My Review of A Christmas Carol

Written by Charles Dickens
Released in 1843

I was debating about what to review on this particular day and then it struck me - how about the most influential book of all time? I've always liked A Christmas Carol and it's becoming a tradition for me to actually read it during this time of year, so it seemed perfect to actually review as well.

The story at this point is known to every generation - miserly Ebenezer Scrooge doesn't like Christmas and especially seems to take exception to anyone who embraces it (his nephew in particular) and throughout the course of the book (or five staves), he's visited by three spirits to change his whole stance on the matter after former business partner and friend Jacob Marley urged him to change his ways.

The first spirit - Ghost Of Christmas Past gave us a great insight into Scrooge's younger years. It's actually hard not to feel sorry for Scrooge throughout this story, especially when you see how lonely he actually is as both a child and an adult. Sure, a lot of it is self inflicted, but I still find myself feeling bad for the guy from time to time in this book.

The second spirit - Ghost Of Christmas Present only adds to some of the sympathy I actually feel for Scrooge. Seeing his own nephew speak of him in a pitying way definitely leaves a sting, even if the moment where Scrooge encountered two starving children did feel a little much in parts but still worked well.

The third and last spirit - Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come needed to be the bleakest one of the bunch. It showed Scrooge his fate if he didn't change his ways it naturally led to the miser having an epiphany and becoming more embracing of the festive period. When he wasn't helping a poor kid named Tiny Tim as well as spending time with his actual family for good measure.

Overall for a book that's been around for 170 years, it's one that still holds up and it's one that has gone to deserve the iconic status awarded to it over the years. A wonderful, timelessly entertaining and beautiful book. If you don't own it, you really should.

Rating: 10 out of 10