A Christmas Carol (Simon & Schuster Edition)

By: Charles Dickens

Narrated by: Patrick Stewart

Length: 1 hr and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and Ebenezer Scrooge come to marvelous life in Patrick Stewart's critically-acclaimed solo interpretation of A Christmas Carol. The star of X-Men and The Royal Shakespeare Company, Stewart has performed his one-man stage production of this holiday classic to sell-out audiences. Now, in this Grammy-nominated studio recording of the dazzling achievement that has thrilled audiences in New York and Los Angeles, Stewart invites listeners to rediscover the timeless story at its source: Dickens' own words, presented in a soaring, virtuoso solo performance in which Stewart plays all parts.

©1991 Camm Lane, Inc (P)2006 Simon and Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Reciting the litany of Scrooge's scrooginess, Stewart relishes the emotional gamut of meanness....Humbug seldom sounds so good." (Newsweek)
"Not only is Patrick Stewart wonderful, but this is surely one of the best performances of A Christmas Carol ever recorded....By sheer energy and dramatic skill, Stewart invests this story with not merely life, but freshness, excitement, and wonder." (The Washington Post)
"A low tech audio Christmas card: no sound effects, no gimmicks, just one of the the great voices of the contemporary classical stage creating as vivid a cast of characters as Dickens imagines. The Royal Shakespeare Company veteran...doesn't so much read the story as inhabit it with infectious delight." (Entertainment Weekly)

A classic with a superb narration

Would you listen to A Christmas Carol [Simon & Schuster Version] again? Why?

Yes, this is one that I will listen to with the children every Christmas as a tradition.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There is a little bit of scrooge in everyone, and I see the Scrooge in me when I listen and hope for the same wonderful transformation.

What about Patrick Stewart’s performance did you like?

The english accent

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

When Scrooge looks out the window and sees the spirits trying to help other, but disembodied, completely unable. It reminds me that I must do what I can to help while I am in mortality, before the time for helping as past. Never let an opportunity to help another go by.

Overall LOVE

Patrick Stewart is phenomenal! The story is, of course, a classic with a profound message. My vision is going, but this reading by Mr. Stewart SO brings it to life for me again!

Abridged version

This was great! A wonderful performance by Patrick Stewart, as always. My only disappointment is that it's not a full version of the book; it's abridged for time. Still very enjoyable, though.

Best reading of this book ever

As Mr Stewart had much practice before recording this.. having performed it as a one man show.. you can just sit back and enjoy.. I listen to this at least once a year since it was recorded. I highly recommend this version.

Amazing voices!

Patrick Stewart did an amazing job voicing all of the characters. Definitely a must hear.

Classic!

This is a marvelous performance by Patrick Stewart. It is not a reading, but all the voices and sounds are performed by Stewart. A classic I've enjoyed for years!

My Newest Christmas Tradition

My wife and I loved this rendition by Patrick Stewart. He really does give each character a unique voice. It is our newest Christmas tradition, as we drive between locations.

No Bah Humbug on this Performance

Patrick Stewart brings Dickens' text to life with a recording that is less a reading than it is a performance. Sure, you could quibble that is isn't unabridged, but this recording is an adaptation of Stewart's one man stage show and the spirit of the story burns brightly throughout.

Great book

Great story narrated well by Patrick Stewart. He was very good at the peoples vocies .

Patrick Stewart proves his acting power, again!

This is probably one of the most recorded books of all times, and Patrick Stewart's version more than holds its own. It is more a recording of his one-man show than a straight reading of the book so it is somewhat abridged. Nonetheless, Stewart does a masterful job bringing all the beloved characters to life.