I’ve seen my far share of adaptations of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol over the years, as it is one of the most frequently adapted books in history. But this Christmas season, I finally took the time to sit down and read the original story, and I now understand why this book has been made into over hundred times for screen.
A Christmas Carol was first published by Chapman & Hall on December 19, 1843. It tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation resulting from a supernatural visit by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come.
While I don’t typically enjoy reading books this old, the first edition was released in December 1843, I sometimes find the language and writing style of the period difficult to follow. But Dickens crafts the story in a way that honestly didn’t feel over 180 years old. It reads more natural than expected, as if he wasn’t trying to dress it up, but simply telling the story he wanted to tell. This also could just be because I know the story so well, having watched many adaptations over the years.
A Christmas Carol may be the most iconic and memorable holiday tale ever written, yet many people may not understand that it’s actually a horror story wrapped around a redemption theme. While the Christmas theme is very present, the ghost story is woven through so well that the book’s original title was A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. Being visited in the night by three ghosts doesn’t seem like your typical festive holiday story, but more of one told by the likes of Stephen King or any modern day horror writer. This makes the story even more fun for me as a massive fan of horror and the holidays.
Ebenezer Scrooge is a well-crafted, fully developed character, one that we can easily despised to start and start to love by the end. His transformation may seem quick, but witnessing the terrible things you’ve done, are currently doing, and are destined to do if you don’t change would be terrifying for any of us. Then waking up with a chance to do real good in life and become a better person makes his journey all the more powerful.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is not only a fanatics Christmas story, but an overall great read. Dickens brings ghosts to the festive season with a redemption-driven horror that has stood the test of time. As one of the most adapted pieces of work in history, I am sure glad Dickens put pen to parchment in 1843 and scribed this story.
A Christmas Carol is available at bookstores everywhere.
