Publisher's Synopsis
VOLUME 4 in the Series: "CHRISTMAS STORIES". - "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (Illustrated by Arthur Rackham from the 1915 Edirion).A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in 1843. A Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly 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. Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol during a period when the British were exploring and re-evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols and newer customs such as Christmas trees. He was influenced by the experiences of his own youth and by the Christmas stories of other authors including Washington Irving and Douglas Jerrold. Dickens had written three Christmas stories prior to the novella, and was inspired following a visit to the Field Lane Ragged School, one of several establishments for London's street children. The treatment of the poor and the ability of a selfish man to redeem himself by transforming into a more sympathetic character are the key themes of the story. There is discussion among academics as to whether this was a fully secular story, or if it is a Christian allegory.About the Series: Volume 1." Little Peter: A Christmas Morality for Children of any Age" by Lucas Malet (Illustrated by Paul Hardy).Volume 2. "A Captured Santa Claus" by Thomas Nelson Page (Illustrated by W. L. Jacobs) / "Christmas: A Story" by Zona Gale (Illustrated by Leon V. Solon).Volume 3." Old Christmas: From the Sketch Book" by Washington Irving (Illustrated by Randolph Caldecott).
