Well, sorry everyone I have not been able to get on and post in a while.We just got a heavy snow fall and my mom and I have been baking Christmas goodies.
Well, anyway, since I do not normally make reviews on books, I will have to learn as I go along. So please bare with me and make any suggestions you like on techniques for reviews, I’d appreciate that.
For a start on my first book review I am going to review Charles Dickens most popular book, “A Christmas Carol.” This book is only five chapters as well as a Christmas favorite, so it should be easy for a first go.
The setting of the first chapter is a cold winter day, Christmas eve, in London. We are told about the gloomy character of Mr. Scrooge, he is described as a very dis-likable fellow who seems to be shrouded in gloom and shadows. Scrooge’s work partner’s death, which dominates a lengthy description in the beginning of the book, has been dead for quite some time, but that fact does not bother Scrooge in any way and that fact is reflected in his ownership of everything that once belonged to his late partner.
Scrooge seems to live for pinching money and being cruel to everyone around him. The only person not intimidated by Scrooge is his nephew Fred, who invites his Uncle to have Christmas dinner with him and his wife, which of course is yearly refused.
Scrooge also refuses to give any charity whatsoever to anybody including those anywhere near him, such as his clerk, Bob Cratchit. Bob is a family man with a loving wife and several children.
The story starts at Scrooges office where the fire is a mere lump of coal and the frost nips at a persons nose. Scrooge’s nephew comes with the yearly invitation to eat Christmas dinner with him, but gets his yearly refusal as well as several negative remarks about his wife. Next we observe two gentleman come to the office asking for donations for charity, being refused they leave with a Bah Humbug! following their footsteps.
Late that night, Scrooge finally let his Clerk go home and reluctantly agrees to let him stay home from work on Christmas day. As Scrooge goes home, he sees his partners face appear on his door knocker! A very scary thing considering Marley’s death never bothered him before. However, the shock was enough to make him lock all his doors and windows. As Scrooge eats a cold supper, however, all of the bells in his house ring and then stop, then the inevitable clank of a ghost’s chains sound on the stairs followed by the ghost of Marley himself!
Marley’s ghost warns Scrooge about the terrible consequences his life style will have on him after he dies and farther tells him three ghosts will visit him at one o-clock three nights in succession and from them he will find out how to change his life style. Scrooge is very shaken at this point and says he would rather not have anymore ghosts haunting him. Marley lets out a screech, which freaks out Scrooge even more, then takes him to the window to show him other ghosts whose lives were wasted by greed.
Scrooge then retires to bed with his clothes on and hopes it was all a dream. End Chapter 1
Anyway, my personal opinion on the first chapter of this masterpiece, is the word Toll! (German for cool) With the chilly setting and dark and gloomy street of London, Dickens portrays the character of Scrooge very well by these surroundings. I always loved it when Scrooges Cheery nephew Fred came into his office and fearlessly invited the ogre to a Christmas party! Scrooge repeatedly says the words ” Bah, Humbug!” Which is a phrase made popular and known by everyone because of this book. Later Scrooge try’s to say it when Marley’s ghost starts to him creep him out, but he cannot get the words out because he is to scared.
However, with a merry tumble into bed, Scrooge tries to forget everything and go to sleep, but only succeeds in peeking out of the covers later for the start of our next chapter.
