A Christmas Carol [Random House Version]

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: John Gielgud

Length: 1 hr and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Ever since the first publication of A Christmas Carol in 1843, the tale of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge, humble Bob Cratchit, and beloved Tiny Tim has had a special place in the Christmas tradition. Now, Sir John Gielgud's dramatic reading of an abridgment of this holiday classic brings Dickens' memorable characters to life. His portrayal of Scrooge's transformation shows us the nature of true charity, the power of tenderness, and the wisdom of innocence. This recording of A Christmas Carol is sure to become part of your own holiday traditions.

©1987 Bantam Audio Publishing
Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing Group, A Division of Random House, Inc. (P)1987 Bantam Audio Publishing
Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing Group, A Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“For lit nerds and loved ones who are notoriously hard to shop for, you can’t go wrong with these festively bound classics.... Their size makes them perfectly stocking-stuffable.” (Entertainment Weekly)

“Remember how Christmas was celebrated before Black Friday with these 19th-century authors, in small uniform volumes wrapped in pretty jackets.” (USA Today)

Stupendous

One of the greatest writers, one of the finest narrators, and the best Christmas Story. It would be impossible to go wrong. l listen to it every year. It will infuse one with the true spirit of Christmas.

One of the Worlds Great Voices

This reading of Dickens's "Christmas Carol" by the late Sir John Gielgud is one of the better ones on the market. Sir John did not try to create voices for all of the characters he just gave a simple, yet
entertaining reading. As for the music it does not bother me. After all Naxos Audiobooks does much the same with their titles. If I were to compare it to other readings, I would say it is better than some of them, and in a few cases on a par with some of them. It puts the
story across with only a little abridgement, which unless you know the story by heart you will not really miss the pieces that are cut.
I also recommend the versions with Sir Ralph Richardson and the one with Paul Scofield. As for the one with Sir Laurence Olivier, it is only okay in my opinon. I personally feel that this recording is much better than the one with Patrick Stewart, I think he tried a little too hard to "tell" the story.

Our favorite reading for more than 20 years

We raised our kids on this-it was a tradition and they have grown and made it theirs as well. It’s only an hour long and anyone can enjoy it. Pass around the popcorn and hot chocolate. God bless us, every one!

The friendliness in the Narrators voice

Warm and lovingly read.
One could hear the twinkle in Sir Gilgunds eyes.
Happy happy joy joy!

A Christmas Carol

This reading by Sir John Gielgud is often underscored with music. If all you want is a reading, this is not for you.