The Cricket on the Hearth and Other Christmas Stories

by Charles Dickens

Dickens's delightful evocations of a Victorian Christmas include the title story, a heartwarming fable of home life; "The Holly-Tree," concerning love reclaimed at a country inn; and "The Haunted House," an entertaining account of a belligerent ghost. Combining realism and fantasy, these tales attest to their author's flair for characterization and the picturesque.

Genres: Classics, Christmas, Fiction, Short Stories, Holiday, Literature, Audiobook

118 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1859

About the author

Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.

Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.

Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.

On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dec 2015. Just reread my copy of "The Cricket on the Hearth" which has this inscription in the front "Clarence. from Aunt Grace. Xmas /98." NOT 1998. It's a gorgeous tiny old book that makes me happy just to hold it.

This a totally sappy little story about misunderstandings and repentance and love. Always delightful. Not Dickens' best, but certainly worth the hour it takes to read if only to fall into a time and circumstances we can't imagine anymore.

[Debbie Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for my seminar: I think I will have to re-read this to fully understand. I haven't read much of Dickens but I don't like how he writes. He thinks its funny to overly write and say things that are strange, makes no sense and not explain it. I decided to take my professors advice and toughen it out. It for sure needs me to puzzle it out more.


I find the themes of home to be interesting. I maybe expanding on themes of home come my seminar presentation but I need to re-read this some more.

[Thomas George Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Dickens' many talents as a writer is his gift for colorful names; in this instance it is John Perrybingle. The story involves a cricket during the Christmas Season. I found the story not of my particular interest. It was certainly a fanciful tale, but I was just unable to fully understand it.

[Elise · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was included in a Christsmas e-book anthology, among several of Charles Dickens other Christmas stories, both famous and less so.
This starts strong, with a bit of whimsy about the competition between the sound of the kettle, the cuckoo clock and a cricket. Then we are introduced to the main characters Mr and Mrs Peerybingle, and little baby Peerybingle. Dickens is always verbose, but we eventually get to the crux of the plot, that Mr. P is much older, and a malicious townsperson causes him to become jealous and think his wife might be unfaithful. He struggles with the emotion, and overcomes it, eventually finding out that Mrs P is acting as a go between for an unmarried friend whose mother wants to force her into a marriage with a wealthy scrooge-like old man Mr Tackleton.

There is a side plot about a young blind girl whose father has tried to protect her by lying to her that the cruel things Mr T does hides a soft caring heart, which causes her to idealize him and fall in love with him. She is despondent that he wants to marry someone else. But all is well at the end when her long lost brother returns and marries the young girl that Mr T tried to force into wedlock.

[Della Tingle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite quote from all three stories is found in the last sentence of the book. “Let us use the great virtue, Faith, but not abuse it; and let us put it to its best use, by having faith in the great Christmas book of the New Testament, and in one another.”

While I am very glad to have read this book, I don’t care to read it again.

[indie · Rating 3 out of 5]

weird little story - but dickens' narrative structure is pretty cool!

[David Horton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It takes an enormous dollop of patience and a deeper understanding of the Dickensian sensibilities to look back on this book and remember it as a satisfying read. As to this reader, I found myself time and again lost along the way wondering "what exactly is going on here?" There are moments of clarity, especially in The Cricket, when the story rolls out in rewarding ways as you would come to expect if you had read any of the more standard fare from Mr. Dickens. However, as in the next two shortish stories - The Holly-Tree and The Haunted House - it seemed as if the signals weren't tuning in for me, like an old black and white TV picture that phases in and out because the telescoping antennae is angled in the wrong direction. I finished the book and was happy to set it aside. Maybe I'll come back to it for The Cricket but I would probably stop there. I'll say one thing for this book and for Dickens in general; he is a master at the opening paragraph!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Winter 2020 (December);

Part of the round of this years' new seasonable classics.

I've been meaning to get to this one for ages and ages, because it was considered the favorite Christmas tale of Dicken's during his life (versus how the world currently best leans to his A Christmas Carol). Sadly, this one fell a bit flat for me, and while I did manage to get a little more invested in the last third of the book, there was no point as which I was really enthralled.

(Also, the sudden about-face toward the end by a certain character made no sense. It was very Scrooge's turn, but with absolutely no impetus to make them change and ever reason, only hours earlier that day, for that person to be filled with even more anger, spite, and hum-bug.)

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're looking for a short book to throw you in the Christmas spirit, this one isn't it. Although short, the stories were not quite what I was expecting, being more "winter time setting" stories rather than Christmas stories. Aside from that disappointment the stories were just ok for me, another disappointment considering how much I like other things he has written.

[Tanzey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A difficult read due to convoluted language ( even more than usual even for Dickens) but full of wonderful descriptions of a winter morning, country life and hopes and fears of people living in poverty but with simple joys in life. Heartwarming, loving with a couple of clever twists. I love Dickens and this short book is a worthy read.

[Jim Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three "Christmas" stories by Dickens. None of which are really "Christmas" stories in the modern sense, but all of which take place in the winter, near Christmas, etc.

"The Cricket on the Hearth," the first and by far the longest of the three, is actually very, very good. It was slow at certain points but Dickens' style throughout is just wonderful and in the end it was a sweet, touching story, very much worth the read.

The next two were not great.

The second story was alright, but meandered for no particular reason, lost the plot here and there, came around to being "okay."

The third started off alright but was borderline unreadable quickly.

So not great. But it's Christmas season, so I felt I kinda had to read some Christmas stories. And I could have done worse.

[Judine Brey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite Dickens - mostly because I don't think his style works for "short" stories. He spends a long first chapter setting up the characters and scene; the second chapter takes us on an almost unrelated story (in two-thirds of the stories, anyway) before everything is resolved in an incredibly short final chapter. Also, Christmas seemed to be peripheral to all three stories.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read The Cricket on the Hearth this time, but will return to the other stories another time. I read this for Dickens December, mostly via audiobook. I wasn't sure about it at first, but once I settled into it and mostly understood what was going on

[Jim Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories but nothing to say wow. To me, sometimes Dickens delights and keeps me reading. But other times, not so much.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine short stories. Cheerful Dickens fayre for the festive season.

[Christopher Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cricket on the Hearth was a very good story…the other two are convoluted and not very worthwhile.

[Marie Mcentire · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring Could not finish

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this 3 stars simply because it was Dickens. I think Dickens is a very talented writer, but I think he was a little off his game with this one. Wasn't impressed.... at all.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three short stories left me with 3 impressions.
Cricket: Odd but interesting. Very, very wordy, but that can be Dickens at times. What I couldn't get was where in the world Christmas played into it. The only connection I could make is that the story was published in the Christmas season. Other than that, well, whatever. A great twist at the end of the story that finally made the whole thing make sense. Some good lessons, too (if you wish), as only Dickens can write. (3 stars)

Holly: I followed this one well, even though it moved all over the place in the protagonist's memories. I loved the ending and was glad for the happiness of it all. I had hoped he was wrong anyhow. And the Christmas of this story is that it takes place at Christmas, though it never mentions the day by name. (3.5 stars)

Haunted: So far one of the funniest Dickens I've read. The first chapter was uproariously hilarious! I love Dickens talent for words and writing, especially when he throws in his wit. The second chapter I was following, but couldn't imagine where the story could be going with only a 2-page chapter left. And while I loved the ending and had hoped for it near the beginning, there is absolutely no way anyonw could tell that was what would come. It isn't related! Seriously. If you are one of those read-the-end-before-the-whole-book people, that won't help you in the slightest with this story. So while I'm still going "what?!" with the 2nd chapter, I think it just adds to the humor throughout the book. (4 stars)

Of the 3, I think my favorite was the last because of how much laughter I got from it. The second was the sweetest. And the third was the most moralistic. I suppose that's a good collection. I'm glad I read some of Dickens' other holiday works (he has several) because it added to the spirit of the season...and short stories are working me back into reading classics again. Still, for such a short book, it's embarrassing it took me this long. Oh well. Worth it for me. Though now how am I to fit in "Christmas Carol" in just 3 days before Christmas?!

Avergage rating is 3.5 stars.

[Jeanette]

"It was a heart so full of love for her; so bound up and held together by innumerable threads of winning remembrance, spun from the daily working of her many qualities of endearment; it was a heart in which she had enshrined herself so gently and so closely; a heart so single and so earnest in its Truth: so strong in right, so weak in wrong: that it could cherish neither passion nor revenge at first, and had only room to hold the broken image of its Idol." (43)

"It was under these circumstances that I resolved to go to America - on my way to the Devil." (67)


"...it's always either Yesterday with you, or else Tomorrow, and never To-day..." (89)

[Alleluialu · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cricket on the Hearth was a very entertaining story. The story of a little family, its members somewhat insecure in their relationship with each other, but a nice little family nonetheless. Yes, Dickens puts a mystery and a twist in the story that doesn't resolve itself until the end -- which I liked very much. The other stories were kind of dark and creepy -- guess Dickens was good at that, too, but I didn't like them as well. Anyway, it's always good to read a Dickens' tale at Christmastime.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has been on my list for a long time. I'm glad that I have finally read it and can take it off my list. I felt like these three stories took all the weaknesses of Dickens but few, or none, of his strengths. I wish I could say that I liked them, but I didn't really. They were overly descriptive with none of the heart of Dickens' Christmas Carol or Tale of Two Cities. I liked the Cricket on the Hearth best, but even its compassionate characters couldn't compensate for the overwrought descriptions.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't seem to understand any of dear Charlie's Christmas stories so far except A Christmas Carol. None of these were even remotely entertaining for me. In fact they were pretty weird. I'm so glad they were not the first Dickens I encountered or they might have been my last. Are these what Louisa May Alcott referred to as "potboilers"?

[Kristi Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still trying to figure out how these are considered Christmas stories. Not sure as there was really no mention of Christmas. Took a little bit to get used to the language and the stories were OK. Not my favorite but worth a days reading.

[Kathy]

We have just started this book.

[Conor O'mahony]

Light reading - not his best work

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartwarming stories I am assuming are sketches for Christmas Carol.

[William Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting Christmasy tale I had not read before. It's certainly not as good as A Christmas Carol, and some of the redemption part falls a little flat, but it's an enjoyable read.