**Contains original illustrations**
This illustrated version of Charles Dickens' beloved story A Christmas Carol was written in 1843, with the intention of drawing readers' attention to the plight of England's poor. In the story, Dickens combines a somewhat indirect description of hardships faced by the poor with a heart-rending, sentimental celebration of the Christmas season. The calloused character of the apathetic penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge, who opens his heart after being confronted by three spirits, remains one of Dickens' most widely recognized and popular creations.
A Christmas Carol takes the form of a relatively simplistic allegory--it is seldom considered one of Dickens' important literary contributions. The novella's emotional depth, brilliant narration, and endearing characters, however, offer plenty of rewards for literature students, Dickensian fans, and Grinches alike. Like A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol has won much appreciation among general readers despite being dismissed by scholarly critics of Dickens' work.
