A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Books

Synopsis

'What was merry Christmas to Scrooge? Out upon merry Christmas! What good had it ever done to him?' Ebenezer Scrooge is a bad-tempered skinflint who hates Christmas and all it stands for, but a ghostly visitor foretells three apparitions who will thaw Scrooge's frozen heart. A Christmas Carol has gripped the public imagination since it was first published in 1843, and it is now as much a part of Christmas as mistletoe or plum pudding. This edition reprints the story alongside Dickens's four other Christmas Books: The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life, and The Haunted Man. All five stories show Dickens at his unpredictable best, jumbling together comedy and melodrama, genial romance and urgent social satire, in pursuit of his aim 'to awaken some loving and forbearing thoughts, never out of season in a Christian land'. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Summary

Chapter 1: Marley's Ghost

* Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly and greedy businessman, is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley.
* Marley, who died seven years earlier, is chained to heavy bags and locks due to his greed in life.
* He warns Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits and that he must heed their lessons or face eternal torment.

Example: Scrooge dismisses Marley's ghost as a hallucination, saying, "Humbug! I don't believe it."

Chapter 2: The Ghost of Christmas Past

* The first spirit, a luminous child, takes Scrooge on a journey into his past.
* They visit Scrooge's childhood home and his memories of a joyous Christmas.
* Scrooge is confronted with the happiness he has lost by becoming a miser.

Example: Scrooge weeps when he sees the young boy he was, singing carols with his sister on Christmas Eve.

Chapter 3: The Ghost of Christmas Present

* The second spirit, a jovial and generous figure, takes Scrooge through the streets of London on Christmas Day.
* They witness the joy of Christmas within families and among the poor.
* Scrooge learns the importance of kindness and charity.

Example: Scrooge is moved by the spirit's visit to the home of Bob Cratchit, his humble clerk who struggles to feed his family.

Chapter 4: The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

* The third spirit, a tall and silent figure, shows Scrooge glimpses of his potential future.
* They see the Cratchit family mourning the death of Tiny Tim and Scrooge's lonely demise.
* Scrooge is horrified and realizes the consequences of his greed.

Example: When the spirit shows Scrooge the three men who robbed him after his death, he cries out in terror, "Leave me alone! I repent!"

Chapter 5: The End of it

* Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning a changed man.
* He resolves to be kind and generous and spends the day making amends with those he has wronged.
* He becomes a beloved member of his community, and the spirit of Christmas lives within him all year round.

Example: Scrooge hides anonymously in a turkey on Christmas Day and has it delivered to the Cratchit family, bringing them immense joy.