A Christmas Carol Review

If you’ve not read Charles Dickens’ 'A Christmas Carol', the chances are that you will, in some shape or form at least, be vaguely familiar with the premise, and at the very least its existence. Ebeneezer Scrooge, a disgruntled, frugal and merry-less man who grimaces at the mere mention of all things Christmas, is visited upon by three ghosts on Christmas Eve: the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come.

Your familiarity with it will likely owe thanks to several film adaptations that span the best part of the last century, including particularly popular workings from more recent decades such as Jim Henson’s 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' (1992) and Robert Zemeckis’ computer-animated 'A Christmas Carol' (2009). Even the name Scrooge and the phrase “bah humbug” have been long since embedded within our vocabulary.

The computer-animated version by Robert Zemeckis is hugely-underrated

There must be a good reason why you’ve not yet picked up a copy of the book, though, and flown through its pages faster than the speed at which Scrooge himself is whisked – in his night clothes and no more - from his warm bedroom and into the cold of night by the Ghost of Christmas Past. But perhaps that’s why you’re here.

Like several of Dickens’ other classics from 'Oliver Twist' to 'Great Expectations', 'A Christmas Carol' has been immortalised in the mediums of literature and film. But it also serves as something of a moral compass, with the lessons Scrooge learns from the Ghosts along his journey being as valuable to all of us as they are to him.

The story has been told in many forms

In its purest form, it’s nothing more than a tale of humanity and good will. And what better way to convey such themes than through a character who apparently possesses none, and who therefore has much to learn – and much to regret. However, Scrooge, despite his harsh and frosty demeanour and dismal outlook, is surprisingly relatable. After all, it’s fair to say that we all experience some bah-humbuggery from time to time.

To describe 'A Christmas Carol' as anything but a stroke of poetic genius and as a tightly-woven, wonderfully-crafted masterpiece would warrant a visit by the Ghost of Christmas Truth. At its core, it’s a reminder that the past cannot be changed, but between new learnings of it and the actions we can make in the present, we possess a powerful tool with which we can alter an otherwise inevitable future.

We can all relate...

The tale also acts much like a Ghost of Christmas Past in itself; a bittersweet reminder of Christmastimes long gone where less was far, far more (though times of unenviable hardships); before the age of superficiality and abundance in which we now find ourselves. And while this was of course not Dickens’ intention (he penned it in 1843, after all), it’s a consequence of his work nonetheless.

You’ve every right to have great expectations of this literary gem, but at a mere 107 pages (though each delicious with flawless storytelling) by the end of it you’ll certainly want some more.