MarzAat

A retro review from exactly six years ago.

I may dip into another English writer who did ghost stories for Christmas: M. R. James.

And, for the record, I think the best film adaptation is the 1984 with George C. Scott as Scrooge. Yes, I think it’s better (and a more faithful adaptation) than the acclaimed 1951 Scrooge.

Review: A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens, 1843.

If 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.

More reviews of fantastic fiction are indexed by title and author/editor.