A Christmas Carol, Illustrated Edition

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This year, we didn’t put up a Christmas tree, and I haven’t been feeling the “Christmas spirit.” But this book squarely right sided the situation.

A Christmas Carol (1984). Definitely the most faithful movie by far. Several quotations can be found through the whole film, which deviates little from the original script. George C. Scott plays a highly convincing Ebenezer. And also notable Warner, Rees and Tiny Tim. Aged well all things considered. Most recommendable for adults who want to enjoy a serious faithful adaptation. Whilst it is a book whose unhurried and detailed descriptions of Christmas are the epitome of the season (“ apoplectic opulence”), it is a book of great contrasts: humbug/festivities, hot/cold, company/solitude, poverty/wealth, worthy poor/wastrels, past/future etc. Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique: The chill of the season seems to emanate from Scrooge himself. "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." Not even to mention the Southern hemisphere and the immense, unnecessary, by a fair economic system easily preventable, suffering of billions and dying of tens of millions of people directly caused by this system.

CHARLES DICKENS

A Christmas Carol opens on a bleak, cold Christmas Eve in London, seven years after the death of Ebenezer Scrooge's business partner, Jacob Marley. Scrooge, an ageing miser, dislikes Christmas and refuses a dinner invitation from his nephew Fred. He turns away two men seeking a donation to provide food and heating for the poor and only grudgingly allows his overworked, underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit, Christmas Day off with pay to conform to the social custom. Marley himself is one of the condemned, as greedy and avaricious as his old partner, and now bearing a “ponderous chain” corresponding to his selfish life. He informs Scrooge that his own chain is even larger, yet there is the possibility of escape. This lifeline is comprised of three separate ghosts – Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come – who will visit him on three separate nights. While Scrooge scoffs at the entire process, he is startled when the first ghost appears to take him into the past. This experience shows Scrooge some of the events from his past and how he became the man he is today. A second ghost explores current decisions Scrooge has been making, including some of the most miserly choices he could have made. Quite startled by this point, Scrooge does not want the third visit, but must see life as it would be after his passing and how others will speak of him. This is enough to help bring about an epiphany for the elderly Ebenezer, who sees the world for what it could be. A Christmas classic that I will definitely add to my annual read list, this one is recommended for anyone eager to explore Christmas and its true meaning. Nobody under the bed; nobody in the closet; nobody in his dressing-gown, which was hanging up in a suspicious attitude against the wall

Celebrating the Christmas season had been growing in popularity through the Victorian era. [4] The Christmas tree had been introduced in Britain during the 18th century, and its use was popularised by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Their practice was copied in many homes across the country. [5] In the early 19th century there had been a revival of interest in Christmas carols, following a decline in popularity over the previous hundred years. The publication of Davies Gilbert's 1823 work Some Ancient Christmas Carols, With the Tunes to Which They Were Formerly Sung in the West of England and William Sandys's 1833 collection Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern led to a growth in the form's popularity in Britain. [6] It is a simple tale of how a normal man turns cold-hearted and mean and how, when confronted with memories of his past and the possible outcomes of his actions and inactions, he is redeemed by making positive changes to his life and thus that of others. Davidson, Ewan. "Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost (1901)". Screenonline. British Film Institute . Retrieved 10 January 2017. UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Gregory Clark (2016). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 16 November 2016. {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link) A Christmas Carol is a great reminder to bring Christmas cheer. When talking about Scrooge, so many people choose to go positive and wish him a Merry Christmas. Who can we show kindness to this holiday season?

Forbes, Bruce David (2008). Christmas: A Candid History. Oakland, CA: University of California Press. p.62. ISBN 978-0-520-25802-0. Martin, Katherine Connor (19 December 2011). "merry, adj". Oxford English Dictionary. (subscription required)