Picture of the title page from the first edition courtesy of Wikipedia.
A Christmas Carol: In Prose
by Charles Dickens
For my first book post I'm going back to the last book I read in 2008 - just because it's an awesome book. And because I've only read one book so far this year and I want to watch the second segment of the movie on PBS Sunday before I write my review (hooray for a new season of Masterpiece!).
I LOVED this book. Having seen many versions of this story on stage and in movies I decided I was overdue to read this book. And I was surprised by it. My Dickens experiences in the past have been positive, but I've had a hard time getting fully into them. Dickens is a masterful writer, but the other novels I've read have had pages and pages of dreary details on social injustice as well as intricate and appealing plot elements. A Christmas Carol is short, to the point, and bursting with classic Dickens wit. There's certainly more Dickens gravy than graveness in this book. Jon and I read it out loud together, finishing up on Christmas Eve. We were surprised by how many times we were laughing out loud. There are so many perfectly scrumptiously quotable moments that I can't pick one to share with you. You'll have to just read it yourself next Christmas. You won't be disappointed.
P.S. The title being A Christmas "Carol", there were several musical analogies made in this book (which made the musician in me very happy). For example, there are 5 chapters which are called staves instead of chapters (music is notated on 5 staves). Very cool!
1 comment:
This is my favorite book of all times. I absolutely love it. I read it a few years ago and was surprised as well by how much I got into the book since the story was obviously so familiar. He has some amazingly profound insights woven through the story - some which the movies, etc. catch, many of which aren't caught. I'm glad you read it and liked it too!
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