A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an old miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.
Published on 19 December, the first edition sold out by Christmas Eve. Most critics gave the book good reviews. In 1849 he began public readings of the story, which was so successful he did 127 more performances until 1870, the year of his death. A Christmas Carol has never been out of print and has been translated into several languages; the story has been adapted many times for film, stage, opera and other media. Click here to listen to a quick biography of Charles Dickens.