'A Christmas Carol' still endures, teaching love and generosity

“I have endeavored in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humor with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their house pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.

Their faithful Friend and Servant, C.D.” — Charles Dickens

As the holiday season is upon us, there is no shortage of wonderful Christmas movies that put us in the mood for celebrating the season of giving, family, love and merriment. One classic movie that many are most familiar with is “The Christmas Carol.” When I was growing up, that movie was on in our home every Christmas season. The version that we always watched is George S. Scott’s version, which frankly terrified me as a child. It scared me so much that when I became a mother, I’d only put on “The Muppet Christmas Carol” or Donald Duck’s version of the movie. Nonetheless, this movie is timeless and (as always) the book is better. I’m here to make the case to read the book and make it a holiday ritual to read the story, not just watch the movie.

“A Christmas Carol” was first printed in 1843 and by the end of 1844, there were 13 printings that had been released. Currently, there are countless editions of the book. It has been translated into many languages and has never been out of print.

The author, Charles Dickens, was born to a middle-class family cursed with financial difficulties due to his father’s gambling habits. His father lost his job with the British Navy in 1824 and was then sent to debtors’ prison, and was soon followed by his wife and children, except for Charles and his sister Fanny. At the age of 12, Dickens was forced to pawn his collection of books to pay off his father’s debts.

In 1842, Dickens was motivated to make money after returning from a very expensive tour of America. He had a growing family to provide for, so he sat down and started writing. Dickens was known for being a fervent social campaigner, writing in letters, articles, pamphlets and essays about the importance of kindness, generosity and humility, and criticizing class and wealth divides. Though he wrote on these issues constantly, he felt he would reach a wider middle-class audience by writing a fictional novel, with the hope that it would stimulate charity and humanize those experiencing poverty. Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” in six weeks and nearly 200 years later, we are still reading this incredible novella.

When reading this book, I can’t help but think of the saying “good things do come in small packages.” This short story packs a punch, teaching us to act lovingly and with generosity toward those with less, not just at Christmastime but throughout the year.

It’s my hope that reading this book either to yourself or to your family becomes a family tradition throughout your future holiday seasons.

“He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!” — “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens

Deborah Condit is the owner of Books on the Bosque, 6261 Riverside Plaza Lane, Suite A-2 or at booksonthebosque.com.