A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings

Written by Charles Dickens, this assortment of Ghost and Christmas tales focuses on the more attractive human emotions that are heightened at that festive time of year: love, kindness, forgiveness, unselfishness, sacrifice, and comfort. 

Christmas Festivities paints the perfect picture of a good old-fashioned family Christmas party. Children laughing and chasing one another, adults seated around a fire chatting merrily, and a huge feast of turkey and roast beef, sauces and gravies, mince pies and plum pudding. 

The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton tells the tale of a graveyard worker who is as cold as the frozen earth he disturbs with his shovel. But when he is kidnapped by a group of goblins, his perception of the world changes as he is shown what beauties it holds. 

A Christmas Episode From Master Humphrey’s Clock tells the tale of a friendship that blooms between the two most unlikely of people who both find themselves alone at a bar on Christmas. 

A Christmas Carol is the timeless classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, the cold-hearted skinflint who wishes everyone a “bah humbug” instead of a “merry Christmas.” But when the ghost of his business partner shows him a glimpse of what awaits him beyond the grave (a grim fate indeed), Scrooge welcomes the chance to change his ways. Being haunted by three Spirits, Scrooge’s perception of the world is altered and his cold countenance is melted away. 

The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain tells the tale of a man haunted by loss and grief who makes a deal with a Spectre. As the Spectre dispels the man’s grief, the man is given the power to change the emotions of those he encounters. Turning love into loss and humility into selfishness, the haunted man becomes a cursed man and begs for nothing more than to be rid of this terrible power. 

A Christmas Tree focuses on childhood memories that are attached to certain decorations that are placed upon a Christmas tree. And with the memories comes the stories told in the Witching Hour on Christmas Eve. 

What Christmas Is, As We Grow Older reflects on hopes and dreams that were never achieved and tells of forgiveness of all and everything regardless of how much wrong has been done over the year. 

The Seven Poor Travellers tells the story of a magnificent Christmas feast that is made for six poor travellers: the result of one impulsive decision from a complete stranger. Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men. 

I have to say at this point that Dickens was a fantastic wordsmith. He uses such powerful sentences that are filled to the brim with so many words to convey something so simple to the reader. It really paints a picture, but it makes your imagination work as well. Wonderful. 

Admittedly, the writing can be a little too wordy to follow at some points, but ultimately A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings was a very good and very festive collection of Christmas tales that remind us that amidst all the cruelty, selfishness, greed, and corruption that the human race embodies, there are still some beautiful things like love, generosity, sacrifice, humility, and goodwill: important traits that ought to be remembered all year round.