A Christmas Carol (Books of Wonder) - Hardcover

Dickens, Charles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688136060 ISBN 13: 9780688136062

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1996

Synopsis

Afterword by Peter Glassman. Here is the condensed version of the holiday classic, as edited by Dickens himself for his many public readings. This delightful version, streamlined for maximum dramatic effect yet retaining all the unforgettable moments, features twenty-one magnificent color pictures by the celebrated New Yorker artist. A Books of Wonder Classic.

About this title

About the Author

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was one of England's greatest writers. Best known for his classic serialized novels, such as Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations, Dickens wrote about the London he lived in, the conditions of the poor, and the growing tensions between the classes. He achieved critical and popular international success in his lifetime and was honored with burial in Westminster Abbey.

Reviews

Ghostly color illustrations distinguish Carter Goodrich's version of A Christmas Carol. Goodrich's caricatures are well suited to the classic Dickens tale. Dickens read his story aloud on many occasions, and the version presented here is the pared-down one adapted by Dickens himself for reading aloud (in about 90 minutes, down from three hours).

Gr. 5 and up, younger for reading aloud. There's a new version of A Christmas Carol on every holiday list, but this one is special. It is Dickens' own performance text, cut and adapted by him for reading aloud in 90 minutes. All the great lines are here (well, almost all), including Scrooge's ever contemporary advice on what to do with the poor ("Are there no prisons?"). The book's spacious design, with thick paper, clear type, and 21 sepia tone illustrations done in watercolor and colored pencils, is great for group sharing. The pictures are comic and scary but never overwhelming. They pick up the theatrical, larger-than-life scenarios: the brooding, scowling miser alone at his desk; the ghostly visitors; the Cratchit family ecstatic over Christmas dinner.

Gr. 5 and up, younger for reading aloud. There's a new version of A Christmas Carol on every holiday list, but this one is special. It is Dickens' own performance text, cut and adapted by him for reading aloud in 90 minutes. All the great lines are here (well, almost all), including Scrooge's ever contemporary advice on what to do with the poor ("Are there no prisons?" ). The book's spacious design, with thick paper, clear type, and 21 sepia-tone illustrations done in watercolor and colored pencils, is great for group sharing. The pictures are comic and scary but never overwhelming. They pick up the theatrical, larger-than-life scenarios: the brooding, scowling miser alone at his desk; the ghostly visitors; the Cratchit family ecstatic over Christmas dinner. Hazel Rochman

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0688136060
• ISBN 13: 9780688136062
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Goodrich Carter
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 56