Dickens in Days

Dickens in DaysDickens in Days is an effort to keep the reading of A Christmas Carol a holiday past time. We believe the by-gone era of reading the best of Christmas makes for a better Christmas.

A Christmas Carol is a tradition that has thrilled the world since first published in 1843.

While many people traditionally watch movie adaptations of the story as part of their Christmas traditions others find great joy in reading it.

There is a flavor to the Victorian-era English as it is written and the storytelling genius of Charles Dickens is something of a tradition in and of itself to enjoy. Simply put, nothing beats reading it as part of your holiday traditions.

While A Christmas Carol is technically a short story it can still be somewhat time consuming to be read. To help with our 21st century sensibilities in that regard we have broken down the story into daily bite size pieces. If followed it only take 19 days of brief reading to complete it.

Even that might seem for some a bit to commit to. However, a two-hour movie or even a performance of A Christmas Carol is usually considered time well invest. Not long after the story was published Charles Dickens would perform it himself, doing all the parts and voices, in a dramatic readings to packed audiences. For decades this was a Christmas tradition in both Britain and America.

In reading the story as Dickens wrote it you will no doubt walk away not only with a new appreciation of the story but also with the following observations:

  • You will hear the voice of Dickens – The story has a descriptive narrative that is missing from most movies, radio dramas and stage productions. It is the voice of the writer, Charles Dickens. He is very conversation and descriptive. You’ll like him and his voice.
  • You will recognize dialogue and characters – The story is so familiar to us and has been presented to us so completely that as you read you will no doubt hear the voices or see the faces of familiar actors. Many adaptations have tried to stay true to the original manuscript, so there will be much that is familiar to you.
  • Missed details will stand out to you – No film or movie can cover every detail of the narrator. There is a richness and a depth to the story that has been missed, no matter the best efforts of directors and producers. This can only come from reading.
  • The “theater of the mind” is far more effective than any movie – you will become quickly engrossed in the detail, taken back in time to an era when people talked a little differently and behaved with greater regard for others. You will feel their emotion, especially coming from Scrooge and Marley

Reading A Christmas Carol may build a new tradition for you. Some read it every year without tiring of it. Some begin their Christmas season by reading it again. That is because, and perhaps this is why it has so endured, you will feel the Christmas Spirit.

Here is our breakdown of A Christmas Carol:

Stave One – Marley’s Ghost
Day 1 – About Scrooge
Day 2 – Merry Christmas According to Scrooge
Day 3 – Charitable Giving
Day 4 – Marley’s Face
Day 5 – Humbug

Stave Two – The First of Three Spirits
Day 6 – Ding Dong!
Day 7 – Boyhood Memories
Day 8 – Fan and Father
Day 9 – Fezziwig
Day 10 – Belle

Stave Three – The Second of Three Spirits
Day 11 – Christmas Present
Day 12 – The Cratchits
Day 13 – Christmas of the Poor
Day 14 – Ignorance and Want

Stave Four – The Last of the Spirits
Day 15 – Phantom
Day 16 – Treasures of the Dead
Day 17 – Dead
Day 18 – The Grave

Stave Five – The End of It
Day 19 – What day is it?

A Christmas Carol