Since we’re underway with A Christmas Carol, it seemed fitting to offer a round-up of resources to aid you in your ghostly journey.
These are the best things I could find, and they’re pretty darn good.
Neil Gaiman Reads A Christmas Carol
You're missing out if you’ve never heard Neil Gaiman read something. He provided this performative reading for the New York Public Library, and they published it on their podcast for free.
BBC Podcast Discussion of A Christmas Carol
You can tell the people in this podcast are intelligent because of what they say. Plus, because of their accents. I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion of the novel’s themes and history.
The Guardian Article - “A Christmas Carol is not cosy…”
This is a quick read that offers a good overview of the social context surrounding the novella. When it was published, a broader conversation was taking place surrounding the poor and the problem they presented. This article explains that, and shows exactly what Dickens contributed to the conversation in this book.
The Novella for Free, in daily emails
Both of these Substack channels are sending out snippets of A Christmas Carol each day, leading up to Christmas.
Ebenezer’s Advent - of the two, I prefer this one’s formatting. Each day has great illustrations. It just has less traction and interaction from readers.
A Dickens December - this one lacks the illustrations, but it has a solid audience interacting with it. So, if you’re looking to see and participate in a daily conversation around the book, this is the one.
Scrooge, Meet Lazarus - lastly, a brief theological reflection from yours truly on the afterlife. See below.
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