Padma Wulandari

Christmas Carol Facsimile

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DETAILS

Publisher : ARCTURUS (October 15, 2018) Language : English ISBN-10 : 1788886437 ISBN-13 : 978-1788886437 Reading age : 6+ years, from customers Item Weight : 8.4 ounces Dimensions : 6.77 x 0.75 x 4.41 inches Best Sellers Rank: #363,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #9,467 in Classic Literature & Fiction , First published on 19 December 1843 and written at a time of decline in festive tradition, A Christmas Carol became an instant classic. It reinforced expectations for Christmas Day as a time of peace and goodwill to all men. This deluxe gift edition features the original artworks commissioned by Dickens himself. Read more

REVIEW

Dickens’ marvelous and uplifting tale is available in this very economically-priced edition, The story itself is familiar to nearly all, having been the subject of numerous filmed versions. But I would like to point out that, contrary to some “modern” interpretations, Dickens’ book really DOES have a strong “Christian” focus. For instance, when we first encounter Scrooge, he is described as “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!” (Pg. 2) And when we first encounter Tiny Tim, his father is bringing him from church, where Tim “hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk and blind men see.” (Pg. 38) Dickens says, “Spirit of Tiny Tim, thy childish essence was from God!” (Pg. 61) And as we all know, Tim’s signature line is, “God Bless Us, Every One!” (Pg. 40) Scrooge’s nephew greets him saying, “A merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!” (Pg. 3) Scrooge famously retorts, “If I could work my will, every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly in his heart.” (Pg. 3-4) But his nephew replied, “though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that [Christmas] HAS done me good, and WILL do me good; and I say, God bless it!” (Pg. 4) Scrooge’s business partner Jacob Marley tells him, “Business! Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business… Why did I walk through the crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me!” (Pg. 14) When Scrooge hopes that Tiny Tim will be spared death, the Ghost tells him, “‘If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.’ Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit…” The Ghost adds, “Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man’s child.” (Pg. 40) When Scrooge is shown the joyful party at his nephew’s house, his nephew says to his fellow partygoers of Scrooge, “his offenses carry their own punishment, and I have nothing to say against him… I am sorry for him… Who suffers by his ill whims? Himself, always… the consequence of his taking a dislike to us… is, as I think, that he loses some pleasant moments, which could do him no harm.” (Pg. 45) Ultimately, of course, Scrooge pledges, “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” (Pg. 62) And “to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew… and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well.” (Pg. 68) This is a timeless and wonderful story---that EVERYONE should read.

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