These are NOT the Christmas Books of Ebenezer Scrooge and other volumes which put the winter holiday on the map. These are the annual holiday-themed stories Dickens published in his Household Words journal. These stories made Mr. Dickens the prophet of home life. He brought imagination into the winter homes and told his readers that comfort, a cozy fire under the hearth, spiced wine, and a good story made home-staying worthwhile. ...there are strings in the human heart which must never be sounded by another, and drinks that I make myself are those strings in mine.In this collection of his Christmas tales, Dickens combined goodwill with tales of shipwrecks and orphans and traditions. There aren't any ghosts of Christmas past nor the haunted recollections of doomed men. Instead, the reader gets a poverty-stricken man relating his "castle in the air" or a narrator describing the various country inns of Yorkshire, "haunted by the ghost of a tremendous pie".The stories I liked best were the maritime tales of The Wreck Of The Golden Mary and The Perils Of Certain English Prisoners. Reading of adventures on the high seas when the weather outside your own home is cold is always worthwhile....a right little island, a tight little island, a bright little island, a show-fight little island...Not every story whammed me and I probably do love his actual books of Christmas season more (mostly because of the haunted tales), but these were a worthwhile read. Family, friends, rituals.Book Season = Winter (a glass of Smoking Bishop)
Odd- for a "Christmas" story, the Christmas tree is set near the holiday but twists towards the childhood fears he had of ghost stories and tall tales. Odd. "What Christmas is as We Grow Older" has completely escaped my memory so I am forced to say this tale is completely unmemorable. "The Schoolboy's Story" was very good as it developed the characters of the horrible boys taunting old Cheeseman. When Old Cheeseman finally got his due, there was quite potential for a great moral of this story, but it just sizzled out to me. The jewel of this collection was the parable of "The Child's Story." A bittersweet description of our lives as we grow as children to adults, get married, and grow old. If you picked this title thinking you will read a grand collection of heartwarming stories of learning the true meaning of Christmas, you might try another book.
What do You think about Christmas Stories (1987)?
Unbeknownst to much of the American population, Charles Dickens wrote several other stories that take place around the Christmas and New Year's holidays. I made my way through these during my recent flights to O'Hare and back.Only recommended for true Dickens fans. There is a reason that Dickens' other Christmas Stories are not as well known - they're just not as well put together. Too much sentiment and "Do unto others..." is crammed into them without the great plot devices of A Christmas Carol - and not as much Christmas. I just didn't like them that well - and I really like Dickens. These are not an example of his best work.
—Ellee
Wow, what a lovely detailed review :) I might reach for this around holiday season. 19th century stuff always makes me feel warm and comfy during the winter months. Even in weather-less Southern California where the weather becomes an astoundingly frigid 60F. Lol!
—Sarah
This book is a real commitment. You have to pay attention, or you can easily get lost in all the characters (tho they are listed as a convenience before each tale) and what is going on. The earlier stories are more simple, my favorites being "The Poor Relation's Story" and "The Child's Story". Later, they get longer and more complicated, and tend to have a story or two within the main story. I liked all of them, at least in part, because sometimes the story within the main one was particularly entertaining, or a character stood out that I especially enjoyed, and who could easily have fit into one of the famous novels. Its a bit of a stretch to call these "Christmas Stories" as a whole, tho, because there isn't much of it in them. Some of these were written with Wilkie Collins.
—Lois
