A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens(Formal Buddy Read Starts 12/1/23)

[Anabella Shay Xo(RomanceBookWormXoXo)]

A mean-spirited, miserly old man named Ebenezer Scrooge sits in his counting-house on a frigid Christmas Eve. His clerk, Bob Cratchit, shivers in the anteroom because Scrooge refuses to spend money on heating coals for a fire. Scrooge's nephew, Fred, pays his uncle a visit and invites him to his annual Christmas party. Two portly gentlemen also drop by and ask Scrooge for a contribution to their charity. Scrooge reacts to the holiday visitors with bitterness and venom, spitting out an angry "Bah! Humbug!" in response to his nephew's "Merry Christmas!"

Later that evening, after returning to his dark, cold apartment, Scrooge receives a chilling visitation from the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley, looking haggard and pallid, relates his unfortunate story. As punishment for his greedy and self-serving life his spirit has been condemned to wander the Earth weighted down with heavy chains. Marley hopes to save Scrooge from sharing the same fate. Marley informs Scrooge that three spirits will visit him during each of the next three nights. After the wraith disappears, Scrooge collapses into a deep sleep.

He wakes moments before the arrival of the Ghost of Christmas Past, a strange childlike phantom with a brightly glowing head. The spirit escorts Scrooge on a journey into the past to previous Christmases from the curmudgeon's earlier years. Invisible to those he watches, Scrooge revisits his childhood school days, his apprenticeship with a jolly merchant named Fezziwig, and his engagement to Belle, a woman who leaves Scrooge because his lust for money eclipses his ability to love another. Scrooge, deeply moved, sheds tears of regret before the phantom returns him to his bed.

JiggSaw Puzzle- https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play...

[Karen]

I will join this Buddy Read.

[Anabella Shay Xo(RomanceBookWormXoXo)]

Wonderful Karen. Thanks for joining us.

[Truitt_T]

I'm in!

[Erica]

Have to do it.

[Aoife]

I've never actually read this! Will grab a copy from the library & join in :)

[Karen]

I don't know how many times I have read this book. Some years, I have only read the first part. I love the beginning paragraphs: (view spoiler)[ "Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail". Then in a further paragraph: "There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story that I am going to relate." (hide spoiler)]

[Tr1sha]

Karen wrote: "I don't know how many times I have read this book. Some years, I have only read the part. I love the beginning paragraphs: [spoilers removed]"

I only read the book for the first time after joining Goodreads, but have read it a few times now. I watched the George C Scott film version again when it was televised a few days ago.

[Karen]

Tr1sha wrote: "Karen wrote: "I don't know how many times I have read this book. Some years, I have only read the part. I love the beginning paragraphs: [spoilers removed]"

I only read the book for the first time..."

Ah, the George C. Scott, is definitely one of my favorite adaptations.

[Angie ☯]

I'll be reading too!

[Sammy]

I re-read this only a couple of months ago.

As for adaptations, you cannot, cannot beat The Muppets! 😂

[Bobbi]

Would you believe I've never read it even though I played one of the ghosts my freshman year of college? I'm in.

[Shan ~A~]

I'm in. I've never read it, but the movie adaptations (live action & animated) are some of my favorite Christmas movies, especially Scrooged (featuring Bill Murray)

[Erica]

I started this tonight, read through the first chapter (marked Stave) on Marley's Ghost. I've only ever read one book by Dickens before and that was Bleak House. Probably not such a great place to start.
I'm enjoying this a lot more. Partly because I already know the story so well. But truly, Dickens' ability to capture a scene is quite something. Looking forward to each of the ghost visits. I think I'll do one a day.

[Karen]

Bleak House is one my favorite books by Dickens. I agree, A Christmas Carol is a great place to start.

[Erica]

Karen wrote: "Bleak House is one my favorite books by Dickens. I agree, A Christmas Carol is a great place to start."

I think part of my struggle with Bleak House is that I read it too slowly. I only got in a few pages a night before bed, and was overwhelmed by the number of characters. I couldn't keep track of them.

[Erica]

Finished the Ghost of Christmas Past. The description of the rollicking fun at Fezziwig's just jumps off the page at you. But the school scenes with a lonely young Scrooge are even sadder to read than when I see it on TV.

[Maritza]

This is my first time reading this classic.

[Karen]

Erica wrote: "Finished the Ghost of Christmas Past. The description of the rollicking fun at Fezziwig's just jumps off the page at you. But the school scenes with a lonely young Scrooge are even sadder to read t..."

The Fezziwig Christmas is one of my favorite scenes in the book. I just finished it as well.

One of the things that I like so much about this scene is that Scrooge was a part of a benevolent work environment, and he could have emulated it himself.

I particularly noticed this time reading this section, of who Fezziwig invited to the party: an office worker, who they think wasn't getting enough to live on, and so hungry.

[Erica]

Karen wrote: "Erica wrote: "Finished the Ghost of Christmas Past. The description of the rollicking fun at Fezziwig's just jumps off the page at you. But the school scenes with a lonely young Scrooge are even sa..."

That struck me too - Fezziwig was so kind and inclusive of all. It's interesting that Dickens leaves to the imagination what transformed Scrooge from that young man to the one who favors money over love and family.

[Karen]

I finished it. I took my time with it this time, instead of racing through. I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it again, to love it all over again.

[Shan ~A~]

So far, I've read Stave 1 and 2. When Jacob Marley first appears he is filled with disbelief, but seriously who wouldn't be if someone they knew and was now long dead comes back with a warning.

It's hard for me to keep the things I've seen in movies out of my head, but I've been so surprised by the emotions shown by Scrooge when he gets to experience scenes from his past.

I find it strange that Scrooge did experience some kindness in his past, from his sister and from Fezziwig and company, but he chose a different path. A path of greed, where money and power are more important than showing kindness.

Still, from that very first visit to the past, you start to see that hard shell of his crack.

[Erica]

from that very first visit to the past, you start to see that hard shell of his crack

So true!!

[Karen]

@Shan ~A~

I completely agree. I imagine the characters as they are portrayed in the adaptations (particularly the George C. Scott and Alistair Sim versions, 1984 and 1951, respectfully). I hear the narrator's voice in my head. I think it enhances the story.

[Aoife]

Erica wrote: "Finished the Ghost of Christmas Past. The description of the rollicking fun at Fezziwig's just jumps off the page at you. But the school scenes with a lonely young Scrooge are even sadder to read t..."

i agree, it really sets the tone of the section. The happiness is there, it kinda feels like the innocence of childhood

[Aoife]

Shan ~A~ wrote: "So far, I've read Stave 1 and 2. When Jacob Marley first appears he is filled with disbelief, but seriously who wouldn't be if someone they knew and was now long dead comes back with a warning.

I..."

if someone from my past appeared as a ghost I think I would believe I had died first before anything else!

[Aoife]

Had started this last night and just about to finish Stave 3 now. I'm pleasantly surprised! I wasn't sure how I would find Dickens' writing but I'm very happily enjoying the flow and prose in this

[Shan ~A~]

Aoife wrote: "Had started this last night and just about to finish Stave 3 now. I'm pleasantly surprised! I wasn't sure how I would find Dickens' writing but I'm very happily enjoying the flow and prose in this"

I agree. I have been reluctant to start any of his works, even though I've always wanted to, for this very reason.

After this I feel better about moving forward with his work.

[Shan ~A~]

Aoife wrote: "Shan ~A~ wrote: "if someone from my past appeared as a ghost I think I would believe I had died first before anything else!..."

I think I'd be a blubbering mess. I see it so vividly in my head...rolling around crying like a nut. 🤣

[Shan ~A~]

I finished the book this morning. I enjoyed it. I actually wanted more. I wish there had been more of Bob and his family and even more of Scrooge's background with his sister and father. Even so, I was satisfied.

I kept wondering if there would have been a change in Scrooge if he hadn't had all three visits. Would just going to the past have been enough (or either of the three) or did he need them all to see the picture of his life clearly.

Or with just one would have assumed it was just a dream and kept going on the same course? I wonder if someone could make a what if episode about this or write an alternative book where things didn't go to plan. Maybe the ghost didn't show him the correct things to make him want to change.

I'm going now or I'll end up filling the page with my musings.

[Catsalive]

I have just started reading & realise it's been over 40 years since last I perused it. I, too, have oft wondered why a doornail is more dead than any other nail or, indeed, other items of ironmongery in general 😃

[Karen]

Interesting perspective. It seemed as though Scrooge was already changing.

[Aoife]

Catsalive wrote: "I have just started reading & realise it's been over 40 years since last I perused it. I, too, have oft wondered why a doornail is more dead than any other nail or, indeed, other items of ironmonge..."

not sure you want an answer but nails used to be hammered into doors and then never be able to be used again. the way you had to get them in (kinda smooth so thet weren't cutting people) meant they were useless when you took them out - so I had been told by my mech lab tech in college! not sure how accurate but it made sense to me lol

[Aoife]

Shan ~A~ wrote: "I finished the book this morning. I enjoyed it. I actually wanted more. I wish there had been more of Bob and his family and even more of Scrooge's background with his sister and father. Even so, I..."

I think he needed all three, and I think the order was important to get the point across to him. He had to go backwards to remember his past and the kindness from others then see how he's currently affecting people and when he sees how it all ends it's the push to change what is going to happen.

If he only got one I don't think he would have seen the bigger picture

[Erica]

I agree Aoife. I finished Stave 3 last night. Enjoying taking this one slowly and thinking it may be a new tradition to read it every year.

There were a few scenes in Stave 3 that I don't recall from watching it, and a few places where I'm not entirely clear on the language. But still really enjoying this and will add Dickens to my list of authors I want to read more of. Oliver Twist will be next!

[Christina T]

I finished this the other day and am pretty sure I fell asleep while listening 😆. I opted to listen to the Tim Curry narration and it was fantastic. I'm probably going to have to give it another listen though because I'm not sure how much was part of the book and how much was in my head planted there by my own imagination while maybe dreaming.

[Christina T]

Ok just listened to the first Stave again and loved the door nail debate. A coffin nail does seem to be rather final but I had to go and look it up. Aoife's source looks to be correct. https://youtu.be/1JOwfKLdRt8?si=ocYP8...
This video explains and demonstrates the "killing" of a nail. On a side note the Narrator of this video doesn't appear to have any passion for his knowledge. Such a shame as this type of "useless" knowledge is right up my alley. I've got a whole head full of stuff like this but please don't ask me memory based things like a list from memory of all the state's capitals. I had to purge that info to make way for things like "there are 7139 different languages spoken in the world." 🤷‍♀️

[Catsalive]

Thankyou, polymaths, for the great doornail discussion. 😃

[Angie ☯]

I'm reading today.

I think I've only ever read this and The Chimes by Dickens. Odd that they are so similar! I feel like Dickens was trying to reinforce the message.

The Chimes features a poor man who is visited by ghosts/spirits on New Year's Eve to restore his faith in humanity.

Has anyone read this one? Did you find it similar or with the same message as A Christmas Carol?

[Catsalive]

I got the giggles at this little piece of imagery: "Scrooge was not much in the habit of cracking jokes, nor did he feel, in his heart, by any means waggish then." No, poor old Ebenezer wasn't one for frivol or japery, especially at that point of the tale, & it still makes me smile. By the end, he may have been up for any number of larks, I suppose.

Victorians would, undoubtedly, have taken this very much to heart. They were very much into spiritualism & morality tales, so this would have been just the ticket. That said, it would also have been the perfect breeding ground for the likes of Scrooge & Morley in the dark days of early industrialisation. Mind you, we haven't progressed very far if the number of sweatshops still in existence is to be believed.

Such a wonderful way with language has Mr. Dickens. It's a joy to read. I'm so pleased to have perused it once more.

[Bobbi]

I honestly believe that if he had only been met by the past, it could have led to him feeling more embittered if he also didn't see that the same sort of warmth and humanity still existed if only he were to open his eyes (present) or else, he would end up alone (future). So so glad I read this finally

Now I need to watch the old Disney movie with Mickey as Bob and Scrooged.

[Angie ☯]

I agree with Aoife and Bobbi.

I don't think any one of the ghosts would have had the same impact on him; he needed to see all three (past, present, future) to understand.

[Catsalive]

I agree, too. Without the sheer terror of Yet to Come he would have forgotten the impact of the Past, he'd already done it once, after all, & Present gave him something to aim for, perhaps.

[Angie ☯]

I too find it interesting that Dickens didn't elaborate on why Scrooge took the path that he did, since he had good role models in his younger life.

I've always wondered why during the ghost trek that he was so fixated on Tiny Tim and whether Tim would live. Tonight while reading that section, it struck me that Tiny Tim was probably the most joyful of all the souls around Scrooge, even though he had plenty of reasons to be bitter. I think maybe Scrooge was comparing his younger self to Tiny Tim (or my mind that tends to write out what I don't get in the book, thinks that he was close to someone that didn't live and that set Scrooge on the path to shutting out people.)

[Bobbi]

I wondered that too, Angie. Maybe he lost someone that reminded him of Tiny Tim and time made him forget the good and focus on the sad. So many possibilities though.

[Shan ~A~]

I think Dickens left Scrooge's motives up to interpretation. Why else would this man who was showed much kindness in his past (his sister, the Fezziwigs) and even in the present (Fred, Bob) be such a hard-hearted person.

He is a man who has the riches, but is poor in the ways that matter, but it's completely by his choice or because of his decisions.

I wish there was more detail surrounding his relationship with his father. It didn't seem like it was a good one, and maybe that one bad relationship discounted the others in his mind.

[Angie ☯]

Love the discussion around "dead as a doornail". I've heard that all my life, but I grew up with a father and grandfather who worked as carpenters. So, I never questioned it until now...

From the web - you really can find anything there!!
The idiom “dead as a doornail” dates back to the 1300s, and was used by William Shakespeare in the 1500s and by Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol in 1843. In use, the phrase means that something is, “not alive, truly unequivocally deceased.” But where does the phrase come from? To answer that question, the video below takes a look at the history of carpentry. When nails had to be made by hand, they were a valued commodity, and often had a lifespan much longer than the thing they were used to build. The video notes stories of houses being burned down, just to recover the nails that were used in their construction. In building doors, however, nails were used in a way that ensured that this would be the last project in which they would ever be used, hence the phrase.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JOwf...

[Catsalive]

I think the loss of his sister combined with his love for money helped create the nasty Scrooge. Being so wealthy also meant he would have had his own way more than was good for him, & he hung out with just such another in Jacob Marley. Often, the more money people have, the more money they want, unless they get a big shock to reset & find something of more value to them. Scrooge was certainly given a good dose of mortality to bring him back to earth. Also, memory is skewed by time.

I bet Dickens knew of a few men like Scrooge in his day.

[Shan ~A~]

Catsalive wrote: "I think the loss of his sister combined with his love for money helped create the nasty Scrooge. Being so wealthy also meant he would have had his own way more than was good for him, & he hung out ..."

I don't know why I've been overlooking Marley's influence. It didn't even cross my mind, and it definitely should have.

[Aoife]

Angie ☯ wrote: "I'm reading today.

I think I've only ever read this and The Chimes by Dickens. Odd that they are so similar! I feel like Dickens was trying to reinforce the message.

The Chimes fea..."

I never heard of The Chimes but it does seem to be a theme Dickens likes to explore! Maybe the time of year also holds some significance to him with it?