A Literary Christmas

By: Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Hardy, William Wordsworth, Laurie Lee, Samuel Pepys

Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson, Simon Callow

Read by Juliet Stevenson and Simon Callow, A Literary Christmas is a seasonal anthology that collects together poems, short stories, and prose extracts by some of the greatest poets and writers in the English language.

Like Charles Dickens’ ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, they are representative of times old and new - from John Donne’s Elizabethan hymn over the baby Jesus to Rudyard Kipling’s "Christmas in India", from Thomas Tusser counting the cost of a Tudor feast to Laurie Lee’s "Cider with Rosie".

Enjoy a convivial Christmas Day as described by Samuel Pepys, Anthony Trollope, George Eliot, or Nancy Mitford. Venture out into the snow in the company of Jane Austen, Henry James, and Dickens’ ever-popular Mr Pickwick. Entertain the children with the seasonal tales of Dylan Thomas, Kenneth Grahame, Louisa May Alcott, and George Mackay Brown.

Please note: This is a vintage recording, and the audio quality reflects the technology of the time.

©2013 The British Library Board (P)2013 The British Library Board

Critic reviews

"[a] beautifully presented cornucopia" (Rachel Redford, The Oldie)

Great Performance!

This was a nice collection of excerpts from great literature and poetry. The voice talent was superb. However, there was not even the slightest breath of a pause between one reading and the next. This technical issue was confusing and a great distraction.

Great writing about a great subject.

short Snippets from some of the greatest authors to have lived. expose your family and yourself to some great Christmas stories from some of the best authors.

Interesting collection but no breaks

Interesting, sometimes odd collection but barely a breath between selections makes it hard to follow

Wonderful Christmas stories and excerpts!

This is a wonderful Christmas story collection! I have already listened to it several times. AND BOTH readers are fabulous. I highly recommend it. It will really raise your Christmas spirits to new heights. I have found several other Christmas story collections on Audible, and plan to buy several of them.

Christmas from your Favorite Text

Well done and very enjoyable. People of tge classics will truly enjoy this. The narrators truly make these words cone alive.