A Christmas Carol

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 2 hrs and 54 mins

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.

©2011 eChristian, Inc. (P)2011 eChristian, Inc.

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.

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!

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.

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!!!

All that's missing is 19th century London

This is one of the jewels of Dickens' well-deserved crown, a perennial favorite that evokes the Christmas spirit whenever and wherever it's told. The bonus for the listener? Simon Vance is the best Dickens narrator out there. I realize that's a high bar, but Vance clears it from the opening paragraphs. His narration not only brings each character to glowing life, but it also makes some of the "chewier" passages of Dickens' prose glide by in a natural and understandable manner that actually helped me comprehend those passages more clearly. His cadence is spot-on and his delivery is nuanced in ways not achieved by more over-the-top narrators. Curl up with this one, and you won't be disappointed--all that you will be missing in the final effect is physically being there in 19th century London.

A Classic

I read or listen to “A Christmas Carol” year. I was not totally engaged with this recording, however. Normally I love Simon Vance, and though he is his usual excellence here, I think I prefer the Tim Curry recording.

Dickens read by Vance

Absolutely wonderful. Read it over Christmas and it will restore the spirit and wonder of this Christian holiday.

Wonderful!

The reader did a great job. Good emphasis. Professional voice. My imagination went wild as well as my intellect. I gift to my heart.

Superb!

When you combine a timeless classic with a performance like Vance's... Superb! My absolute favourite

Perfectly read

Loved the way this was read by Simon Vance. I didn’t want the reading to be too theatrical and over the top and this was perfect for my kids (14yrs, 12yrs and 10yrs) to listen to on a long car journey.

Sublime Christmas fare. Impeccably narrated.

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