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The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton
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The Goblins who Stole a Sexton - 6th Summer Read (hosted by Bridget)
This week we get to experience a little bit of Christmas in August. “The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton” is a Christmas ghost story, that Dickens wrote in 1836 as part of his serial publication The Pickwick Papers. In fact, it is Chapter 29 of that novel, so if you have a copy, you can find the story there. Or you can use this link.https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Pi...
This story is often credited as being the precursor to one of Dickens most famous stories A Christmas Carol, which was published in 1843. As you read it, you will probably see why. The next year (1844) Dickens wrote a second Christmas story called The Chimes, and if you read that with this group last year, you will likely see similarities with that story as well.
It’s a very quick read, and since we have only a week, I don’t plan to break it up as we have for longer stories. So, feel free to comment on any aspect of the story, as you wish
For those of us (myself included) who have not read The Pickwick Papers, here is a brief summary of how this Christmas Ghost story fits into the novel. The Pickwickians are visiting their friend, Mr. Wardle at Manor Farm for a wedding. As it is Christmas time the party atmosphere from the wedding continues for a few days. They play games, sing songs, pass around the wassail and one night after dinner someone notices it is snowing and blustery outside. This reminds Mr. Wardle’s elderly mother of a story her husband told one Christmas Eve – on just such a windy night – of how the goblins carried Gabriel Grub away. So, she proceeds to tell the story.
Here is the illustration by Hablot Knight Browne(phiz) that accompanied the original publication in 1836
SUMMARYGabriel Grub is a miserable man who works as a sexton and a gravedigger. The story starts on Christmas Eve and Gabriel Grub has one more grave to dig for tomorrow. As he walks to work, he hears the joy and merriment of Christmas around him and loathes it. As he walks down the church alley, he hears a young boy merrily singing. He corners him and beats him with his lantern.
This beating cheers Gabriel Grub up so much that he doesn’t mind his morbid work. He spends an hour at his task and takes a break to drink his gin. He calls this grave “a Christmas Box” and chuckles with a mean spirited “Ho!Ho!Ho!” But his laughter echoes back at him and he looks up to see a form that terrifies him sitting on the tombstone.
This grotesque looking figure turns out to be the King of the Goblins. He has appeared on this cold holiday night to make Gabriel Grub face his misanthropic ways. Soon Grub realizes there is a whole host of supernatural goblins who have come to claim him as their prize.
The Goblins kidnap Gabriel Grub and transport him below the earth into their subterranean cavern. They force him to drink a burning liquid and push him around. The King directs their attention to a remoter part of the cavern and a sort of magic portal shows Grub moving pictures of the lives of families and decent people. The kind of people Grub despises. He sees these people laugh, cry, suffer, love and die.
Grub remains unchanged by all these images. So, the goblins kick and beat him some more. This pattern continues over and over again until Gabriel Grub finally realizes the error of his ways and starts to feel shame at how he has acted. As he is now an altered man, the goblins start to fade away.
He wakes Christmas morning in the graveyard, and at first thinks it was all a dream, but the throbbing pain where the goblins kicked him makes him realize the night was real. Wanting a new start to his life he vanishes from town, leaving behind his lantern, spade and gin bottle which help create "legends" about what happened to him. Some say he was spirited away on a one-eyed horse with goblins in pursuit.
Ten years later Gabriel Grub returns to the town, plagued with Rheumatism from his wounds inflicted by the goblins, but contented with his poor life. Happy to live among the people he once hated.
A couple things I needed to look up . . . Sexton - in case you are wondering, a Sexton is a person hired to look after a church or a churchyard. They would sometimes be the bellringer for the church, and occasionally dig graves.
Hollands - the liquid Gabriel Grub is drinking in his "old wicker bottle" is a kind of gin that comes from the Netherlands, Belgium or Northern France. Which is probably why it's mentioned in the story that Gabriel Grub acquired the gin from some smugglers.
Mod
Charles Dickens often included interpolated tales in his works. It was quite a popular device in 19th century literature - and a little earlier too. We can imagine families sitting around the fire, at Christmas as you say, enjoying the short tales over and over again. The Pickwick Papers are episodic anyway, but include a few short stories told by the characters to each other, of which The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton is the most famous :)
To fill it out for those interested ... The Pickwick Papers was originally published in 19 monthly magazine installments, from March 1836 (as you say) to October 1837, this last being a double issue. They were then reissued in a volume as The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club: Containing a Faithful Record of the Perambulations, Peril, Travel, Adventure and Sporting Transactions of the Corresponding Members in 1839 when Charles Dickens was still only 25. They comprise humorous sketches, themselves interspersed with incidental tales, such as The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton told by minor characters.
It's as well to remember that this is where the young Charles Dickens began to cut his teeth as a writer. Dickens at the time was relatively unknown and quite poor. He was 23, and had just written various sketches about London life for magazines. The publishers Chapman and Hall asked him to write pieces in a similar vein to accompany some plates by Robert Seymour, an established illustrator. These plates were of bumbling members of a sporting club getting themselves into various predicaments. Dickens's brief was to connect them by providing a comic story, and the two parts would then form a "picture novel" - a popular entertainment of the time.
The continuing story of this is quite interesting in itself ... but maybe for another time :)
Mod
This is a lovely story in itself - an extracted episode from the whole of The Pickwick Papers - rather than an interpolated tale. It would make an ideal short Christmas read. There's still a little gap in the timetable then ;)
Ann☕ wrote: "Also, I hope it is okay to do so but I wanted to add this link to YouTube audio of an LP called "The Pickwick Papers."Actually it just contains, Mr. Pickwick's Christmas and The Goblins & the Sex..."
Thank you for sharing that link, Ann. It's really a marvelous recording. The voice work by the actors is wonderful. I didn't have time to listen to the whole thing, but I liked hearing Gabril chuckle about the grave being a Christmas Box and then his Ho, ho, ho. He's so delighted in the suffering and sadness of others.
I also liked listening to the scene where Gabriel Grub hits the boy with his lantern. That part of the story jumped out at me the first time I read it, and I had the same reaction listening to the recording. I keep thinking it shows how mean Gabriel Grub is, because even Ebenezer Scrooge doesn't beat any of the children, he encounters on his way home. In some ways Gabriel is a much meaner man.
Bionic Jean wrote: "Thanks so much for the excellent background and summary, Bridget :)Charles Dickens often included interpolated tales in his works. It was quite a popular device in 19th century li..."
Thank you, Jean, for filling in some the history behind the The Pickwick Papers. I found myself very curious about The Pickwick Papers as I researched the Goblin story. Though you can read the The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton without ever knowing about The Pickwick Papers, it's so much more interesting to put them in context with each other.
One bit I wasn't sure about as I researched (and which I think is still pertinent to this story) is it true that Charles Dickens and Hablot Knight Browne met each other while they both worked on The Pickwick Papers? Or had they known each other already?
Ann☕ wrote: "Edited: My apologies to Bridget for going a little off topic here."No apologies necessary, Ann. It's very hard to seperate The Goblin Story from the other similar stories in The Pickwick Papers. And bringing them up highlights some of the writing methods a very young Charles Dickens was using at the time. This is also important when you think of the context of this Goblin story serving as the basis of much more mature works that would come later, namely A Christmas Carol
Mod
Yes that's true, sort of, though it was because of Charles Dickens that they met. I can see I do have to fill in a little more of the Robert Seymour tragedy ... maybe it's not that off-topic :)
Robert Seymour was an established figure in the Art World of the time, and Charles Dickens was pretty much a nobody - but incredibly ambitious at just 23 years old!
When he was offered the chance to make this "picture story", writing sketches around Robert Seymour's etchings, Charles Dickens was quite excited by the idea, but straightaway started to alter the plan. In his own words, he:
"objected ... that it would be infinitely better for the plates to arise naturally out of the text; and that I would like to take my own way, with a freer range of English scenes and people, and was afraid I should ultimately do so in any case, whatever course I might prescribe to myself at starting."
One can only imagine how presumptuous this must have sounded! Robert Seymour was 38 years old and had already illustrated the works of William Shakespeare, John Milton, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, and William Wordsworth. He was a talented artist who had been exhibited at the Royal Academy over a decade earlier when he was just 24. He was on his way to becoming the President of the Royal Academy, and thought to be one of the greatest artists since William Hogarth. You might remember him from our reading of Charles Dickens's favourite novel, The Adventures of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.
Despite all this, Charles Dickens got his way, and led the episodes by the story. He evidently must have a been a charismatic and forceful character even at this young age! Only now of course, do we know the true extent of the brilliance of the man. Ironically and tragically Robert Seymour committed suicide before the second issue of The Pickwick Papers was published. He had a few drinks with Charles Dickens, delivered his latest sketch of "The Dying Clown" to the publishers, then went home and shot himself. This was in April 1836. There are many speculations about this - we can only imagine that conversation - and there were further developments, but sticking to what happened next for The Pickwick Papers ...
Charles Dickens, having "sold" his idea to the publishers, then went to look for someone else to illustrate The Pickwick Papers. He found Robert William Buss, who was then commissioned to illustrate the third instalment, but Charles Dickens decided he didn't like his work.
So he advertised for another artist and two artists arrived: Hablot Knight Browne and William Makepeace Thackeray (yes, the author!) Both visited the publishers' office with specimens of their work for Charles Dickens's inspection. He preferred Hablot Knight Browne's work. Hablot Knight Browne's first two etched plates for The Pickwick Papers were signed "Nemo", but the third was signed "Phiz".
So that's how Hablot Knight Browne came to draw the fantastic illustration of Gabriel Grub you shared with us, Bridget :) In fact all the remaining installments were illustrated by Hablot Knight Browne having taken the name "Phiz" to accompany the penname Dickens had already made his own, "Boz". And as we know, Hablot Knight Browne was to go on to illustrate most of Charles Dickens's novels.
As a side note, Robert William Buss oddly did not take offence at being given the push by Charles Dickens, and went on to paint the remarkable painting we have in the other threads, called "Dickens' Dream".
Definitely a precursor to A Christmas Carol but I did like the imagery in this story particularly the goblins leapfrogging the gravestones while the church organ plays.I’ve read Pickwick ages ago so didn’t remember this story.
In "A Christmas Carol" the ghosts work in a more psychological manner, but the goblins in the Sexton story are very violent - while telling Grub that he shouldn't be violent. I'm glad you chose this story, Bridget, so we can see the differences between the young Dickens and the older writer.
Bionic Jean wrote: "Bridget wrote: "One bit I wasn't sure about as I researched (and which I think is still pertinent to this story) is it true that Charles Dickens and Hablot Knight Browne met each other while they b..."Thank you, Jean, for filling in the story of Robert Seymour. He is mentioned by John Forster in his biography of Dickens, but in true gentlemanly fashion he doesn't go into details about how Seymour died. It's such a sad tragedy, and as you say we will never know what happened in that conversation. But I am glad that Phiz and Boz found each other.
Janelle wrote: "Definitely a precursor to A Christmas Carol but I did like the imagery in this story particularly the goblins leapfrogging the gravestones while the church organ plays.I’ve read Pickwick ages ago ..."
That is one of my favorite parts as well, Janelle. I love how the church lights up, the organ starts playing and then the goblins appear - as if the King of Goblins is magically making it happen. And the goblins have this supernatural aspect to them leaping quickly, and so high almost without breathing. The King of the Goblins is the most magical, as he is able to leap family vaults, iron railings and all, with as much ease as if they had been so many street–posts
Connie wrote: "In "A Christmas Carol" the ghosts work in a more psychological manner, but the goblins in the Sexton story are very violent - while telling Grub that he shouldn't be violent. As Dickens matured, he..."I'm so glad you like it, Connie. I think of this story the same as you. It's like a little seed in Dickens head that blooms into an even more beautiful plant later on.
Not that this story isn't good on it's own. Like Janelle mentioned, the imagery is wonderful, even though its violent. I particularly liked
The snow lay hard and crisp upon the ground; and spread over the thickly–strewn mounds of earth, so white and smooth a cover that it seemed as if corpses lay there, hidden only by their winding sheets
Comparing snow on the ground to sheets covering corpses is so gruesome, but wonderful all at the same time. It's one of the reasons I love Dickens, when he surprises me with his imagery.
Ann☕ wrote: "This was a great choice, Bridget! I really liked this story and could see some similarities to what would eventually be included in A Christmas Carol. The violence of the story shocked me me a li..."
Ann, I'm so glad you are reading all three of these Christmas chapters from The Pickwick Papers. I love that they were published together in a book. I've only read the first two - the Goblin Story and the one preceding it, but now I want to go and read the next chapter too.
It's interesting (maybe) that these three chapters (28-30) we are talking about arrive at the center of the Pickwick Papers. I read some analysis that thinks this is no accident, that the story of Gabriel Grub serves as a mirror image to the story of Mr. Pickwick.
Mod
I also enjoyed the Pickwick chapters bracketing the tale as I enjoyed most of the other chapters in Pickwick that entailed social gatherings. Those that include alcohol consumption were my favorite. In comparing this tale and The Christmas Carol, note how this is more suited to the oral ghost story rendition as was the case in Pickwick where the idea is to emotionally excite the audience. In such cases the exaggerated violence reads much worse to our ears as it would sound to the listeners expecting to be thrilled. This post presumes the story to be of the type of ghost story thriller told at family gatherings at Christmas during this time.
I liked Ann's suggestion about reading the chapters in the Pickwick Papers that proceed and follow "The Goblins who Stole a Sexton." The Sexton story is enjoyable as a stand-alone work. However, it's also interesting to see how it fits in with a Christmas visit to Dingley Dell and to sample some of Dickens' humor in the Pickwick Papers.Mr Pickwick goes out of his way to be kind to everyone during his stay at Dingley Dell and the Christmas wedding. He adds fun and happiness to the occasion with his good spirit. Bridget's comment that the story of Gabriel Grub serves as a mirror image to the story of Mr Pickwick can be seen in just these three chapters!
I have never read "The Pickwick Papers." I encourage anyone that hasn't read the book to read Jean's wonderful review to get a sense of the story.
Mod
It has been many years since I read The Pickwick Papers, but Dingley Dell is one of the stories that remains in my mind because I also had it in a Christmas collection that my sisters and I read from yearly. I love the idea of Grub as a mirror image of Pickwick (who makes me think of Fezziwig from A Christmas Carol). The images the goblins show Grub also conjure up The Cratchits and Tiny Tim. It is quite fun to see how this idea germinated in Dickens' mind and finally fleshed itself out in A Christmas Carol.
I also could not help thinking there was a Washington Irving influence here. Many of the descriptions and elements made me think of Rip Van Winkle. That story was published in 1819 and I was sure Dickens would have been familiar with it. In fact, a bit of quick research provided me with an interesting fact I want to explore when I have the time. Apparently one of the reasons Dickens wanted to come to America in 1842 was to meet Irving and there is some controversy over whether they got on or had an argument at that meeting that severed the friendship.
Sorry if this seems off topic, but I felt the influence of Irving in this story was palpable.
Mod
I never got past the first few chapters of Volume II, Jean, and I really need to get back and finish. There are so many interesting details Forster gives us!I had meant to remark on the imagery discussion, because I also felt overlaying the organ music on the goblins freaky tumbling that almost conjured dancing was marvelous. And, the illustration is another wonderful piece. Dickens writes small pieces with the same brilliance of detail that he gives to longer ones.
Sara (taking a break) wrote: "It has been many years since I read The Pickwick Papers, but Dingley Dell is one of the stories that remains in my mind because I also had it in a Christmas collection that my sisters and I read fr..."Sarah, I'm so glad you noticed the Washington Irving connection too. The way the "legend" of Gabiel Grub evolves around his disappearance, all the items he left behind and his being whisked away on a blind horse reminded me so much of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. Though of course the story reminds me of Rip Van Winkle too, as you mentioned.
There are many connections between Dickens and Irving, that are potentially germain to this Goblin story. Dickens was only 8 years old when Washington Irving published his The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Canyon, Gent. Pseud. , which is the collection of stories that contains Rip Van Winkle and Sleepy Hollow. When people think of Washington Irving now, they tend to associate him with Halloween, but I suspect Dickens associated him more with Christmas.
That is because The Sketch Book also contains many stories revolving around it's narrator experiencing and praising a true English country Christmas at Bracebridge Hall. In 1841, Dickens wrote to Irving saying "I wish to travel with you… down to Bracebridge Hall" . In Irving’s early sketch, readers can find the foundations of Dickens’ beloved scene from “Christmas Past,” a scene that artists and filmmakers have since seized upon as the quintessence of the English holiday. If we look harder, we can also find the ancestors of Dickens’ jolly Fezziwig family or even Mr. Pickwick in Squire Bracebridge and his hospitable clan. I find that all fascinating, because Charles Dickens did so much to create the Christmas we experience today in Western culture, but apparently, he got his inspiration from Washington Irving. And it is in this little Goblin story that we can see the beginning of that influcence.
If you are interested in learning more about the friendship between Dickens and Irving, here is a link to a brief description of what may have happened between them.
https://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/the-...
While we are talking about Washington Irving, here is one more interesting fact. Washington Irving wrote and published The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Canyon, Gent. Pseud. in 1819-1820 while living in Birmingham, England. He had not yet been to the Catskills Mountains in New York, even though his two most famous stories (Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle) were set there.This doesn't really have anything to do with our Goblin story, but I found it fascinating that a quintessential American story was actually written and published in England. And that also makes it very plausible that Dickens as a young boy would have encountered these stories.
Sam wrote: "I also enjoyed the Pickwick chapters bracketing the tale as I enjoyed most of the other chapters in Pickwick that entailed social gatherings. Those that include alcohol consumption were my favorite..."Sam, I like your thoughts about this goblin story being suited for an oral tradition. I can easily imagine the thrilling nature of the violence in this story when it is read aloud. Just listening to the recording link that Ann provided message #7 is proof enough of the truth of your thoughts.
Mod
The blog post is interesting but I suspect rather biased, with gaps. Charles Dickens's trip to the States in 1842 did end badly, but this was mainly to do with the lack of copyright. Yet the author does not mention this all! Charles Dickens was appalled the lack of laws to control such theft, and campaigned - not only for himself but on behalf of all writers - since so many of his and others' stories had been stolen. I know several prominent American writers banded together and was pleased he was doing this. I'm not sure whether Washington Irving was involved, but I do know that whereas Charles Dickens was prepared to be outspoken and condemnatory about this issue, although some were hesitant to do this themselves and "rock the boat". John Forster describes all this, naming people, and says how incensed Charles Dickens was that so little was done straightaway.
The blog post is also a little misleading as it does not mention Charles Dickens's 2nd visit in 1867-8, which was a huge success.
Here's a fuller account: https://victorianweb.org/authors/dick...
Mod
Most of the folk tales English children read are European.
Bridget, thank you so much for doing this research (and saving me the precious time taken to do it myself). Also pleased to know that you could see that connection to the Irving works, as I did. I had read another article that implied they had a falling out by the end of the visit and that was the explanation for the sudden stop in correspondence. I don't imagine we will ever really know for sure what transpired between the two, but the cutting remarks of Irving's do imply a breach and not just a waning interest. It certainly makes sense that any of the American authors he met might have been surprised by how he speaks of Americans in Martin Chuzzlewit in very unflattering terms. Of course, I do not doubt that he was just being truthful in his view of what he had seen...all that tobacco spitting would have left a sour taste for me as well... and America at this time was generally regarded as much less refined than Europe, even in her larger and more progressive cities. I find it very interesting that Irving might have influenced Dickens' Christmas themes, since we do think of Dickens and Christmas as forever linked. I apologize again if this seems like a side-track, but I find these connections fascinating.
Jean, I think the blog account was meant strictly to deal with the Dickens-Irving friendship and might explain why there is no discussion of the other elements of Dickens' trip. It would be interesting to know which of the authors Dickens saw on the first trip were visited again on the second. I really, really need to get back to the Forster!
Mod
Oh yes I realise that, but she did actually have a paragraph about Charles Dickens and America, which was sketchy and opinionated, leaving readers with an inaccurate impression. I'm putting the rest under a spoiler as Bridget made some really great points about Washington Irving and Gabriel Grub, and I don't want to divert the thread!
(view spoiler)
Thank you Bridget for choosing this story! I’ve also not read The Pickwick Papers but would certainly love to at some point. The illustration is wonderful. I can understand why Dickens loved Phiz’s work. The goblin matches his description to a tee! I can’t stop thinking about how young he was when he wrote this -25! And by the time he wrote A Christmas Carol he truly honed the ideas we readily see in this story.
Thanks for your research into the connections with Irving. The similarities with Rip Van Winkle are very interesting. In this story the King of the goblins and his courtiers seem to be trying Gabriel for his “crime” of meanness and uncheerfulness especially at Christmas. I noticed some of the same themes used with Scrooge - another Tiny Tim and Cratchitt family as Sara mentioned. This was a great story.
I've been wanting to join in another short read since the Signalman, and was glad that this Story of the Goblins is in my collection of Dickens' Short Fiction. Like others, I found the violence cringe-inducing, and it seemed incongruous to have such malicious creatures cure Grub of his malice. The goblins were almost demonic, taking Grub deep into a cavern in the earth and forcing him to drink liquid fire, as though in hell. In a way they are a reflection of himself. But the goblins showing him images of a dead child as an angel to change his ways, felt jarring in contrast to their blows and screeching laughter at Grub's pain.I really enjoyed the moments of comic relief, such as Grub, when questioned about his bottle, wondering if the goblin 'might be in the excise department of the goblins.' The comparisons of the goblins to courtiers also amused me. The goblin king's pointed collar reminded me of a court jester. It was so interesting to see how Dickens developed the roles of the ghosts in A Christmas Carol, compared to this earlier work.
Mod
It's so good to see you here for this read Vanessa :) Yes Charles Dickens is the only author (for me) who can successfully combine the comic with the gruesome :/
Lori wrote: "Thank you Bridget for choosing this story! I’ve also not read The Pickwick Papers but would certainly love to at some point. The illustration is wonderful. I can understand why Dick..."
I'm so glad you liked it, Lori. Your observations about Phiz's illustration being exactly what Dickens wrote are great. Its so true. Phiz was so good at capturing the smallest details from the writing.
Vanessa wrote: "I've been wanting to join in another short read since the Signalman, and was glad that this Story of the Goblins is in my collection of Dickens' Short Fiction. Like others, I found the violence cri..."I'm so glad you joined us, Vanessa. I liked your observation about the juxtaposition of these mean creatures turning Gabriel Grub back towards goodness. I felt that too. I thought it was interesting that the second vision Grub saw was of Nature, and the wholesome cheerfulness one can find in those spaces. I guess that struck a personal note for me. I'm always in a good mood after a long walk outside.
Here is another illustration by Phiz. This one appeared in an 1873 edition of Household Words, at least according to The Victorian Web.
And here is an illustration by a famous American illustrator, Thomas Nast. His illustration appeared in an American reprinting of the story sometime in the 1870's.
Here's a link to the Victorian Web page that talks about these illustrations.
https://www.victorianweb.org/art/illu...
Mod
I hadn't seen this illustration! You've made my day, Bridget :)
Bionic Jean wrote: "Wasn't Thomas Nast the illustrator whose drawing of Santa Claus is the one we now think of? I hadn't seen this illustration! You've made my day :)"
Yes, you are right - he did create the Santa Claus drawing we think of today!
He also created 52 illustrations for the 1873 American printing of The Pickwick Papers in the "Household Edition". Its' so close to Dickens "Household Words", I'm guessing Dickens would have hated that!
And I'm thrilled that I've made your day. That makes my day!!
Mod
I wonder ... you might be right, because Charles Dickens was (rightly) so sensitive to any theft of his works. But then I was taught as a child not to worry if anyone copies me, because "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". If this took no revenue away from him, but only alerted more folk to "Household Words", perhaps he would not mind? (Clutching at straws a bit here!)
I just love that illustration in your comment 42, Bridget! Phiz has made the goblins' legs look like frogs' legs so I can imagine them playing leap frog in the story. The Sexton looks like he doesn't know what hit him after drinking the bottle of gin and dealing with the goblins. Thanks for sharing all the illustrations.
Thank you, Bridget. The illustrations are amazing.
Bridget wrote: "Here is another illustration by Phiz. This one appeared in an 1873 edition of Household Words, at least according to The Victorian Web."
Thanks so much for these additional illustrations, Bridget. This one is quite different from Phiz' original illustration. There's something irreverently funny about a goblin leap-frogging over a tombstone inscribed 'Sacred to the memory of...' He captures Dickens' skill that Jean mentioned -- combining the grim with the comic.
Thanks Ann for linking the Boris Karloff narration of the tale. I enmoyed that. Bridget, it was nice that you linked the multiple illustrations since my copy only had one,
Thanks for introducing us to this story, Bridget. I'll be thinking about it next Christmas if I reread "The Christmas Carol."
Mod
I'll leave it current for a few days to allow for any more comments, before moving it to the "short reads" folder (where it may garner some more).
Thank you everyone for reading along and sharing your thoughts. This was very fun!
Dickensians!
Books mentioned in this topic
The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton (other topics)The Pickwick Papers (other topics)
Rip Van Winkle (other topics)
The Pickwick Papers (other topics)
A Christmas Carol (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Charles Dickens (other topics)Charles Dickens (other topics)
Charles Dickens (other topics)
Washington Irving (other topics)
John Forster (other topics)
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This read is hosted by Bridget.