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Jacob T. Marley
by
"Marley was dead to begin with . . ."
These chillingly familiar words begin the classic Christmas tale of remorse and redemption in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Now R. William Bennett rewinds the story and focuses the spotlight on Scrooge's miserly business partner, Jacob T. Marley, who was allowed to return as a ghost to warn Scrooge away from his ill-fated path. ...more
These chillingly familiar words begin the classic Christmas tale of remorse and redemption in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Now R. William Bennett rewinds the story and focuses the spotlight on Scrooge's miserly business partner, Jacob T. Marley, who was allowed to return as a ghost to warn Scrooge away from his ill-fated path. ...more
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Hardcover, 202 pages
Published
October 12th 2011
by Shadow Mountain
(first published January 1st 2011)
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Start your review of Jacob T. Marley
"Jacob realized that he was no more than an entry in Scrooge's ledger-in an account that was now being closed. "
"What a wretched man," Marley thought. "Whatever in the world made him?"
Whether it was seconds or minutes, Marley did not know, but he paused so completely he thought his heart had stopped beating.
"I did," were his own words that came to him.
"I did, I made Ebenezer Scrooge."
These are some of Jacob T. Marley's final thoughts as he lays on his death bed in front of Scrooge. While we all ...more
"What a wretched man," Marley thought. "Whatever in the world made him?"
Whether it was seconds or minutes, Marley did not know, but he paused so completely he thought his heart had stopped beating.
"I did," were his own words that came to him.
"I did, I made Ebenezer Scrooge."
These are some of Jacob T. Marley's final thoughts as he lays on his death bed in front of Scrooge. While we all ...more
In this convincingly written pastiche of Charles Dickens’ classic novella A Christmas Carol, author R. William Bennett includes a Preface addressing his readers, whom he assumes are well acquainted with Dickens’ account of Scrooge’s visitations by three spirits on Christmas Eve, his repentance, and his chance to make amends and change his life. And why not? It is one of the most famous stories in the world, repeated, read, and watched on film by millions every year. But Bennett wants to know mor
...more
So, what is the background of old Jacob "dead as a doornail" Marley? How did events play out after his death that allowed him to visit Scrooge? What was Marley's ghost doing while Scrooge was being taught by the three Christmas Spirits? What more of Scrooge's story was there to tell? And finally, was Marley in any way able to attain some form of redemption?
These and other questions are all answered in the book Jacob T. Marley. Entertaining to a degree and interesting in its ideas and speculation ...more
These and other questions are all answered in the book Jacob T. Marley. Entertaining to a degree and interesting in its ideas and speculation ...more
Okay, this was different to what I expected, but charming and pretty much in the vein of the original.
I thought it would only be about Ebenezer Scrooge's partner's background story and his life before he had died (and those parts were good), but then it also covers his life as a ghost and how he came to haunt Scrooge that one Christmas Eve. That was a bit surprising to me because at first, I was slightly disappointed getting the same old story of Dickens' A Christmas Carol retold from Marley's ...more
I thought it would only be about Ebenezer Scrooge's partner's background story and his life before he had died (and those parts were good), but then it also covers his life as a ghost and how he came to haunt Scrooge that one Christmas Eve. That was a bit surprising to me because at first, I was slightly disappointed getting the same old story of Dickens' A Christmas Carol retold from Marley's ...more
Jacob T. Marley is the type of book I suspect you’ll either really like or throw across the room. It’s a toss-up. Loyalists to Dickens may be put off by this tale of the two partners Jacob T. Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge.
I absolutely loved Bennett’s look back at just what made Scrooge the man he was. He fills in the gap giving us the back story of Marley and how the lives of these two men connected. So if you ever wondered just how Marley came to be the bearer of the message that Scrooge would b ...more
I absolutely loved Bennett’s look back at just what made Scrooge the man he was. He fills in the gap giving us the back story of Marley and how the lives of these two men connected. So if you ever wondered just how Marley came to be the bearer of the message that Scrooge would b ...more
This is a perfect companion book to "A Christmas Carol", telling the story of Scrooge's deceased business partner, Marley, and why he comes back as a ghost to try to help Scrooge change his ways. Even though it's February and obviously past Christmas, I enjoyed this book very much. The last 30-40 pages took it from a 4-star to a 5-star rating for me...I loved the ending. Such a great story of friendship, family, love, forgiveness, and redemption. Since those are year-round themes and not specifi
...more
I hate this book with a firey passion! It reads like a sermon and comes off as intensely preachy, and basically Mormon-ifies the Christmas Carol which I found kind of weird/tasteless. The best parts were phrases lifted from Dickensen's original, and the cheesiness factor was too high for me to complete the book (I ended up skimming it).
I have mixed feelings about commercial fan-fiction like this; I feel like Bennett is merely capitalizing off of the popularity of A Christmas Carol without provi ...more
I have mixed feelings about commercial fan-fiction like this; I feel like Bennett is merely capitalizing off of the popularity of A Christmas Carol without provi ...more
Very reminiscent of A Christmas Carol, but a little too reminiscent. It's told through the point of view of Marley and chronicales his after-death journey to help Scrooge change his ways. I found it to be pretty dull, though it is well-written.
This is the story of Jacob Marley and how he came to be the one to help Scrooge become a better person and why. It reads just as A Christmas Carol was written. And it embodies the Christmas spirit of compassion and caring for our fellow man. Great Christmas read!
Dec 29, 2017
Julie
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks,
holiday
4 1/2 stars
I could easily give this wonderful little book 5 stars. It was so well done and very moving. Just hurts my head a little to do so after giving A Christmas Carol 5 stars. This book is good, very good, it just isn't Dickens, which is great :) Absolutely wonderful on audio!
I could easily give this wonderful little book 5 stars. It was so well done and very moving. Just hurts my head a little to do so after giving A Christmas Carol 5 stars. This book is good, very good, it just isn't Dickens, which is great :) Absolutely wonderful on audio!
A great side to Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". I thought the author was very brave to go up against Dickens so to speak, but did a good job pulling it off. It's a newly added annual read for me.
Dec 07, 2017
Alexandra
marked it as to-read-own
12/7/17 $1.95 for Audible members.
Finishing Jacob T. Marley for at least the third time again left me wistful and contemplative. The lengths this author, R. William Bennett, went to in order to sound Dickensonian, are to be commended. The research and wordcrafting are excellent.
The story of Marley’s life is not a large part of A Christmas Carol except in how he helped mold Ebenezer Scrooge into an unpleasant person. Here, we get to learn what transpired in Marley’s life leading him to Scrooge as well as what happens to him in de ...more
The story of Marley’s life is not a large part of A Christmas Carol except in how he helped mold Ebenezer Scrooge into an unpleasant person. Here, we get to learn what transpired in Marley’s life leading him to Scrooge as well as what happens to him in de ...more
I was surprised how much I liked this book. I’m kind of funny in the books that I’m willing to accept as take-offs from classics. I absolutely love A Christmas Carol, so I was a little apprehensive about this book. It was so well done. I loved the idea he portrayed of Jacob’s story. I was fascinated by the way he wove Marley’s and Scrooge’s stories together. There was one part I felt deviated a little from what I suspect Dickens’s intent was, and it kind of put me at a 4.5 star rating. However,
...more
I really liked this - it is a bit of a surprise. My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall, 4.5 Story and 5.0 Narration.
Most of us are familiar with Dickens story of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Now we have the story of Scrooge’s mentor and partner, Jacob T. Marley. Of course, Marley appears as a ghost in A Christmas Carol. In this story the author shares the background that creates the character of Marley. He develops the history of Marley meeting and becoming partners with Scrooge. And he presen ...more
Most of us are familiar with Dickens story of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Now we have the story of Scrooge’s mentor and partner, Jacob T. Marley. Of course, Marley appears as a ghost in A Christmas Carol. In this story the author shares the background that creates the character of Marley. He develops the history of Marley meeting and becoming partners with Scrooge. And he presen ...more
I first discovered this book six years ago when my husband and I were cast in a production of A Christmas Carol. I was charmed by the book then, and I decided to re-read it again this year. The charm remains. The novel explains how and why the ghost of Jacob Marley comes to visit Ebenezer Scrooge on that famous Christmas Eve, and why he knows three more ghosts will follow him to try to change Scrooge's wicked, miserly ways. Bennett writes the novel in a style similar to Dickens and often uses li
...more
I know it's after Christmas, but I haven't wanted the season to end. (It started way too late for me this year.) Reading this book after Christmas helps me to "honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all year," and to "live in the past, the present, and the future." It reminds me not to "shut out the lessons that [the three spirits] teach." :)
The best think about this book was the ending! I loved the possible "after" story of Scrooge. In fact, the ending brought my rating up from a four ...more
The best think about this book was the ending! I loved the possible "after" story of Scrooge. In fact, the ending brought my rating up from a four ...more
There is, perhaps, no greater known literary Christmas classic than Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. A couple of years ago, I was delighted to read 'The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge' by Charlie Lovett, which expands on the life of Scrooge as it takes places decades after that infamous Christmas Eve night -- a 'sequel', if you will.
In that vein, this book would then be the 'prequel', told from the perspective of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's old business partner. The bulk of this story i ...more
In that vein, this book would then be the 'prequel', told from the perspective of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's old business partner. The bulk of this story i ...more
I didn't really know what to expect with this book, but it had good ratings and it is Christmas time, so I figured I'd give it a shot. It was surprisingly good and the writing was quite reminiscent of Charles Dickens. The author did a fantastic job of bringing the character of Jacob T. Marley to life and adding a whole new dimension to the classic story of Ebeneezer Scrooge. At the end of his life, Jacob Marley reflects with regret on an existence defined by an incessant pursuit of selfish gain
...more
This is a great read on its own! Captivating fable!
If you haven't read/watched A Christmas Carol you can still enjoy this story. It's a shorter book (great for a car or plane ride over the holidays) and the audible narration is excellent.
I've been pleasantly surprised all year how enjoyable "fan faction" is; this is no exception. It really enriched the 'original' story and gave it more color and depth. I love A Christmas Carol *more* as a result of reading this book.
I'm thankful Audible had i ...more
If you haven't read/watched A Christmas Carol you can still enjoy this story. It's a shorter book (great for a car or plane ride over the holidays) and the audible narration is excellent.
I've been pleasantly surprised all year how enjoyable "fan faction" is; this is no exception. It really enriched the 'original' story and gave it more color and depth. I love A Christmas Carol *more* as a result of reading this book.
I'm thankful Audible had i ...more
A very well-written retelling of Dickens' A Christmas Carol from the point-of-view of Jacob Marley. Sometimes I forgot I wasn't reading something by Dickens himself! Marley may have been dead to begin with, but Bennett takes that detail as his starting point. Death, it turns out, is not the end, but a new beginning. While, of course, Bennett got a good helping hand from the original story, he wove in new details which further humanized both Marley and Scrooge, and his concept of the afterlife is
...more
Five stars for a book that I would gladly read again! I loved Jacob’s backstory. When Jacob first appeared to Scrooge, I worried that this book would trespass the original Christmas Carol, which is a beautiful book not to be defiled. I was tempted to skip a few chapters to avoid any heartache regarding this matter. However, I kept reading and was very pleasantly surprised with the turn the story took. It grabbed me with both arms and carried me to the end. What a sweet story of redemption and th
...more
I was pretty skeptical of he premise of this prequel/sequel to The Christmas Carol going in. But it was on sale on Audible.
Mostly it pulls off the premise in this parallel story of Marley which also retells some of Scrooge's encounters. The story of Marley's selfish life and how he helped to further corrupt Scrooge is well told. It really seemed like part of the same story and not just a retread. Theologically I really enjoyed Marley's repentance and trying to make amends. There is a nice purgat ...more
Mostly it pulls off the premise in this parallel story of Marley which also retells some of Scrooge's encounters. The story of Marley's selfish life and how he helped to further corrupt Scrooge is well told. It really seemed like part of the same story and not just a retread. Theologically I really enjoyed Marley's repentance and trying to make amends. There is a nice purgat ...more
Dec 21, 2017
Andrea
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone that likes A Christmas Carol
I'm so glad Audible had this as a Daily Deal! I would never have heard this story otherwise.
I really enjoyed the different perspective of this story. I have read and listened to A Christmas Carol many times and could easily see Jacob T. Marley happening alongside the classic. It sounded very much like Dickens himself.
If you like the original, do yourself a favor and get this book! It's a great listen.
It's listed in the Morman category on Amazon, I didn't find this to be a preachy, religious b ...more
I really enjoyed the different perspective of this story. I have read and listened to A Christmas Carol many times and could easily see Jacob T. Marley happening alongside the classic. It sounded very much like Dickens himself.
If you like the original, do yourself a favor and get this book! It's a great listen.
It's listed in the Morman category on Amazon, I didn't find this to be a preachy, religious b ...more
3.5 stars
A Christmas Carol is, possibly, my favorite book of all time. I simply love it. Because of my love of Dickens' classic, I was wary about reading this book at all.
It was far better than I expected. It wasn't a bad read at all. It just didn't come anywhere close to the excellence of the original. Also, a couple of plot points were manipulative and felt preachy (borderline sappy).
I would, however, recommend it for anyone who enjoys the tradition of reading Christmas books around Christmas ...more
A Christmas Carol is, possibly, my favorite book of all time. I simply love it. Because of my love of Dickens' classic, I was wary about reading this book at all.
It was far better than I expected. It wasn't a bad read at all. It just didn't come anywhere close to the excellence of the original. Also, a couple of plot points were manipulative and felt preachy (borderline sappy).
I would, however, recommend it for anyone who enjoys the tradition of reading Christmas books around Christmas ...more
This is such a great addition to A Christmas Carol. Every Christmas I read A Christmas Carol and this book has been added to my yearly reading tradition. It made Charles Dicken's novel much more special. It was fun to see Jacob Marley's past intertwine with Scrooge and the later result of their meeting on the night of Christmas Eve. It even gives more of a glimpse into Scrooge's life after his visit with the three spirits, which I thought was really well done. This is another book I will continu
...more
As a frequent revisitor to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," I eagerly tore into "Jacob T. Marley" by R. William Bennett. I was expecting a tale similar to that of the unnerving yet fulfilling experience Ebenezer Scrooge undertakes in his own story, so I was surprised by some of the turns of events that transpired in "Jacob T. Marley." Without giving too much away, I will say this: even Scrooge is influenced by the contexts in which he finds himself, and Marley in this tale plays a large rol
...more
It's nice. It's not particularly substantive but, when read in the days before Christmas, it's just good enough that it stirs the spirit - the Christmas spirit, that is.
Bennett comes close to imitating Dickens' style, though there are times when he comes a little too close, hewing so closely to "A Christmas Carol" that he's just repeating Dickens' original lines. All that serves to do is to remind the reader that this is fan fiction. Decent fan fiction, but fan fiction still.
Does "Jacob T. Marl ...more
Bennett comes close to imitating Dickens' style, though there are times when he comes a little too close, hewing so closely to "A Christmas Carol" that he's just repeating Dickens' original lines. All that serves to do is to remind the reader that this is fan fiction. Decent fan fiction, but fan fiction still.
Does "Jacob T. Marl ...more
This was a beautiful book. There are so many books riffing off Dickens' classic, but most have nothing truly to add and merely repeat the theme, wearing it thinner in the process. Not so with this book, which is a wonderful exploration of the nature of forgiveness, conscience, sacrifice and redemption. In particular, the story is illuminating of the vast expansiveness of God's love and willingness to forgive, even the worst offenders. It is also, perhaps, a new and enlightening way to understand
...more
Heartwarming
If you like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and want to read a different angle of the story with similar themes, this novella is for you. Beautifully composed with another reminder of what’s truly important in life and perhaps beyond.
If you like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and want to read a different angle of the story with similar themes, this novella is for you. Beautifully composed with another reminder of what’s truly important in life and perhaps beyond.
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