Quicklet On Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Study Aids, Book Notes, Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism
| Author: | Estelle Wagner | ISBN: | 9781484007105 |
| Publisher: | Hyperink | Publication: | February 5, 2012 |
| Imprint: | Hyperink | Language: | English |
| Author: | Estelle Wagner |
| ISBN: | 9781484007105 |
| Publisher: | Hyperink |
| Publication: | February 5, 2012 |
| Imprint: | Hyperink |
| Language: | English |
ABOUT THE BOOK
When I was a child, December felt like the longest month of the year. Each day I opened a little window in the advent calender to see a bear, or package tied up with a red bow, and I counted how many days were left until the cherished morning of Christmas Eve. Along with the sweet taste of candy canes, the smell of the pine tree glowing in lights, and the unbearable excitement I felt viewing the growing pile of presents under the tree, a major highlight was watching A Muppet Christmas Carol on PBS each year. It was a sure sign that Christmas was just around the corner! My sister and I still love to watch it every year around Christmas, delighted by it’s characters and the honest, heartfelt transformation of Michael Caine as Scrooge.
It wasn’t until many years later that I found the book A Christmas Carol in my Christmas stocking, a gift from my father. I was amazed by the ease and beauty of the writing. I expected Charles Dickens to be rather dry, but instead it was lively and exciting. Reading it again as an adult, I am always struck by how accessible the book is, easily enjoyed by both children and adults, with a message that has come to embody the spirit of Christmas.
This short little book, not even 100 pages, has become one of the most beloved and enduring Christmas stories in the English-speaking world, a persistent nudge to be a better person, enjoy life as we live it, to cherish those dear to us. The joy of life and the hope of redemption remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Estelle Wagner grew up in Napa, California. She attended Sarah Lawrence College in New York where she graduated with concentrations in Latin American Political Studies and Dance. She currently lives with her husband in Buenos Aires, Argentina and enjoys traveling, dancing, and reading.
Happy reading!
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK
Charles Dickens is one of the most prominent English authors of all time, particularly known as the greatest author of the Victorian period in England. His works were popular during his lifetime, and remain popular today. Dickens is responsible for some of the most famous and iconic characters in English literature. He novels include the classics A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Oliver Twists, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, and Nicholas Nickleby among others.
His work was highly realistic in that it portrayed ugly truths about Victorian England, exposing the grisly underbelly of society. He wrote about working-class people and their lives, including the miserable conditions of the poor; in doing so, he created some of the most memorable and beloved characters in literature.
Dickens’ writing often leaves the reader hanging at the end of a chapter, and generally involves a complex set of characters. Several of his novels were originally published as a weekly installments in newspapers, enticing the reader to return the following week for more of the story. His works often included autobiographical aspects; though ashamed of his impoverished upbringing, Dickens refrained from explaining that the details for his writing regarding the poor and working-class came from his childhood.
As a child, his father was sent to prison and Dickens was sent to work in a rotting building overrun with rats, pasting labels on shoe polish for endless hours each day. After rising to fame as a journalist and writing, he toured America several times, and observed factories and working conditions both there and in England. His view that the poor were unjustly the bearers of such suffering is reflected in his writings and in his philanthropic work.
Buy a copy to continue reading!
ABOUT THE BOOK
When I was a child, December felt like the longest month of the year. Each day I opened a little window in the advent calender to see a bear, or package tied up with a red bow, and I counted how many days were left until the cherished morning of Christmas Eve. Along with the sweet taste of candy canes, the smell of the pine tree glowing in lights, and the unbearable excitement I felt viewing the growing pile of presents under the tree, a major highlight was watching A Muppet Christmas Carol on PBS each year. It was a sure sign that Christmas was just around the corner! My sister and I still love to watch it every year around Christmas, delighted by it’s characters and the honest, heartfelt transformation of Michael Caine as Scrooge.
It wasn’t until many years later that I found the book A Christmas Carol in my Christmas stocking, a gift from my father. I was amazed by the ease and beauty of the writing. I expected Charles Dickens to be rather dry, but instead it was lively and exciting. Reading it again as an adult, I am always struck by how accessible the book is, easily enjoyed by both children and adults, with a message that has come to embody the spirit of Christmas.
This short little book, not even 100 pages, has become one of the most beloved and enduring Christmas stories in the English-speaking world, a persistent nudge to be a better person, enjoy life as we live it, to cherish those dear to us. The joy of life and the hope of redemption remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Estelle Wagner grew up in Napa, California. She attended Sarah Lawrence College in New York where she graduated with concentrations in Latin American Political Studies and Dance. She currently lives with her husband in Buenos Aires, Argentina and enjoys traveling, dancing, and reading.
Happy reading!
EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK
Charles Dickens is one of the most prominent English authors of all time, particularly known as the greatest author of the Victorian period in England. His works were popular during his lifetime, and remain popular today. Dickens is responsible for some of the most famous and iconic characters in English literature. He novels include the classics A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, Oliver Twists, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, and Nicholas Nickleby among others.
His work was highly realistic in that it portrayed ugly truths about Victorian England, exposing the grisly underbelly of society. He wrote about working-class people and their lives, including the miserable conditions of the poor; in doing so, he created some of the most memorable and beloved characters in literature.
Dickens’ writing often leaves the reader hanging at the end of a chapter, and generally involves a complex set of characters. Several of his novels were originally published as a weekly installments in newspapers, enticing the reader to return the following week for more of the story. His works often included autobiographical aspects; though ashamed of his impoverished upbringing, Dickens refrained from explaining that the details for his writing regarding the poor and working-class came from his childhood.
As a child, his father was sent to prison and Dickens was sent to work in a rotting building overrun with rats, pasting labels on shoe polish for endless hours each day. After rising to fame as a journalist and writing, he toured America several times, and observed factories and working conditions both there and in England. His view that the poor were unjustly the bearers of such suffering is reflected in his writings and in his philanthropic work.
Buy a copy to continue reading!
