Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Holiday Reading Challenge -- A Christmas Carol Special Edition

By Charles Dickens with Stephen Skelton

From the back of the book:


Since its publication in 1843, the tale of a miserly old man and the ghosts who visit him has been bringing the true spirit of Christmas into hearts and homes. Whether you’ve read the story a thousand times or have only seen the movie, A Christmas Carol Special Edition will enrich your enjoyment of this holiday favorite.”


This lovely little book is a treasure in its size and style.


Stephen Skelton has taken Dickens’ words and added a new depth to them. Passage after passage is explained to the reader.


Why did Dickens write what he did at certain points in this story? Skelton has the answer.


And he makes it a family project to learn a little about Dickens and the time in history in which he lived. Between the staves (chapters) are pages of questions that ask readers to think about what this book should mean to them.


I enjoyed revisiting this tale, but the notes throughout the story were a little distracting at times, which is why I gave this special edition only 4 books. I think endnotes would have been a better format to preserve the flow of Dickens’ tale.


I did, however, enjoy the history and learning how Dickens connected A Christmas Carol to the Bible. The book is a great resource for many who want to expand their knowledge of this period in time and of God’s Word.


3 comments:

NerdyMe said...

Like this book, one of my childhood favorites

LuAnn said...

Thanks for stopping by mylastread! This really is a wonderful book and the story is such a timeless classic. One thing I didn't mention is the author has included a list of movies made from the book. He missed a few of the newer ones, though, like "Scrooged."

Heather G. said...

I really should grab this edition...so many times my hubby and I are confused about what Dickens is trying to say, though, we get the overall gist! Thanks for reviewing this edition!