A Christmas Carol
Written by Charles Dickens
Narrated by Timothy Ackroyd
4/5
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About this audiobook
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was born in 1812 and grew up in poverty. This experience influenced ‘Oliver Twist’, the second of his fourteen major novels, which first appeared in 1837. When he died in 1870, he was buried in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey as an indication of his huge popularity as a novelist, which endures to this day.
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Reviews for A Christmas Carol
5,567 ratings235 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My uncle sat me down one Christmas eve past - me, a restless pre-teen brat - and made me take turns with him, reading this book aloud. "Kinda BO-ring and hokey," I thought, "It's Christmas time, I get it." But my uncle had been a sailor. He knew about messages in bottles thrown from ships at sea. Fifty years later, I recall this incident with tears. And somewhere, adrift in The Ether, Dickens nudges my uncle, points at me and winks.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Inhaltsangabe:Ebener Scrooge ist ein reicher Kaufmann, der aus ärmlichen Verhältnissen stammt. Seit dem Tod seines Geschäftsparnters Marley ist er noch geiziger, noch kaltherziger und garstiger geworden. Und die Weihnachtszeit ist ihm sowieso ein Greuel, denn das bedeutet, das sein Kommis Cratchit einen bezahlten freien Tag bekommt.Doch am Abend vor Weihnachten bekommt Scrooge plötzlich Besuch: Den Geist von Marley. Marley kündigt ihm den Besuch von drei Geistern an: den Geist der vergangenen, der gegenwärtigen und zukünftigen Weihnacht. Und Marley mahnt ihn, sich sehr bald zu ändern, denn sonst würde ihm das gleiche Schicksal ereilt wie ihm.Mit schlotternden Knien erwartet Scrooge die Geister und macht sich mit ihnen auf eine Reise, die ihn für immer verändern.Mein Fazit:Eine bezaubernde Weihnachtsgeschichte, die heute traditionell einfach nicht mehr fehlen darf, weder als Buch noch im Fernsehen. Schon mehrfach verfilmt, strahlt die Geschichte immer wieder eine Botschaft aus: Es ist Weihnachten, habe Mitleid, praktiziere Nächstenliebe und schieb den Groll beiseite.Charles Dickens bedient sich dabei einer sehr bildlichen Sprache, beweist zuweilen trockenen Humor und zeigt ohne mahnenden Zeigefinger die Mißstände in der zwei-Klassen-Gesellschaft auf, die damals in England herrschten und im Grunde zeitlos überall bis heute vorherrschen. Deshalb hat diese Geschichte ihren wahren Charakter bis heute nicht verloren und kann noch viele weitere Generationen zu Weihnachten erzählt werden.Dies ist eigentlich eher eine Kindergeschichte, aber ich denke, auch -oder gerade- Erwachsene haben etwas davon. Ich kann es immer wieder empfehlen. Trotz der an einigen Stellen holprigen Sprache (ist ja auch schon 160 Jahre alt) kann man es ganz gut verstehen.Von mir bekommt das Buch 4,5 von 5 Sternchen.Anmerkung: Die Rezension stammt aus Dezember 2009.Veröffentlicht am 22.12.15!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This feels more like a book Dickens discovered than one that he wrote. Worth re-reading every few years.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This feels more like a book Dickens discovered than one that he wrote. Worth re-reading every few years.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 8th of Dickens' 24 major works, and the 1st of his 5 "Christmas novellas".... well, this is just wonderful, isn't it? Next to the characters of Oliver Twist, Scrooge and his ghosts - not to mention that little brat Tim - must be the most well-known Dickensians of our cultural consciousness. This is just first-class stuff, showcasing Dickens' skill for shorter fiction. Scrooge is perhaps Dickens' first real character. No, he's no Emma Bovary, I'll admit. But the short bursts we get of his life, combined with the ultimate causes of his change, give more insight than we saw in Oliver, Nicholas, Nell, and Barnaby. I think every person in the Western world has read this novella but, if you haven't, what are you waiting for? (The other four Christmas novellas... yeah, not so much.)
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5First time I've actually read the story. Well worth it, if only for those little details the movies might miss...And replete with messages for the current debt crisis :-)
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Christmas Carol is Decembers book club choice so ive left it to read over the Christmas period. However also over Christmas on the tv there has been several versions of the classic, from Alistar Simm to The Muppets. My husband I think has watched every one.So sitting down to read the book I felt I had already read it. I have read Charles Dickens twice before and both times have enjoyed but found hard going. This book I found easier. The story is timeless and is the Christmas story that everyone knows.The book is sure to bring out the Christmas spirit when read. I give the story five stars quite easily, I just wished I could have read it before the many versions on tv appeared.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A timeless classic, especially around Christmas time. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge, I believe is well known to all. It is funny to me, however, that we choose to remember Ebenezer as the former, stingy, selfish individual instead of the man he had been transformed into by his experience. This book has taught me to look at things a bit differently. Now, I look upon Ebenezer as the man who always kept Christmas well in his heart all year long instead of the old decrepid man who hated Christmas.
I gave this book 8 stars only for the fact that I feel we are losing something in translation. The language of the book is eloquent. However, I felt that there were phrases listed that meant something in the old English that have lost their translation today.
The positives about this book is that the story is timeless, creative and world reknown. Charles Dickens obviously meant this story to be told to future generations because in his writing, you are taken back in time to old world England. His descriptions of the surroundings and the characters are vivid. It truly was a pleasure to read this story.
If you have the time to sit down with this classic, I highly recommend it. Better yet, read it to your kids if applicable, they will love it!
Flyinfox - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a great performance of a wonderful classic.
I think there are few people who don't know the story: Ebenezer Scrooge, tight-fisted businessman who calls Christmas a humbug and has no use for charity or kindness, goes home on Christmas Eve, and is visited by the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley warns him of the fate he has been forging for himself by caring only for business and not for other people, but promises him he has one last chance at salvation.
He will be visited by three spirits: the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Be. Scrooge is not delighted at this news, but it's not a choice for him. The spirits are coming.
Tim Curry animates the characters with power, flexibility, and control. We feel the chill of Scrooge's office, and rooms, and heart, and correspondingly the warmth of his nephew's home and heart, as well as Bob Cratchit's home, heart, and family. We hear, and thereby see and feel, the hardships of Victorian London, as well as its life and color.
This is a great way to enjoy this wonderful classic of the Christmas season.
Recommended.
I received this book free as a member of the Ford Audiobook Club. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It's kind of weird to imagine how I can completely have avoided this book and any adaptations thereof, but up to now, I have. It's one of those things I've always meant to get round to, but never have until now -- at least in the book form: I'm not much one for sitting and watching things. Really I only got round to it because I realised I had the free ebook downloaded, and I wanted something quick and easy to read, even though this isn't exactly the appropriate time of year... I wouldn't normally describe Dickens as "quick and easy", but A Christmas Carol really isn't bad. The style isn't too overwrought. There are sections of thick description, but the whole thing has an easy tone, starting right at the beginning:
Mind! I don’t mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade.
Obviously, the story gets more serious, since it's a moral one, about the meaning of Christmas and about the value of Christian charity. It still has an air of the Christmas cheer about it, the whole way through, except maybe for the part with the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. The story is pretty simple: not many characters, just various lives all followed by each of the ghosts, with Scrooge at the center of the story. I was expecting him to be somewhat more terrible, from the sort of general cultural impression I got -- although of course, he's bad enough as it is, mostly in his ignorance and silly bad temper. Of course, the part where he refuses to give to charity makes him seem pretty awful, too.
The character development which is the entire point of the story is a little overdone, maybe, but it all adds to the good feeling of "yay, everything is better now", at the end.
The moralising didn't really bother me. It's a classic story, and the moralising is part and parcel of that. I even liked a lot of the description in this, though in most Dickens novels the level of description used to frustrate me. Mind you, I should try again now I'm older and wiser.
(Note: The writing isn't on the writing or anything objective, since I don't believe one can be objective about stuff like this. It's purely based on how much I loved the story, whether I would reread it again. As a piece of literature, I'd reflexively rate it higher, but I don't really want to: I "liked" it, but not "really liked".) - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This was a short easy book to read, or in my case listen (narrated by Jim Dale). I've known of the story for years and years and have seen many renditions of it in film but had never actually read the book. Having known the story beforehand there was nothing here that was new or exciting but it is nice to have got through it. And it's such a classic, that if you haven't read it, I highly suggest getting a copy while the season is right.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is the way to enjoy this story – having Tim Curry read it to you. He does an absolutely fabulous job and it was just a total delight.
For the story – I love how creepy yet still uplifting the author was able to keep the story. He has really had you feeling for past Ebenezer. I would have liked more about Bob Cratchit because he always seems so much more developed as a character in the cinematic versions of the story. I kind of missed that.
Tim Curry gives this story a fabulous feel and it keeps you listening to very end. He gives each character a distinct voice and really does the creepy justice. Great way to enjoy a classic. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Four stars on its own; five because I read it with Shannon. I like the ghost story part, which was handled better than I thought it would be, but I hate poor Tiny Tim and I don't believe in Total Abstinence. Also, I enjoy as much intercourse as possible with Spirits of any sort or kind.
Dickens was a cheeseball. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I love A Christmas Carol. I've read it over and over. It is one of those stories that I will never grow tired of.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Christmas Carol is by far the most well written short story I have ever read. The last time I read this story I came away with a greater appreciation for Dickens' breathtaking skill as a writer. His use of words and phrases and the rhythm of his writing draws you in and the story itself keeps you there.Determined curmudgeon Ebeneezer Scrooge is literally spooked back into humanity after being visited by three Christmas ghosts. Through these uninvited supernatural guests Scrooge is forced into painful self-examination and is given a chilling warning of what will happen if he does not change his ways. Though set during the Christmas season, A Christmas Carol, carries lessons that are applicable for every day. From the first time I read it in my teens until today the overarching message I take away from the story is the importance of relationships in our lives. When we shut out others through selfishness or fear of being hurt we become impoverished regardless of what our bank statement says. A Christmas Carol is a story well worth coming back to any time of the year and is a good reminder of what really matters when we get too caught up in the stresses of the holiday season.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Arguably my favorite book. It is a friendship that is renewed every year at Christmas time, like putting a cherished sentimental ornament on a Christmas tree, or having lunch with an old friend you only see once a year.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I love this story, but hated the book.I have always loved the story of Scrooge. I enjoy the movie/play versions of the story--watching the various versions is one of the handful of things I enjoy about this time of year. Having finally read the book a few years ago, I was disappointed. I did not like the written version of the story and I'm not sure why. Perhaps it is because some stories are best when acted? Who knows?With Sir Patrick Stewart as a narrator, I couldn't say no to giving the the book version another try. The story comes to life again in this version and I definitely enjoyed it. It is abridged, but the book isn't very long to being with, so I don't know that it makes much difference in the grand scheme. Maybe one day I will give the written version another read, but for now I'll stick to the movies and this narration.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5If you live in the English speaking world and have spent any time around a tv during the month of December, you know the plot.Is the story worth reading and not just watching? Very much. It preserves the poignancy of lost time and redemption that is at the heart of Scrooge's story - even more than a religious message. Dickens addresses the reader directly, and there is more humor than most adaptations show.This edition has an interesting account of the first time Dickens read the story to a general audience - the beginning of Dickens' career in performing his work which proved almost as lucrative as the mere writing of it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Never gets old for me.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tim Curry is BRILLIANT!!! That.is.all!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I'm amazed how much of the Muppet movie came directly from the book, including scenes I thought were too ridiculous to be real! There are also a few Symbolic and Allegorical scenes that just wouldn't float in a modern adaptation. Still, good fun, and I'm glad I finally read the original.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I've read this book a few times. I always like to read it at Christmas.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Read this one every year though I don’t tend to add books I know I’ve read plenty.
This time round it was the audiobook read by Tim Curry which I’d give a four star I think. Remarkably understated performance for Tim Curry which is probably why I enjoyed it. Still looking for the perfect audio version but this is pretty good and thankfully the character voices weren’t ridiculously over the top. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Every time I read it, I discover something new. Beyond its inspiring message, it’s just darn funny.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great story and great narration! A Christmas Carol has been on my TBR list for more years than I can remember but I just never got around to it. I've seen various productions on TV or in movies but never read the actual story.
Audible gave away the version with Tim Curry doing the narration, last year I believe, but still I didn't listen. It took a good friend mentioning that she was listening to it yesterday to get me going. Well, that and the fact that I still need five books for my annual challenge and this was short.
I loved it. Tim Curry did a fantastic job and I even found myself tearing up three times. Yes, I'm PMSing but still... - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/52013, January -- No entry
2015 -- Audio Book Reading by Neil Gaiman
A favorite habit of mine is to read this book every year at Christmas. I got lucky this year and Neil Gaiman read it to me, flush with all of Dicken's own personal notes for how the piece was best performed to audiences. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Over the course of December, I've participated in an online book club called A Dickens December where Charles Dickens' classic story of Christmas redemption was released in short chunks for each day up until December 26. I am, like most people in the English-speaking world (and beyond), very familiar with the story of the greedy and self-interested old Ebeneezer Scrooge who is transformed by spirits of the Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Not only have I seen this story adapted into several films, but also I participated in two different stage productions in my childhood!And yet this is the first time I've actually read the book. The adaptations tend to get it right, adding embellishments more than leaving anything out. The big thing about reading the book though is seeing Dickens way with words. I've included several of my favorite passages below that show Dickens' talent with a turn of the phrase. As always it's nice to revisit something familiar and see it in a new light.Favorite Passages:Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade.Oh! but he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.The ancient tower of a church, whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down at Scrooge out of a Gothic window in the wall, became invisible, and struck the hours and quarters in the clouds, with tremulous vibrations afterwards, as if its teeth were chattering in its frozen head up there.Scrooge had often heard it said that Marley had no bowels, but he had never believed it until now.You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There's more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!"Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"
The sky was gloomy, and the shortest streets were choked up with a dingy mist, half thawed, half frozen, whose heavier particles descended in a shower of sooty atoms, as if all the chimneys in Great Britain had, by one consent, caught fire, and were blazing away to their dear hearts' content. There was nothing very cheerful in the climate or the town, and yet was there an air of cheerfulness abroad that the clearest summer air and brightest summer sun might have endeavoured to diffuse in vain.
They are Man's," said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware of them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!"He broke down all at once. He couldn't help it. If he could have helped it, he and his child would have been farther apart, perhaps, than they were.Really, for a man who had been out of practice for so many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs!Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and, knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It isn't Christmas without a bit of Dickens and this audio edition narrated by Hugh Grant was just excellent.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My annual reading of A Christmas Carol. I always enjoy watching Scrooge change his ways. This time I picked up some new things that Scrooge says and does. Didn't expect that after all these years of reading it. Worth reading. The Christmas season would not be complete without reading this.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An annual reread, these past two years done out loud with the husbeast. One of my most favoritest Christmas traditions and one of my most favorite of favoritest books, actually. Never, ever grows old, and always brings a smile. Some of the best descriptions of food, crowds, the city, and parties I've ever read here. And, of course, brilliant on Christmas. A delight.