A Christmas Carol (Wordsworth Children's Classics) (Paperback)

Ebenezer Scrooge is the central character - a lonely old miser of a man, he keeps all of his money locked away, and allows neither himself nor his impoverished relatives to enjoy it. Returning to his chilly home on Christmas eve, he is rather alarmed to find his once-business partner Jacob Marley waiting for him. This is hardly surprising, since Marley has been dead for seven years. Scrooge is warned that unless he changes his miserable ways, he will spend the afterlife repenting. The exchange between the two is followed by a lengthy night, in which three spirits - the ghosts of Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas yet to come, visit Ebenezer.

Although A Christmas Carol is largely aimed at children aged ten and above, many adults can (and have) enjoyed the wealth of description Dickens packs into the novel. The depiction of the streets of nineteenth century London and its architecture is a treat. Also, the way in which the author uses imagery to convey the difference between Scrooge's desolate existence, and the tenderness he could be experiencing had he any kind feeling in his heart towards his family. "... along the streets, the brightness of the roaring fires in kitchens, parlours, and all sorts of rooms, was wonderful. Here, the flickering of the blaze showed preparations for a cosy dinner, with hot plates baking through and through before the fire, and deep red curtains, ready to be drawn, to shut out cold and darkness."

I would recommend any reader wishing to locate a copy of the book look for one with explanations about words used in the story that are no longer (or rarely) in use. 'Negus' for instance, was a word used in the story, and I was not aware that it was "wine and hot water sweetened with lemon and spice" until I consulted the footnotes in the superb Penguin Classics edition. Similarly, 'twelfth-cakes' being "large, rich cakes, frosted and decorated with icing sugar figures, made to be eaten on Twelfth Night."

Any reader who has enjoyed this splendid, eerie treat may also enjoy Dickens' other Christmas writings (of which there are many). "The Cricket on the Hearth," "The Haunted Man" and "The Chimes" are all fine examples of the author's other festive tales. A Christmas Carol will be around for a long time, indeed, it has already and with good reason. It is only a short story, and can be read in an hour or two. I urge you to read it, it really is a delight.

As the chapters of Dickens's classic unfold, the child reader also learns about Dickens's London, with paragraphs about the city and its smells and the emphasis on work for all, including children. Subsequent sections contrast the working poor with the rich, delving into the subjects of workhouses and prisons, the 7-day workweek for servants, and the lives of businessmen. When Marley's ghost appears, the reader learns about the recording of deaths in a registry--along with the meaning of "grindstone," the importance of Christmas charity, and the custom of servants taking the master's clothes, with the remainder going to "rag and bone shops."

As the three spirits appear, additional information is provided about clothing, dances and games, foods (roast goose, Christmas pudding, and chestnuts), Christmas gifts and trees, and even about the "crutches and frames" used by Tiny Tim. Dickens's biography is mentioned briefly, with a stress on his childhood and work history, along with notes about various film versions of this and other Dickens stories, including photos of some of the stars who have played Scrooge.

Graphically, this edition is a winner, with beautifully reproduced illustrations, a newspaper-style paste-up (with boxes, sidebars, and text and pictures set at angles to attract attention), and excellent clarity and color. Parents, grandparents, and friends looking for an edition which will prepare children to love a stage or film version of this classic will be richly rewarded by this edition. And I can attest that one active, nine-year-old boy sat spellbound (and silent) for a recent stage production which lasted over two hours because he read this first and knew what the action meant. Mary Whipple