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Introduction by Paul D. Race for Family Christmas OnlineTMCharles Dickens (1812-1870) was a popular British novelist. He grew up in the sorts of hardship that he came to write about later, including working in a factory as a child while his father was in debtor's prison. After his first short story was published in 1830, Dickens went on to write several novels that dealt with the hardships facing the poorest and most marginalized of England's citizens. (Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby are two from this period.) Fortunately, Dickens' biting social commentary was contained in books with surprising plot twists and memorable characters. In fact, readers often found Dickens' villains as interesting as his heroes.
How A Christmas Carol Made Charles Dickens One of England's Best-Loved WritersSometime in 1843, Dickens determined to publish a quality Christmas book that would reach people in two ways:
Dickens' publisher balked at the project, so Dickens wound up financing the book himself. He spent money on a quality leather binding and on many quality illustrations, several of which were hand-tinted, an expensive process. As a result, the first printing of A Christmas Carol made very little money, but it rapidly became Dickens' most popular work. The book was soon reprinted and was adapted for the stage. In later years Dickens often read a shortened version of the story aloud. A Christmas Carol has never faded from popularity since. How A Christmas Carol Helped Change the Way We Think About ChristmasBy the time A Christmas Carol was published, Christmas in Britain had disintegrated into an excuse for a week of year-end partying. Not only had Christ become absent from English Christmases, but so had compassion, a virtue that Dickens believed that the poor greatly needed, especially at the onset of cold weather each year. A Christmas Carol helped the English, and eventually the people of many countries, gain a new appreciation for Christmas and for the plight of the poor. Perhaps the greatest change was the growing importance of family Christmas celebrations in a culture where the wealthy had often sent their children to the nursery early on Christmas so they could better enjoy their dances and parties. As an example, author Tim Hallinan* claims that December sales of toys rose dramatically in the decades following A Christmas Carol's publication. Today, many people in the United States and Canada tend to think of Victorian England as a time and place where Christmas was "done right." But without the influence of Dickens and his merry creations, such hearty celebrations of good will may never have occurred.
Preface to A Christmas Carol, by Charles DickensPrefaceI have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it. Their faithful Friend and Servant, C.D.December, 1843.
Three versions are provided for your entertainment:
For links to the best movies and other multimedia adaptations of A Christmas Carol, click here. A 1938 and 1939 radio play version by the Campbell Playhouse, starring Orson Welles and Lionel Barrymore is available fom the Mercury Theatre on the Air information site. To hear the 1939 production, click here. If you've been reading our pages, you know that we have big things planned, and a lot on our plate, so keep checking back. And contact us with any questions or suggestions you have in the meantime. Paul and Shelia Race * Tim Hallinan's excellent book "A Christmas Carol Christmas Book<
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