Remarkably understated performance for Tim Curry which is probably why I enjoyed it. Still looking for the perfect audio version but this is pretty good and thankfully the character voices weren’t ridiculously over the top.

[wanderlustlover_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

2013, January -- No entry


2015 -- Audio Book Reading by Neil Gaiman

A favorite habit of mine is to read this book every year at Christmas. I got lucky this year and Neil Gaiman read it to me, flush with all of Dicken's own personal notes for how the piece was best performed to audiences.

[iudita_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It isn't Christmas without a bit of Dickens and this audio edition narrated by Hugh Grant was just excellent.

[sheila1957 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My annual reading of A Christmas Carol. I always enjoy watching Scrooge change his ways. This time I picked up some new things that Scrooge says and does. Didn't expect that after all these years of reading it. Worth reading. The Christmas season would not be complete without reading this.

[rosands-494665 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved the book. Wonderful story.

[a.godhelm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For something that's had a thousand adaptations, the original holds up very well. Short and sweet and sentimental.

[caseybp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The classic book presented as it originally was. The story of deep humanity is my annual favorite read.

[comfypants · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A wealthy, uncaring man is haunted by Christmas spirits.3/4 (Good)It's become kind of redundant. The Muppet version is extremely faithful to the book, while the book does not, technically, have any Muppets in it.