Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    A Christmas Carol: A Charles Dickens Christmas Story
    A Christmas Carol: A Charles Dickens Christmas Story
    A Christmas Carol: A Charles Dickens Christmas Story
    Audiobook (abridged)1 hour

    A Christmas Carol: A Charles Dickens Christmas Story

    Written by Charles Dickens

    Narrated by Bill DeWees

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Charles Dickens beloved Christmas story narrated by Bill DeWees, with his special inflection to make the story English but easily understood by Americans. Particularly nice to hear in relistenings during the holiday season and year around.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimply Magazine Inc.
    Release dateJul 11, 2011
    ISBN9781614960089
    A Christmas Carol: A Charles Dickens Christmas Story
    Author

    Charles Dickens

    Charles Dickens was born February 7, 1812 in Landport, Portsmouth, the second of eight children to John and Elizabeth Dickens. Dickens' father had great difficulty managing his affairs and was often under the burden of crushing debt, which culminated in his imprisonment in Marshalsea debtor's prison in 1824. As a result, Dickens was forced to leave school and begin work at a boot-blacking factory to assist in getting the family out of debt, an experience that would allow Dickens to sympathize with the plight of the poor and destitute that would last his entire life. Dickens took to writing immediately and, in 1833, he published his first story: A Dinner at Popular Walk in Monthly Magazine. The following year, he began writing under the pseudonym Boz and released a collection of short stories entitled Sketches by Boz in 1836. That same year he married Catherine Hogarth, daughter of the editor of the Evening Chronicle. They had 10 children before they separated in 1858. From 1836 to 1837, Dickens serialized what would become the novel The Pickwick Papers, which was an immediate sensation and became one of his most popular works, released in book form in 1837. Encouraged by this success, Dickens began writing at a furious and astonishing rate, producing (in serial form) some of his most favorite novels: Oliver Twist (1837-39), Nicholas Nickleby (1838-39), as well as The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge (1840-41). After that, Dickens barely paused for the rest of his career. He would regularly release a book ever year or so for the next two decades, including American Notes, his five Christmas Books (including, of course, A Christmas Carol), David Copperfield, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations. Charles Dickens suffered a stroke on June 9, 1870 at died at Gad's Hill. Buried in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey.

    More audiobooks from Charles Dickens

    Related to A Christmas Carol

    Related audiobooks

    Classics For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Little House On The Controversy: Laura Ingalls Wilder's Name Removed From Book Award

      Jun 25, 2018

      The Association for Library Service to Children voted unanimously to strike Wilder's name from a major children's lit award over concerns about how the author referred to Native Americans and blacks.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Unreleased Orson Welles Film ‘The Other Side Of The Wind’ Arrives

      Nov 2, 2018

      For Welles aficionados, and perhaps only for them, “The Other Side of the Wind” will function as a skeleton key to the themes and obsessions of his entire career.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Odd Squad

      Jun 16, 2021

      Odd Squad
      3 min read

    • Article

      All Of Us Here

      Jun 4, 2020

      All Of Us Here
      6 min read

    • Article

      Merry Christmas: A Reading Of Holiday Classics By Monitor Staff (audio)

      Dec 17, 2019

      A dive into venerable old writings can add to the warmth of the holiday hearth. Even more so when they’re read aloud.

      12 min read

    • Article

      Restless Souls

      Mar 6, 2018

      Restless Souls
      8 min read

    • Article

      The Library of Gromma

      Jul 10, 2023

      Zac was sweating and panting as he reached the top of the hill. The crooked beams of the library loomed over him. He dropped the buckets of water, swore at the few drops that spilled, and escaped the piercing morning sun in the shade of the library.

      22 min read

    • Article

      Four Of A Kind

      May 3, 2023

      Four Of A Kind
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Quiltmas Carol

      Oct 27, 2021

      A Quiltmas Carol
      2 min read

    • Article

      Sifting And Sorting With Joy

      Jul 20, 2020

      Friend Jan phones to ask if I’d like to buy his grandmother’s old pump organ. He is scaling down big time, he explains, moving house one last time. Actually, he corrects himself, it’s the penultimate move, the last one being the ABF (absolute bloody

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Man I Should Have Married

      Dec 29, 2019

      The Man I Should Have Married
      11 min read

    • Article

      ‘Til Death Do Us Part

      Oct 26, 2023

      ‘Til Death Do Us Part
      5 min read

    • Article

      Magnets: Carried through time, lovers seek their purpose.

      Feb 6, 2014

      Moon Colony B, 2213 Former Ponzi-schemer Mary Pillar digs through a trashcan. It smells like rotten eggs and milk. She is elderly and homeless, living in an alley between two eco-efficient skyscrapers. Dust particles dance around her. She has lost ev

      11 min read

    • Article

      The Witch Finders

      Jul 16, 2020

      Beth pulled her cloak tightly around her. It was the very last day of October and the air was damp and chill. Dead autumn leaves lay in deep piles in the woods and smoke curled into the night air from her cottage. Not far to go now. She bent her head

      4 min read

    • Article

      Tracing Footsteps Not My Own: Going Through the Motions, Learning to Write

      Jan 25, 2019

      This is a story about writing and failing and trying to feel less alone. I suppose it’s also about “finding myself” with Sandburg's same reckless ecstasy. The post Tracing Footsteps Not My Own: Going Through the Motions, Learning to Write appeared fi

      11 min read

    • Article

      The Library Of Gromma

      Feb 10, 2021

      Zac was sweating and panting as he reached the top of the hill. The crooked beams of the library loomed over him. He dropped the buckets of water, swore at the few drops that spilt, and escaped the piercing morning sun in the shade of the library. He

      22 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems

      Mar 1, 2022

      I met the Bishop on the roadand much said he—same old porridgeI heard as a child, my little bodya “foul sty.” “Love has pitched his mansion.” MaybeLove pitched her silken tent.Love has raised its dwelling inthe place of reproduction, which can be fit

      3 min read

    • Article

      Cast Out

      Jul 10, 2021

      Verity pushed back the quilts, rolled off her straw mattress onto the floor, felt for the poker, and stirred the ashes. The embers glowed. She wouldn’t have to go fire-borrowing again. Her chilled hands were clumsy. One glowing bit of wood rolled fro

      21 min read

    • Article

      Yuletide Reading

      Sep 24, 2020

      Many classic novels and short stories contains Christmas scenes-merry or otherwise. Can you indentify the works from which these holiday passages are excerpted? 1 “Merry Christmas, little daughters! I’m glad you began at once, and hope you will keep

      3 min read

    • Article

      Invitations

      Nov 22, 2018

      Invitations
      4 min read

    • Article

      Two Poems

      Jan 1, 2021

      Light delimits the darkness as snowgives shape to the silence of winter trees.Above a rooftop, the shadow of illness hoversindistinguishable from the wraithsof common chimney smoke.Strip skin from flesh, flesh from boneto behold the comical, adumbrat

      4 min read

    • Article

      Equinox

      May 18, 2022

      In this strange world, where identities change with the rising and setting of the sun, supernatural forces are at work – and they’re causing trouble… St Leonars prison was an appropriately imposing building. It rose out of the surrounding shacks and

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Escape Of Koravitch

      Sep 30, 2019

      The Escape Of Koravitch
      16 min read

    • Article

      Excerpts From The Works Of The 2024 Whiting Award Winners

      Apr 10, 2024

      The 2024 Whiting Award winners were announced Wednesday night. Below are excerpts from their work.

      19 min read

    • Article

      ‘Bowlaway’: Featured Fiction from Elizabeth McCracken

      Feb 4, 2019

      What she wanted was a kind of greatness that women were not allowed. The post ‘Bowlaway’: Featured Fiction from Elizabeth McCracken appeared first on The Millions.

      12 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for A Christmas Carol

    4.5/5

    251 ratings197 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Summary: A classic tale about a mean old man named Ebenezer Scrooge who counts his money on Christmas Eve. He mistreats his employee. Three spirits come to visit him. Each brings with them a lesson for him to learn. The first is the spirit of Christmas past from which he revisits his childhood and who he once was. He then is visited by the spirit of Christmas present from whom he gets to see the personal lives of the people in his every day life and how he has affected them. The last spirit is the ghost of Christmas yet to come. This one shows him what his future looks like if he continues down his mean spirited path. He is then given a chance to redeem himself. Personal Reaction: A classic we all grew up knowing about either through reading, movies, or tv shows, but I have always enjoyed actually reading the classic original story. I never considered the fact before that this would be considered historical fiction until I took this class. Its set in mid 1800's. Classroom extension: This would be a little tricky per most schools do happy holidays or celebrate winter, and not Christmas itself. I could have the children reflect on their own holiday/winter memories. We could compare and contrast how they lived in that time period this was set in to the way we live today We could watch one of the movies made from this story and have the kids compare and contrast the differences from the book to the movie. To see what the director changed and kept the same.
    • 4/5
      Since everyone knows the story, I'll dispense with the usual plot and character analysis. This book was on my to-read list for many years. I'm glad I finally read it. First, I was surprised how closely some of the movies follow the book. The only differences were some of the adventures with ghosts. For instance, the ghost of Christmas Past took Scrooge on a short trip to a ship at sea, which was never (as far as I know) portrayed in any movie. Many sections of the book take advantage of the written form to provide descriptions that couldn't be provided in video. And a proper portrayal of the ghosts would require some interesting special effects. I think that some of the extras provided by the films are good addition to the story. There is often an expansion of Scrooge's relationship with Tiny TIm, who becomes more of a focal point than in the book. Although the book is a good read, the story is well known enough that I think I would have gotten more value out of one of his others. But I'm still glad I read it.
    • 5/5
      There's not much left to say about this quintessential Christmas tale by the inimitable Charles that remains unsaid, but it's always a treat to revisit the source of so much of our western Christmas morality.
    • 5/5
      I read this book for the first time last year and I'm astounded. I wish I had read this book years ago. Dickens is a phenomenal author. Every year at Christmas we watch every version of A Christmas Carol we can possible find.
    • 4/5
      Charles Dickens classic tale “Christmas Carol” has been transformed into picture book format illustrated by Roberto Innocenti. Scrooge, and old miser who would rather make money than spread any kind of Christmas cheer, is visited by three ghosts – Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future. In each of these meetings Scrooge remembers more and more about his past, and learns more and more about himself. He is confronted in the end with the realization of what would happen to him after he dies. Awaking and realizing his visits were only dreams he decides to take matters into his own hands and change his outlook on life.I cling to nostalgia like a child to their favourite toy and always read “Christmas Carol” once a year at, you guessed it, Christmastime. I was delighted when scouring the shelves in the library’s picture book section to find this book – the entire novel written in this format. Mind you, it does not possess all of the typical qualities of a picture book (it has a lot of words and is quite thick) but nonetheless the publishers seemed to be successful in their attempt to make this story more accessible to younger readers who might find a novel to be too daunting to get through. It also lends itself well to some one on one reading of perhaps a parent to a child or an older sibling to a younger sibling. This story is one of those that is repeated many times, over and over into movies, TV, books, other formats… but I still find that the overall message that one takes from the story is really quite valuable and timeless.
    • 4/5
      Finally got around to this classic and, even though I was familiar with the story from having seen the myriad of film versions, I enjoyed reading the source material quite a bit. It's very well-written - if a bit wordy in spots, (it is Dickens after all! :), but it's a fun little morality tale that carries a good message of Christmas cheer to last all through the year.
    • 5/5
      A classis about the Scrooge and his dislike for things abut Christmas. His nephew tryes to get through to him and teach him the ture mean of Christmas. Giving and helping other in a time of need. Children can learn so much for this classic.
    • 3/5
      Dickens' first, and most famous Christmas book. Short (72 pages in my Project Gutenberg edition) and lacking all subtlety as to the moral purpose intended by the author! Interesting to see a sharp dig at moralisers preventing Sunday trading, which for people of limited means of storing food, meant difficulty accessing food. Known to much of the world as the source of Scrooge as the eponymous miser; and the ghosts of Christmas past and present. Read January 2012.
    • 5/5
      What could one possibly say, that hasn't already been told about this book? It's my 'all time favourite' christmas read! Countless times reread and never a second bored with it! It's an absolute 'must' for every fan of xmas!
    • 5/5
      This is a classic, of course, and it was well worth reading the first edition text. Not much left for the imagination due to the proliferation of this story in a variety of media, but certainly worth the minor effort to read in its original form.
    • 4/5
      We all know the story. Most of us having seen the films several times over the years, but how many have actually read the original book?Dickens provides a unique insight into the life of poverty stricken Victorian England. Some of the phrases used may seem a little dated now, and a number of words no longer used at all but the meaning of the novel still carries as much weight today as when it was written. Dickens creates characters that are easy to empathise with, and draws us into their world as well as any other writer. Published in 1843 it's message of philanthropy and generosity has inspired countless thousands across many generations and remains as relevant as ever.Well worth a read.
    • 5/5
      “I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future!” Scrooge repeated, as he scrambled out of bed. “The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.” Before he sings such a blessed, spirit-of-the-holiday tune, however, Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly grump living a lucrative but deplorable and loveless life. But a rather terrifying, painful, and enlightening adventure on Christmas Eve night will help him change his tune in A Christmas Carol, a tale by author Charles Dickens. Hilarious, touching, altogether delightful–I see why this story is such a classic. Well, not that I haven’t seen it before: I saw a play adaptation at the theater as a child, and the 1951 film adaptation, Scrooge, with Alastair Sim, has become a holiday staple of mine. I’ve long lost count of how many times I’ve watched the film, of which I can now say with confidence that, even with its handful of cinematic departures from the book, Scrooge captures and conveys the spirit of A Christmas Carol quite wonderfully. Ah, blessed Christmasness. And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One! THE END
    • 5/5
      In the spirit of the day, I thought it would be fitting to take the time to re-read A Christmas Carol. The last time I read it, I was in junior high, and we had to do a detailed analysis of each section plus went to see the play performed on stage. While I have seen various versions multiple times since then (the Mickey Mouse version being my favorite), I figured it was time to remind myself just what the original entailed.Who does not know the story of Ebeneezer Scrooge and his ghostly visitors? This story has been told and retold so many times that it could become very easy to lose the original intent of the story - salvation and redemption. The version I read was an annotated version, written specifically with Christian insights and questions. While this aspect of the story now seems completely obvious to me, I had never put the Christian beliefs of salvation and redemption of man through Jesus' birth in the same context as Scrooge "seeing the light" and changing his ways. It is an interesting connection that now makes me appreciate the story and Dickens' writing ability that much more.According to my annotated version, Dickens was an extremely religious man and put many of his ideas of redemption, suffering, goodwill towards others, and salvation into the story. The repetition of the number three has obvious ties to Christianity. Again, this took my understanding of this extremely famous story to an entirely new level. The symbolism and message behind them is that much deeper. A Christmas Carol is not just another feel-good holiday story. It truly belongs to this Christian season of redemption. Another aspect of the story I had forgotten but about which I was reminded is Dickens based much of the stories of poverty, apprenticeship and other hardships on his own experiences. He lost a beloved sibling to illness due specifically to malnourishment from the family's poverty. Knowing this, Tiny Tim's plight is so much more poignant.In all, I am glad that I did not rely only on the movies this year to remember the story. There is so much more to the story than what the movies show. The annotated version and the connection to the true spirit of the season reminded me just hos special this story truly is. Thank you to Julie Harabedian at FSB Associates for sending me this review copy!
    • 5/5
      This is the story of an old miserly misery-guts, Ebeneezer Scrooge, who is shown the error of his ways when he is visited by 4 ghosts - that of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmases past, present and yet to come - and then given the chance to change himself and his future and the futures of those around him.The story is beautifully written and the descriptions of Victorian London at Christmas are evocative and brilliantly capture the feeling of goodwill to all men. Scrooge's encounters with the ghosts are suitably creepy and you feel his shock and fear. Scrooge isn't the villain though - you come to understand how his character has developed as a result of a lonely childhood and always get the feeling that he has a good heart waiting to come out. You find yourself sympathising with him and willing him to be a better person. He doesn't disappoint and comes good in the end with joy and pure abandon.For me this story captures the true meaning of Christmas. It is not religious at all - with it being a ghost story I guess that would be inappropriate. Rather it is about the season of goodwill, families coming together for one day, forgetting their troubles and poverty, and eating, drinking and being merry. It also considers those far away from their families, at sea or on a lighthouse, and shows that they too pass a moment to think of their loved ones and raise a glass at Christmas.Please read this book - preferably in the run-up to Christmas. It is short, the language is beautiful, the story familiar and yet so much more. Most of all the message is timeless. A masterpiece.
    • 5/5
      Completed my annual reading of the tale. Now ready to keep Christmas in my heart another year.
    • 5/5
      My partner used to read this out loud to our children each year. The children...well, they protested. But we love it, every plummy word.
    • 5/5
      I finally read one of my favorite Christmas stories. I love seeing it on stage and film, but I had never read it. I enjoyed it very much. I really did. It was interesting to see the story I had always enjoyed in film or on stage in it's original, written form. Awesome.
    • 3/5
      Charles Dickens' classic story of Ebeneezer Scrooge and the change of heart that he undergoes by seeing 4 ghosts in a night (his old partner Marley, and the three Christmas spirits - Past, Present, and Future). As well as all the various portrayals (Mickey, Muppets, etc, etc, etc,) its a plain and good story. Nothing altogether wrong with it, nothing major to it, and typical in Dickensian fashion -ie. the ten words to describe something that one word would have sufficed (oh the joy of being paid PER WORD). Still, a classic that should be read at least once by one and all.
    • 4/5
      Jim Dale reads this audio version of the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, and does a fantastic job of it! Dale is the master narrator of the Harry Potter books and brings all of his character skills and perfect inflections to this reading too. Don’t miss listening to this version; it’s better than reading it yourself, and almost as good as the Muppet movie version!
    • 5/5
      A wonderful story. If you haven't read the original, do! It's better than all the movies. Dickens had a sense of humor after all.
    • 4/5
      Scrooge has lost the meaning of Christmas in his search for success. When his dearly departed buisness partner comes and tells him that he when he dies he will walk the earth forever in chains, Scrooge is scared out of his wits, but still skeptical. Then the tree ghosts of Christmas come and show Scrooge the real meaning of Christmas. This classic Christmas story is to be loved by all and a treasured book in everyone's collection. It show us the warmth of Christmas and has valuable lessons.This book will give you something to thik about all year long.
    • 5/5
      I try to somehow find this story every year at this time and I particularly love this version. Thanks so much. Great job.
    • 5/5
      Fabulous unabridged reading. I'll listen to it every Christmas. Makes a great gift.
    • 5/5
      A book that stands the test of time and I read this with the approach of Christmas! A very enjoyable book even if you know exactly what is going to happen, worth worth it and it is quite a small book.
    • 4/5
      This has to be the single most beaten-to-death story of all time, but even after a million TV remakes, the book still holds up surprisingly well.
    • 5/5
      Arguably my favorite book. It is a friendship that is renewed every year at Christmas time, like putting a cherished sentimental ornament on a Christmas tree, or having lunch with an old friend you only see once a year.
    • 1/5
      Great story to read around Christmas (of course). Exciting adventures take place ALOT in this book.
    • 5/5
      If you live in the English speaking world and have spent any time around a tv during the month of December, you know the plot.Is the story worth reading and not just watching? Very much. It preserves the poignancy of lost time and redemption that is at the heart of Scrooge's story - even more than a religious message. Dickens addresses the reader directly, and there is more humor than most adaptations show.This edition has an interesting account of the first time Dickens read the story to a general audience - the beginning of Dickens' career in performing his work which proved almost as lucrative as the mere writing of it.
    • 5/5
      Well, I don't need to tell anybody here about Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol. I might be the only person living who hadn't already read it at some point. I'll just say Tim Curry is brilliant (also not news) and he elevated the story to art. My reaction throughout the story was surprise, as I had always had the impression that Scrooge was a hostile witness throughout the first two ghosts' visits. That's what I get for comparing the real thing to a TV adaptation. Anyway, if you're looking for a brilliant audio production of a classic for Christmas, look no further than this little gem.
    • 5/5
      Who does not know the story? This is my fourth time through A Christmas Carol and each time reveals something new. I am currently in the midst of reading God and Charles Dickens: Recovering the Christian Voice of a Classic Author by Gary Colledge, and this time through the Christian references were much more poignant. The illustrations in this edition were a very nice addition, and it is nice to see a standard Kindle edition with them. The book would always get 5 stars, and the Kindle version does as well.