The Christmas Books, Volume 1: A Christmas Carol/The Chimes

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The Christmas Books, Volume 1: A Christmas Carol/The Chimes

by Charles Dickens, Michael Slater (Editor, Introduction, Notes)

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 · rating details · 449 ratings · 31 reviews

In October 1843, Dickens hit upon the idea of writing a story that would not only celebrate Christmas but alert people to the desperate needs of England's poor.

The Christmas Carol was the result. With the character of Scrooge ('I don't make merry myself at Christmas, and I can't afford to make idle people merry') Dickens gives us one of his most delightful grotesques, in...more

Paperback, Reprinted in Penguin Classics 1985, 266 pages

Published December 30th 1971 by Penguin Classics (first published 1965)

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Dec 19, 2012 K.D. Oliveros rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to K.D. by: 501 Must Read Books (Classics)

Shelves: 501, classics, christmas

Book 1 of Charles Dickens' The Christmas Books is composed of two beautiful classic stories or short novels: A Christmas Carol (1843) and The Chimes (1844). They are old, old works but their messages still sound true even up to now. Also, they are still very readable. In fact, I know some friends who make it a point to read A Christmas Carol every year.

A Christmas Carol in Prose Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. 5 STARS

The most popular among the 5 books included in this book, The Christmas Books...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Mith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, i-needz-moar, owned, time-travel, short-stories, historical-fiction

I have this tradition - every year, on Christmas day I whip out my copy of "A Christmas Carol", read it cover to cover and follow it up with a Christmas special movie to wrap up the day.

So, this year, A Christmas Carol has been read, "Arthur Christmas" has been watched (ADORABLE MOVIE. MUST WATCH), and awesome cake has been had. Life is good.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

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Jan 01, 2013 Rebecca Cartwright rated it 3 of 5 stars

A Christmas Carol

Review
I’ve read A Christmas Carol before and it’s obviously such a well known story that it’s difficult to separate the reading of the book from cultural idea of it, much the same way as it is with Sherlock Holmes.
On re-reading the book I was surprised by how much of it was familiar. Usually when reading something that has been adapted there are odd occasions where famous scenes or quotes stand out but with this a huge amount of it was instantly familiar.

Favourite quote
“I wear t...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Susan Denney rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ever wonder why "A Christmas Carol" is the only one of Charles Dickens's Christmas stories to get a lot of attention? He wrote five of them after all.

The answer to this is that overwhelmingly, that story is his best. But if your Dickens holiday fix isn't filled by that wonderful story, here's my ranking of all five so you can decide if you want to pick them up this season. All except the last have a supernatural element which is satisfyingly mysterious.

1. A Christmas Carol. Hands down the winner...more Ever wonder why "A Christmas Carol" is the only one of Charles Dickens's Christmas stories to get a lot of attention? He wrote five of them after all.

The answer to this is that overwhelmingly, that story is his best. But if your Dickens holiday fix isn't filled by that wonderful story, here's my ranking of all five so you can decide if you want to pick them up this season. All except the last have a supernatural element which is satisfyingly mysterious.

1. A Christmas Carol. Hands down the winner of all the books. If you can read nothing else this season, this would be your book. It is more wonderful than any movie adaptation could ever be. One of my favorite lines is from the description of a grocery store during Scrooge's visit with Christmas Present. "There were ruddy, brown-faced, broad-girthed Spanish Onions, shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish Friars, and winking from their shelves in wanton slyness at the girls as they went by, and glanced demurely at the hung-up mistletoe." No time to read it? I just discovered a new audio adaptation of the book. I haven't been able to listen to all of it but the beginning is marvelous.

2. Cricket on the Hearth--A Fairy Tale of Home. Easily the winner of the cheesiest movie adaptations. This is sad because it's a very good story. But I guess if you give a filmmaker a lovely blind girl who makes dolls and a poor father who creates a rich, imaginary world for her, said filmmaker can't resist the maudlin. But the center of the story is not Bertha and her father Caleb. The central characters, John and Dot Peerybingle, are mismatched in age and John begins to doubt Dot's love for him. A beautifully written story, all is happily tied up at the end but not before several of the characters have gone through depths of human despair. Ignore any sappy movies you've seen and read it. It's so worth it.

3. The Chimes. This story paints the bleakest picture of the poor in all the Christmas books. Instead of a miser, Dickens uses a man named Trotty for his main character. In a very "It's a Wonderful Life" way, he learns what the consequences of his actions might be. His daughter is in love, but he doesn't believe that the marriage should go forth because of their poverty. I find this story distressing. The main character is such a nice little man and the visions he receives so horrible, that at the happy end, I find my heart still broken.

4. The Haunted Man. In this story, a bitter professor named Redlaw is haunted by past grievances and hurt. When a ghost offers him the opportunity to forget all his wrongs, he accepts. But something unexpected happens. He is still angry but doesn't know why and he spreads his bitterness to others. It has a satisfying happy ending and there are some memorable characters to make the story go along. The book is very atmospheric but doesn't have the appeal of the top three.

5. The Battle of Life. No supernatural beings in this one. Just interesting folks who seem to be in love with the wrong people. Dr. Jedlar and his two daughters, Grace and Marion, live on a former battlefield. Dickens suggests that the memories of the battle haunt those who live on it.The character of Clemency Newcome, who is Dr. Jedlar's servant, is delightful and she gets her happy ending too. This one to me is the least Christmas-y and perhaps that's why I like it least.

All these stories are in the public domain. But if you want a hard copy, seek out the Oxford Illustrated Classics version has all the original illustrations! And it's small enough to stick in a tote bag or backpack for some reading while waiting in line at the dentist's office or grocery store. (less)

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Dec 19, 2012 Jeff Currie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Actually - I've read A Christmas Carol but not The Chimes or Dickens' other Christmas stories. i think he set out to write one every Christmas for several years in a row.

I've listed this because of A Christmas Carol - the source of every stage and film retelling, of course, and amazingly, in my experience the source of all of what seems to be the embellishments in each retelling. the depth of detail in Dickens' book is incredible and Dickensian, of course. What a great idea for the end of a year...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Lawrence rated it 5 of 5 stars

"A Christmas Carol" is a highly excellent and, actually, moving book.

The genius of "A Christmas Carol" is its narration how a very rich, miserly, and loveless man is also susceptible to personal reformation. Even though Dickens could be savage when portraying injustice, he can nonetheless see a man like Scrooge as a member of our human race. The task of "A Christmas Carol" is to describe Scrooge's breakdown and the humanity that emerges and transforms him. In sum, "A Christmas Carol" expresses a...more "A Christmas Carol" is a highly excellent and, actually, moving book.

The genius of "A Christmas Carol" is its narration how a very rich, miserly, and loveless man is also susceptible to personal reformation. Even though Dickens could be savage when portraying injustice, he can nonetheless see a man like Scrooge as a member of our human race. The task of "A Christmas Carol" is to describe Scrooge's breakdown and the humanity that emerges and transforms him. In sum, "A Christmas Carol" expresses a hope for personal reformation for the worst of us, and is Dickens' model of a reformed world or, if not model, the witness to its possibility. Because Scrooge is our hero, the story is a remarkable lesson in the writer's charity and generosity.

For me, the story's pivotal scene is Christmas Day at the home of the mild Bob Cratchit. This is the time in the story when Scrooge begins to change within as opposed to delighting in reminisences, for example, of Mr. Fezziwig's party. On one level, the scene in the Cratchit home is sentimental. On another, it is marked by the harsh contrast between cohesive love and the poverty of making do. It is a great depiction of the modest, struggling poor.

The dramatic language of the spirits (including Marley's ghost) is always fresh for me. Take, for instance, the pronouncement of the Spirit of Christmas Present when Scrooge discovers the two wasted children under the Spirit's robe: "This boy is ignorance. This girl is want. Beware them both. But most of all beware this boy." Dickens the prophet holds us spellbound at this point. Also consider the way the spirits ironically parrot to Scrooge his own remarks about prisons and workhouses and decreasing the surplus population.

The story does not end with the visitations. Dickens carries us along to show the consequences. Thus, he describes the end result of Scrooge's reformation --- the silliness of a giddy man buying the prize turkey and capering about his threadbare home. Then, there is the beauty of the Christmas visit --- at last --- to his nephew's home.

I took the time out recently to read G.K. Chesterton on these Christmas stories. He helped me to understand why I think this story is so unsentimental and compelling. In this respect, Chesterton seems to be accurate when he says that stories of happiness and joy share the characteristics of surprise, contrast with the unhappy or rough, and the grotesque.

P.s. "The Chimes" (also in my holly covered book) is nice, but not a masterpiece. It's a little too wordy and contrived. My humble opinion is that: Alas, even Homer nods.(less)

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Mar 22, 2012 Queirosiana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Embrenhei-me neste assombrado livrinho para acordar o espírito de uma ideia. Que ele não ponha o leitor de mal consigo, com os outros, com o tempo ou comigo. Que ele invada agradavelmente a sua casa e que ninguém sinta o desejo de o pôr de lado."

O primeiro livro que li do autor. Embora já há muito ansiasse por ler Charles Dickens.

Foi uma boa estreia. Neste livro encontramos dois contos: O Natal do Sr. Scrooge e Sinos de Ano Novo.

Embora ainda estejamos longe do natal, faltam um dois meses, foi m...more

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Feb 20, 2010 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think it’s safe to say we all bring pre-formed views of this story to the reading of the book because we most likely have heard or seen it before we’ve read it. My family has a tradition of listening to a 25-minute version of this from an old record. It’s actually kind of fun to see that some of the dialogue from the book was retained in the recording. In any case, I have seen and heard numerous versions of this story before I decided to sit down and read it.

I did like the books and I believe...more I think it’s safe to say we all bring pre-formed views of this story to the reading of the book because we most likely have heard or seen it before we’ve read it. My family has a tradition of listening to a 25-minute version of this from an old record. It’s actually kind of fun to see that some of the dialogue from the book was retained in the recording. In any case, I have seen and heard numerous versions of this story before I decided to sit down and read it.

I did like the books and I believe the versions I’ve seen generally do it justice (although I have a vague recollection of a musical version that haunts the fringe of my memories – not good!). The obvious weakness is that Ebenezer Scrooge does not require too much to shake him from his dour, crabby, miserly ways. A few hours spent with some ghosts who show him some human interaction, affection, and pain, and he converts pretty quickly. I think there is good evidence he is well on his way to being more humane and generous even after the first ghostly visit and likely does not need the final two. As characters go, where did his convictions and habits originally come from that got him to this place? - a long life with formative experiences led him to where he is. Why would he change so quickly? Has no one else told him of these things along the way? Did he lead such a sheltered life that he never saw or experienced the affection and horrors of life that would provide him a heart? Now you may say that is not the intention of the piece – that it is meant to be propaganda of sorts or supposed to be a fantasy reminder that we should put humans and love and caring for one another as more central elements in our lives, rather than cold logic that leads to money grubbing and suffering. Still given the conditioning I have for this story, I like it and recommend reading it. I don’t think it will change your view of the other movies and recordings you’ve seen and heard, but it will provide the full story.

The Chimes is also part of this book and is one I had never heard of before. It was enjoyable enough, but mostly for the attitudes the different characters embody, informed by their class positions. Dickens makes fun of the upper classes in all cases. One upper class character sees the poor as having faults that need to be corrected before they can improve their position. Another decries this view and believes the poor should essentially be treated like children and taken care of by either the government or those who are superior to them. The main character accepts all of this readily and just tries to go about his life.(less)

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Dec 22, 2012 Martin Belcher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I try to read Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol every Christmas, it's a wonderful story that pretty much everyone knows so I won't leave another review but I will leave by saying the sentiments in this story are just as important today as they were in Victorian England, greed and selfishness leads to unhappiness and sadness; kindness to others, generosity and love are the true meaning of Christmas and of course all year round. In the words of Tiny Tim "God bless us, every one!"
Happy Chr...more

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Jan 18, 2013 S.D. rated it 2 of 5 stars

A Christmas Carol is a masterpiece of yuletide sentiment, with a heartfelt if overly-idealistic, moral. That moral, however, softens us to the profit-greedy capitalist who can actually see the error of his ways, and weakens the social commentary. Reality has proven it will take more than ghostly visitations to scare any heart into real-life Scrooges, but this is fiction, so for a short time we can let ourselves enjoy the world of a master story-teller. The Chimes, though it contains several bril...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Mei Hua rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An old German book I found in the English-German library at my hometown which has made me a lingua-freaky. A story about Christmas which long-lasts from generation to generations.

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Jan 03, 2012 Anthony rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christmas-books, favorites, reread

My annual reread of my favorite Christmas story, the one that set the bar for sentimentality and gave us more than one Christmas character stereotype. As usual, I found myself reading sections out in full voice when alone. "Come in, and know me better, man!" "There's more of gravy than of grave about you." "Mind you, I don't know what there is that's particularly dead about a doornail. I should think a coffin nail the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade." And so on. So many great lines. Su...more

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Apr 20, 2009 Rich rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorites, christmas, classics, favorite-authors

This proves how great a writer Dickens was. In less than 120 pages he wrote a book that changed the world and essentially invented the Victorian Christmas. It also revealed Dickens more whimsical side. The opening three paragraphs are so full of laughs, if you pay attention, that you'll realize Dickens has a wonderful sense of humor.
I know you've all seen the movie, but even with such a short book as this, there are layers upon layers that the movies couldn't even touch upon. I read this every...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Jeroen Berndsen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Containing A Christmass Carol and The Chimes, this is arguably a Dickens classic. Though sometimes a bit overdramatic and cliché, it's still hard not to e moved by these stories.

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Dec 14, 2011 Katy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: grown-up-fiction, personalfaves

Love it every time I read it! From Marley's haunting, '... I wear the chains I forged in life' to Tiny Tim's, 'God bless us, every one'. The book just warms my heart and puts me in the Christmas Spirit.

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Dec 10, 2007 Marigold rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: set-in-england, classic

Yeah, I'm a dork, so I read this every year in December! I love the story of A Christmas Carol. I think it's one of those stories that was out there in the collective unconscious just waiting for someone to put it in writing, & Charles Dickens was lucky enough to be the one! I love that Scrooge gets to remake his life just by spending some money & being nice to people - pretty cool, huh?!

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Dec 28, 2010 H.Friedmann rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic

I've already read A Christmas Carol, and I decided that it was an appropriate time to read this, between Christmas and New Years, as The Chimes is really a New Year's story, and one that is a commentary on poverty in England and the response of those in a position to make a difference. And man, that sounds boring when it's put like that.

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Jan 21, 2008 Graham rated it 4 of 5 stars

Festive tales that warm the heart and bring us lessons we all ought to learn. I appreciated the special characters, Tiny Tim, Trotty. In the context of South Africa, this book, and particularly "The Chimes" should change my attitude to the silent people all around me who serve me every day.

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Dec 23, 2009 Vernon Ray rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

Christmas Carol is Dickens's best novel by far. The Chimes is way too convoluted but has some nice moments.

My favorite line in Carol is, "and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father." (Emphasis in original.) I just love the by the way style of presenting it.

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Feb 13, 2012 Hope Rozenboom rated it 3 of 5 stars

I re-read A Christmas Carol for the umpteenth time, and still enjoyed it. Read The Chimes for the first time, and I see why A Christmas Carol is Dickens' famous holiday story. It was ok. I'm glad I read it, but I'll probably never read that one again.

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Dec 08, 2011 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Did the annual-ish reread of A Christmas Carol. As usual, really liked it.

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Oct 24, 2011 Kmann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Christmas carol was short and real - every movie that has done a past, present and future has totally ripped this book off.

Chimes was poem like, then vague, and then good. I didnt get into it as much.

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Dec 15, 2008 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: abroad-2008-2009, classics

A Christmas Carol is, of course, completely delightful, but Chimes is really not that interesting. I just was not that into the story or the characters. But I can see how it would be relevant in its own time.

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Jan 14, 2009 Lara rated it 3 of 5 stars

I gave this book 3 stars as an average. The Christmas Carol got 4 but I could only give The Chimes a 2 since it was hard to understand the English of that time.

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Dec 26, 2007 Bryce Wilson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-lit

Read The Chimes this year as well. Somewhat less elegant and iconic as A Christmas Carol. And a good deal less subtle (which is saying something).

Still Dickens.

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Dec 24, 2009 Joseph Levesque rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic

My first time reading The Chimes, and I quite enjoyed it. It may become another perrenial favorite, along with A Christmas Carol.

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Jun 10, 2009 Risa rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Christmas Books: Volume 1: A Christmas Carol and The Chimes (Penguin English Library) by Charles Dickens (1971)

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Jan 22, 2009 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't believe it took me this long to read A Christmas Carol, I should have read it 20 years ago. Loved it.

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Jan 10, 2010 Pattygshaw added it

An old favorite but the Chimes was quite out of the box!! Great view of the individuals view of the world.

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Jan 17, 2009 Deyette rated it 2 of 5 stars

It's not a bad story, but it's more depressing than A Christmas Carol and even a little scary.

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About Charles Dickens

A prolific 19th Century author of short stories, plays, novellas, novels, fiction and non-fiction; during his lifetime Dickens became known the world over for his remarkable characters, his mastery of prose in the telling of their lives, and his depictions of the social classes, morals and values of his times. Some considered him the spokesman for the poor, for he definitely brought much awarenes...more

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