By Ellen Madden
A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens. It was formerly known as A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. The novella was published on the 19th of December 1843 by Chapman & Hall in England. During this time, the British considered the different Christmas traditions, including the traditional carols and the modern Christmas cards and Christmas trees.
This Christmas novella is based on a character called Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserable, elderly man who has been visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley, former business partner, and the three spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. As a result, Scrooge becomes a kind, caring soul. Dickens was heavily influenced by his youth and Christmas stories written by Douglas Jerrold and Washington Irving.
During Dickens lifetime, he wrote three Christmas stories before A Christmas Carol which dealt with poverty and hardships in life. The first edition of A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas was sold out by Christmas Eve 1843. Due to the novellas great success, by the end of 1844, the thirteenth edition of A Christmas Carol was released. This novella has always been in demand even in the twenty-first century. It has been converted into multiple languages and adapted into theatre and movies.
A Christmas Carol is a great way to pass time on a cold winters night and will get you ready for a joyful Christmas.