Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
On December 19, 1843, British author Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, the delightful tale of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his miraculous Yuletide transformation. Although the story was conceived and written in only a few weeks because his growing family was in need of money, Dickens’ tale of Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and the Spirit of Christmas established a literary genre and captivated readers. In a review, William Makepeace Thackeray called A Christmas Carol ‘…a national benefit, and to every man and woman who reads it a personal kindness.’ Dickens went on to write many more Christmas stories, but his first remains the favorite.
Image: Library of Congress
