A Christmas Carol: Complete & Unabridged (Penguin Classics)

Little need be said about this timeless classic, as it is a story virtually everyone knows in some detail. The message is clear to all of us, as well. Dickens, the social conscience of the 19th century, illustrates the humanity and worth of even the lowliest of society's members and casts the harsh light of truth on those with the means but not the desire to help their fellow man, giving new life to the cliche "you can't take it with you." Dickens briefly alludes to the religious aspects of the holiday, but he vividly evokes the true and rightful spirit of Christmas in humanistic terms. This is a timeless story that will forever be a part of each Christmas season. Not only does it impart lessons of the highest order, it never fails to charm and delight you no matter how many times you have previously read the story (and watched the movie adaptations) over the years.


Terrific abridged, illustrated edition for kids aged 8 y 12.   December 11, 2005
Mary Whipple (New England)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

(Star rating is for this special edition, ISBN 0789420708) The Eyewitness Classics edition of this popular Christmas story by Dickens has been "translated" for a younger audience, offering much historical background and outstanding illustrations while sticking closely to the original dialogue and format. With modern illustrations by Andrew Wheatcroft, this edition also features some of the engravings from the period in explanatory sections which are interleaved with the Dickens story.

As the chapters of Dickens's classic unfold, the child reader also learns about Dickens's London, with paragraphs about the city and its smells and the emphasis on work for all, including children. Subsequent sections contrast the working poor with the rich, delving into the subjects of workhouses and prisons, the 7-day workweek for servants, and the lives of businessmen. When Marley's ghost appears, the reader learns about the recording of deaths in a registry--along with the meaning of "grindstone," the importance of Christmas charity, and the custom of servants taking the master's clothes, with the remainder going to "rag and bone shops."

As the three spirits appear, additional information is provided about clothing, dances and games, foods (roast goose, Christmas pudding, and chestnuts), Christmas gifts and trees, and even about the "crutches and frames" used by Tiny Tim. Dickens's biography is mentioned briefly, with a stress on his childhood and work history, along with notes about various film versions of this and other Dickens stories, including photos of some of the stars who have played Scrooge.

Graphically, this edition is a winner, with beautifully reproduced illustrations, a newspaper-style paste-up (with boxes, sidebars, and text and pictures set at angles to attract attention), and excellent clarity and color. Parents, grandparents, and friends looking for an edition which will prepare children to love a stage or film version of this classic will be richly rewarded by this edition. And I can attest that one active, nine-year-old boy sat spellbound (and silent) for a recent stage production which lasted over two hours because he read this first and knew what the action meant. Mary Whipple


You know the story - but miss out if you don't read it   February 17, 2005
Louis (uk)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

Still my all time favourite book - with good reason.

Fot those of you who have been in a coma and have forgotten the story (as I can't see any other reason for you not knowing it). This book tells the story of a meiser who owns his own business and pays his clerk very little. He is a nasty piece of work. One Christmas eve he is visited by 4 Ghosts, who hope to same him from having to haunt the earth after death.

A great story you just have to read! I recommend getting one with the original pictures. They are beautifully drawn and you get a real sense of the characters.


The classic Victorian Christmas story   December 15, 2007
Wynne Kelly (Coventry, UK)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

A Christmas Carol is the classic Victorian Christmas story. Even though we know it well it continues to be a joy to read. Dickens creates some wonderful pictures of the bustling life in 19th century London. Some of the dialogue remains so fresh and still raises a smile in the reader no matter how many times you have read the book before. "You'll want all day tomorrow, I suppose" says Scrooge to his clerk on Christmas Eve. And the conversation between Scrooge and the two gentlemen who are asking him for donations to help the poor and destitute at Christmas is as funny (and poignant) as anything in any Dickens novel.

Although it is sometimes described as a children's book I do feel parents need to make an assessment as to how their children may react to some of the ghost scenes. Some adults I know say they had nightmares as a result of the appearance of Marley's ghost and the rattling chains!