A Christmas Carol

Publisher's Summary

A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman and Hall and first released on 19 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visitations of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published at a time when Britain was experiencing a nostalgic interest in its forgotten Christmas traditions, and at the time when new customs such as the Christmas tree and greeting cards were being introduced. Dickens' sources for the tale appear to be many and varied but are principally the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and the Christmas stories of Washington Irving. The tale was pirated immediately, was adapted several times to the stage, and has been credited with restoring the holiday to one of merriment and festivity in Britain and America after a period of sobriety and somberness. A Christmas Carol remains popular, has never been out of print, and has been adapted to film, opera, and other media.

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One of the best

There are so many wonderful recordings of this wonderful book - how could you possibly pick one over another? Simon Vance is one of the most reliable narrators in the business, and he delivers the goods here as well. His voices form a miniature orchestra, taking us through the story with speed and clarity. I often pick up details in one of Vance's narrations that I missed in reading the book or listening to other readers. Here it was an emphasis on the smells of London that I hadn't noticed before; and my mouth watered at the descriptions of the food. I loved it.

18 of 19 people found this review helpful

The Best "A Christmas Carol" Out There

If you could sum up A Christmas Carol in three words, what would they be?

Tragedy, Warmth, Redemption

Who was your favorite character and why?

But of COURSE it's Scrooge! Who else has a lonely boyhood, chooses the security that he thinks only wealth can provide, passes up on love, and seeks a closeness to humanity, damn the costs, at the end?!? Dickens really came up with a character we can all revile, relate to, and hope to become by the journey's end.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Simon Vance is why, in my opinion, this is the best "A Christmas Carol" you'll find. He brings warmth, sensitivity, excellent characterization skills, and a sense of pacing and drama to his narration of this classic. Some male narrators have difficulty with female voices, but Little Fan and Belle are safe in his hands. This is a smooth and heartfelt performance all around, truly a delight to the ears!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Now, now Audible! Everyone knows the story! Don't make us feel like we're undergoing a pop quiz...!

Any additional comments?

"A Christmas Carol" has always been a part of my Christmas season, and I thought I'd found a good one with Tim Curry's "Signature Performance." Alas, his version was over the top, and he made Little Fan, who's so much a part of Scrooge's history and emotional development, laughable. Simon Vance is perfection here. This is a virtuoso performance of a well-loved classic. I'll listen to it every year. With pleasure!

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Entertaining And Most Enjoyable!

I'm so glad I chose this version of "A Christmas Carol" to listen to over the holidays. Simon Vance does an impressive job of making each of the characters distinct and easy to recognize, without overly dramatizing the reading. Even though I've previously read the story, and we've all seen countless film versions, I found this unabridged reading to be quite satisfying and entertaining to listen to! I know it’s one I’ll listen to over and over again…at any time of year.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Simon Vance does it again.

Hands down one of my favorite narrators! Brings life to every story he reads. This is one of my favorite Christmas stories and he lifts this story to an even higher level.

Loved it!

A beautiful heart rendering story by Charles Dickens. Simon Vance does a wonderful performance narrating this story. The combination bring characters to life!

Great narration

Like It's a Wonderful Life, Dickens' Christmas Carol is the quintessential Christmas story. It deserves to be read, watched or listened to annually. What a genius of a writer was Dickens to tell this story in such a way that it moves both young and old who hear it. Simon Vance's narration is distinct and passionately articulated. He is a very talented conveyor of all the emotions this tale presents. Absolutely LOVED IT!!!

Great narration of great literature.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I already gave this audio book to my sister as a gift. Why? It was Christmas! And she was, like me, an English major, and is, like me, a Simon Vance fan.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Christmas Carol?

When Scrooge wakes up and realizes that only a night has passed, and it is Christmas Day, and he is re-born.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He is the best narrator that I have ever heard. He reads books better out loud than I can hear them in my mind when I read them.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the spirit throws back at Scrooge his words about 'decreasing the surplus population'. I frequently read comments on places like Huffpost and Yahoo by people who believe in the 'population explosion' and population control and who think we have too many children and that more should not be born and many of those living should die. They do not even know that heartless, ignorant people were saying the same things 150 years ago when the world's population was a small fraction of today's.

Any additional comments?

Any person who thinks they know the real story of Ebenezer Scrooge because they have seen one or more of the many cinematic versions should, nay MUST!, hear the real story of Scrooge as read in this audio book.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

The perfect narrator brings out Dickens' best

Simon Vance is my favorite narrator ever, and he managed to bring out all of the drama and even horror of this Victorian classic without the old-fashioned melodrama that often makes a modern reader squirm.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Sublime Christmas fare. Impeccably narrated.

Love listening to this every year at Christmas time. The story is timeless and the narration is top notch.