Reviews with content warning for Classism - Tom Baker Reads a Christmas Carol

First read - Dec 22:
Pre-review note: I do know this story basically off by heart and have seen many an adaption.

This was so so good. It’s very different, imaginative, has good meanings and messages and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The plot (if anyone doesn’t already know - so I’ll make it short) is we follow the old, mean miser Ebenezer Scrooge who is not a nice man. It’s Christmas Eve and after going home is visited by his old business partner Jacob Marley - who died seven years ago that very night btw - where he tells Scrooge he’ll be visited by three ghosts and that he just change his ways or else be forced to bare a chain longer than Marley’s. Over the next three nights, he is taken on a journey by the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet To Come recounting on his childhood and earlier life, what his clerk Bob Cratchit and family are doing for Christmas, his nephew and then events of what will come if nothing be done to change his fate. There is more to it but I don’t want to spoil this tale. The characters are mostly well rounded, developed and we get to know enough about most of them despite the shortness of this novella. The writing is very good, easy to understand and follow - something I thought I might’ve struggled with - whilst being descriptive, transportive and very engaging. Dickens thought up a very imaginative and entertaining story and despite knowing it, I would have loved it even more reading it for the first time. The messages of how we should appreciate what we have, try to live a merry life despite current issues and ideas of changing oneself to be better is all portrayed well. The ghostyness and Christmas setting is very pleasant, engaging and made me want to read on and on. Additionally, staying true to the time in setting is good and I really liked reading it. I would totally recommend this book even if you know the story as it’s a great short book.

I didn’t keep track of many quotes but these two stood out:
‘No wind that blew was bitterer than he’ - about Scrooge
‘while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour’ - the power of goodness

Second read - Dec 23:
Once again I LOVED reading this! I wanted to give a reread as it’s the 180th anniversary year. All the same as above but this time I did pick up and see a few flaws in the way Dickens seems to write women with less agency and kinda surface level, for example Scrooge’s nephew’s wife is literally called that and I don’t believe is named. There’s also a character who’s solely referred to as ‘the plump sister’ which was pretty meh. Despite these I do think the messages and entire story just makes this book so unique and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Content Warnings