A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens captures the spirit of Christmas in this classic holiday novella A Christmas Carol, Dickens’s timeless tale of greed, regret, and reform—featuring a beautiful new look!

In one of the most popular holiday stories of all time, meet Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old man who hates Christmas and all the people asking for money that the holiday brings. One fateful Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, who warns him about the consequences of his path of greed. This visit is followed by appearances from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, bearing their own messages for the hardhearted man.

Brimming with the Victorian festive spirit and introducing many memorable characters, Dickens’s tale of redemption, generosity, and the true essence of Christmas helped popularize many modern holiday traditions and has often been adapted for film and stage. This holiday staple from one of the great masters of literature is the perfect way to celebrate the Christmas season.

Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was born in near Portsmouth where his father was a clerk in the navy pay office. The family moved to London in 1823, but their fortunes were severely impaired. Dickens was sent to work in a blacking factory when his father was imprisoned for debt. Both experiences deeply affected the future novelist. In 1833, he began contributing stories to newspapers and magazines and in 1836 started the serial publication of The Pickwick Papers. Thereafter, Dickens published his major novels over the course of the next twenty years, from Nicholas Nickleby to Little Dorrit. He also edited the journals Household Words and All the Year Round.