A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas

By Charles Dickens

Complete and unabridged.

When A Christmas Carol was first published in 1843 it was an overnight success. A celebration of Christmas, a tale of redemption, and a critique on Victorian society, Charles Dickens' atmospheric novella follows the miserly, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge who views Christmas as 'humbug'.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. Featuring original illustrations by John Leech, with an afterword by Anna South.

It is only through a series of eerie, life-changing visits from the ghost of his deceased business partner Marley and the spirits of Christmas past, present and future that Scrooge begins to see the error of his ways. With heart-rending characters, rich imagery and evocative language, the hopeful message of A Christmas Carol remains as significant today as when it was first published.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Release date: Sep 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781509831371

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.

Book preview

1843

STAVE 1

Marley’s Ghost

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 doornail.

Mind! I don’t mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a doornail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the country’s done for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a doornail.

Scrooge knew he was dead? Of course he did. How could it be otherwise? Scrooge and he were partners for I don’t know how many years. Scrooge was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner. And even Scrooge was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event, but that he was an excellent man of business on the very day of the funeral, and solemnised it with an undoubted bargain.

The mention of Marley’s funeral brings me back to the point I started from. There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. If we were not perfectly convinced that Hamlet’s father died before the play began, there would be nothing more remarkable in his taking a stroll at night, in an easterly wind, upon his own ramparts, than there would be in any other middle-aged gentleman rashly turning out after dark in a breezy spot – say St Paul’s churchyard for instance – literally to astonish his son’s weak mind.

Scrooge never painted out Old Marley’s name. There it stood, years afterwards, above the warehouse door: Scrooge and Marley. The firm was known as Scrooge and Marley. Sometimes people new to the business called Scrooge Scrooge, and sometimes Marley, but he answered to both names. It was all the same to him.

Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog days; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.

External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge. No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him. No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty. Foul weather didn’t know where to have him. The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect. They often ‘came down’ handsomely, and Scrooge never did.

Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, ‘My dear Scrooge, how are you? When will you come to see me?’ No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o’clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge. Even the blind men’s dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag their tails as though they said, ‘No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!’

But what did Scrooge care! It was the very thing he liked. To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call ‘nuts’ to Scrooge.

Once upon a time – of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve – old Scrooge sat busy in his counting-house. It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal: and he could hear the people in the court outside, go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already – it had not been light all day – and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale.

The door of Scrooge’s counting-house was open that he might keep his eye upon his clerk, who in a dismal little cell beyond, a sort of tank, was copying letters. Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk’s fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn’t replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal-box in his own room; and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel, the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part. Wherefore the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed.

‘A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!’ cried a cheerful voice. It was the voice of Scrooge’s nephew, who came upon him so quickly that this was the first intimation he had of his approach.

‘Bah!’ said Scrooge, ‘Humbug!’

He had so heated himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooge’s, that he was all in a glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again.

‘Christmas a humbug, uncle!’ said Scrooge’s nephew. ‘You don’t mean that, I am sure.’

‘I do,’ said Scrooge. ‘Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.’

‘Come, then,’ returned the nephew gaily. ‘What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You’re rich enough.’

Scrooge having no better answer ready on the spur of the moment, said ‘Bah!’ again; and followed it up with ‘Humbug.’

‘Don’t be cross, uncle!’ said the nephew.

‘What else can I be,’ returned the uncle, ‘when I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas! What’s Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in ’em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will,’ said Scrooge indignantly, ‘every idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!’

‘Uncle!’ pleaded the nephew.

‘Nephew!’ returned the uncle sternly, ‘Keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine.’

‘Keep it!’ repeated Scrooge’s nephew. ‘But you don’t keep it.’

‘Let me leave it alone, then,’ said Scrooge. ‘Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!’

‘There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,’ returned the nephew. ‘Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round – apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that – as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!’

The clerk in the tank involuntarily applauded. Becoming immediately sensible of the impropriety, he poked the fire, and extinguished the last frail spark for ever.

‘Let me hear another sound from you,’ said Scrooge, ‘and you’ll keep your Christmas by losing your situation! You’re quite a powerful speaker, sir,’ he added, turning to his nephew. ‘I wonder you don’t go into Parliament.’

‘Don’t be angry, uncle. Come! Dine with us tomorrow.’

Scrooge said that he would see him – yes, indeed he did. He went

Reviews for A Christmas Carol

[jfoster_sf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was so much fun to read, especially after watching Mickey's A Christmas Carol so many times I know it by heart=) I'm sure everyone knows the story, so I"ll just say that its one of those books everyone should read, and everyone will love.

[scolgo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally got around to this classic and, even though I was familiar with the story from having seen the myriad of film versions, I enjoyed reading the source material quite a bit. It's very well-written - if a bit wordy in spots, (it is Dickens after all! :), but it's a fun little morality tale that carries a good message of Christmas cheer to last all through the year.

[06nwingert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The  Christmas classic. Dickens uses A Christmas Carol to highlight and underscore the economic conditions in Dickensian-era London. This book came to America in 1870, and, according to The Battle for Christmas, is the reason that Christmas is legal in America.

[krissa_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked it. I like the language. It made me slow down and appreciate it. I knew the story, but I was surprised at how much I didn’t know (mostly little things). It was what I would class as a comfort read. I don’t think I would read it every year (but I don’t tend to read books twice) but I will definitely be reading more Dickens.

[bibliophile26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great classic story!

[jjpciii_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A book which might be avoided by some readers because of the cliches that the text has generated. Any such bias should be overcome though. It is a witty engrossing read, with some enthralling passages, most notably in those parts where Dickens describes family and social scenes. It is also sensuous in some places, and is all the more rewarding for it.

[matthewp3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an ok book. It was about Scrooge who was a lonely mean bossy old man, who no one liked. One day he gets a visit by one of his dead worker, and he warned him that Scrooge is going to be visited by three ghost. The ghost of Chirstmas Past, Present, and Future. After meeting with all the ghosts they changed his life. He started to be nicer and be more giving.

[jfslone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic tale of human values and morality, set in the midst of everyone's favorite holiday season. Dickens manages to weave a tale that speaks to those of every generation and location. It's a quick read, but don't be fooled, it's jam-packed with heartfelt emotion and wonderful language.

[kelley.logan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an every Christmas classic.

[maydacat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Some tales are meant to read aloud, and never is this statement truer than when it is applied to "A Christmas Carol." One would be hard pressed to find anyone would does not like this perennial story, and we all have our special favorites, be they illustrated texts or even movies. But everyone should add this audio version to his or her collection. Award-winning Jim Dale renders a masterful performance in this unabridged version which can be enjoyed at any time of the year.

[richard015 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Scrooge is very cold man and likes money the most. And he does'nt like christmas! But one day,three ghosts came to him,and they took him to christmas of past, present and future.I always enjoy this story. I was surprised to know this story had been written in 1843 and has been popular. This book made feel christmas mood and happy. I think children can learn so much for this classic.

[berthashaver · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A delight to re-visit this classic Christmas story.

[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.

[maybedog · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I agree that in this day and age the story is trite, predictuable, overdone and a bit Pollyanna but I think it was quite original for its time and many a story nowadays has gained inspriation from this tale.

[renbedell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very nostalgic read. Charles Dickens is a great author, his writing, descriptions, story, and message are great. It is easy to see why this is a classic. The movies hold true to the overall feel of the book.

[cebellol · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The timeless classic of a grumpy old man who gets a wake up call from a ghostly friend/former business partner & some other ethereal beings.

I know the back of the novel I have says that its the "unabridged" version, but this seems much shorter than other copies I've seen, so I can't honestly say if that is true or not.

[girl_detective · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What I appreciated this year in A Christmas Carol was how secular, not religious, its story was. I liked Dickens’ dry, ironic humor, used to politely skewer certain people or their habits. This contrasted with his rich descriptions. I love this edition with Schart's lovely illustrations.

[irunsjh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a quick read that is very close to the movie if you have seen it. A solid recommendation for sure.

[tealover_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What could one possibly say, that hasn't already been told about this book? It's my 'all time favourite' christmas read! Countless times reread and never a second bored with it! It's an absolute 'must' for every fan of xmas!

[ukaissi_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I remember reading this book when I was a child. It never occured to me at that time that many movies will be produced depicting the same story but with some variations of course (this is the beauty of Hollywood). This is perhaps what makes a book a best seller the ability to survive time.

[aeromaxtran-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mend your ways. NOW.

[fernandame_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook - I never tire of this wonderful Christmas tale.

[overthemoon_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

received for Christmas from my parents 1957

[susiesharp_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Because everyone knows this story whether from reading it or seeing one of the 100's of movies based on this book I will just be reviewing the audiobook version I listened to narrated by, Tim Curry. I must admit to being a huge Tim Curry fan I will watch anything if he has a role in it so when I found this audiobook at audible I had to get it. I was not disappointed!Tim Curry’s narration is absolute perfection ‘nuff said!5 stars

[auntieknickers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lovely pictures grace this large-format edition of the classic.

[regoodrich · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

His writing is so full of personality; it's wondrous! This is my favorite holiday story, and after viewing dozens of movie versions I finally took time to read the book. Charles Dickens is a grand writer; his verbal illustrations are vivid. 'A Christmas Carol' is an untouchable and timeless tale I think everyone should read.

[poonamsharma_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I pick up these graphic novels out of curiosity to find out how these are done. This is first and most popular "Christmas book' by Dickens. It was pretty much a fast read - done in 20 minutes at most. Bright artwork and precise story-telling.

[alliek710 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great classic that every kid needs to read. I learned about this for the first time in like the third grade when we did a play of it, and I loved it.

[tshrope · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jim Dale reads this audio version of the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, and does a fantastic job of it! Dale is the master narrator of the Harry Potter books and brings all of his character skills and perfect inflections to this reading too. Don’t miss listening to this version; it’s better than reading it yourself, and almost as good as the Muppet movie version!

[jennifer8a8mcgee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A classic holiday tale that I had failed to read all these years! Upon picking it up I assumed it would be boring and dull, given that we simply all know this story by heart. Surprisingly it wasn't that at all! It was alive and interesting in ways I didn't expect, and of course the language and writing style is so beautiful that I could enjoy anything written by him.