Mr. Dickens and His Carol

I usually read A Christmas Carol every year at this time so this caught my eye while perusing my Kindle Unlimited options! It is as heartwarming as Dickens’ Carol but for different reasons. My friend mentioned one similarly titled but it was nonfiction and rather heavy reading for her. She was ecstatic to find a “novel” version of the creation of A Christmas Carol, and looked it up, only to find a TWELVE-WEEK WAITLIST at the library! (Alas-she does not have Kindle Unlimited…yet!) I enjoy a creative “story-behind-the story everyone knows”…In a manner similar to a movie about Jane Austen life, where any proper Austenite could identify characters in Jane’s life who inspired characters in her books, this novel allows you to see how Dickens was inspired by people, names, events, and stress in his own life and how he transferred them into his holiday Classic. (ie…when he signs an autograph to one Jacob Marley - only to have the recipient express his disappointment because he thought Dickens was Thackeray - thus Dickens committed the name to memory because he meant to have him symbolically dead in his next work for such an insult!).There are plenty of twists and surprises - even for those who are well versed in A Christmas Carol or who have read it many times. I won’t spoil the treat of reading it. I plan to have this book on the shelf next to my Dickens original for future holiday reading tradition!! :-)

A heartwarming tale that pays homage to a beloved Christmas story, blending cherished traditions with a fresh, modern twist. Prepare to be swept away by a captivating narrative that celebrates the spirit of the season, reminding us of the timeless values of family, generosity, and the magic that can unfold during the most wonderful time of the year.

Loved this book! It was a perfect sequel to A Christmas Carol. It’s almost as if the author knew Dickens herself

I know that this book received a lot of 5 stars and 4stars ratings but I'm afraid that I can only give it 3 stars. This novel didn't click with me at all.Dickens was facing losing everything because his last book, Martin Chuzzlewit, was a complete flop. His publishers told him he had to write a successful Christmas book to save his career.He suddenly feels that everyone is after his money and his surly behavior plus his getting in contact with an old girlfriend in a search to find his muse, drives his wife to take the children and go to her mother's in Scotland.Feeling abandoned, he takes up quarters where his writing career first began. While walking the streets of the area, he comes across a lady in a purple cloak named Eleanor Lovejoy, and he determines that she is his new muse, having apparently put his wife and children out of his mind for the moment.He is infatuated with Eleanor Lovejoy and is constantly on the lookout for her purple cloak. She even helps him disguise himself as an old man so that he can walk the streets of London unnoticed. I felt that the Eleanor Lovejoy part of the story drags on and on. Then a totally unbelievable twist is thrown in by the author and with this I felt that the author lost all credibility.I actually found the story contrived, depending on Dickens writing The Christmas Carol to save the day, bring his family back and they all lived happily ever after. Only I know enough about the real Charles Dickens to know that they don't.I could have easily done without this book.

The book is well written. Also there was a surprising minor plot twist near the end.

I thought the author wrote in a wonderfully visual way…really enjoyed her style. I enjoyed how funny Charles could be, especially when he was losing her cool. Was a little concerned about some of his decisions, but in the end he changes for the better, as you’d hope. Bought a copy for my Mom for Christmas.

fun quick read and interesting take on Dickens.

I was caught at the first page and struggled when I had to pause for life. Twists and turns, imagery that made me feel I was on the foggy streets of London, characters who never ceased to surprise me. What a wonderful story.

A heartwarming and beautiful story of Dickens writing his Christmas carol! It’s full of Christmas vibes and the audiobook is perfect!

I so enjoyed this book. I enjoyed walking the streets of London with Dickens, had a few chuckles and enjoyed a surprising twist!. A delightful read for this time of year and I look forward to reading it Christmas' to come.

Livro excelente para quem admira os contos de Natal de Charles Dickens. Narrativa ficcional deliciosa, firmemente baseada em vários fatos reais da vida do escritor.

Great book .. excellent delivery

This one was an impulse-buy for me. The cover caught my eye, it is about one of my favourite books of all time, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and at the time it was only 99p.Mr Dickens and His Carol is a fictional account of how Charles Dickens was inspired to write his most famous book - and managed to invent Christmas - and the Christmas book - at the same time!It is a month before Christmas and Dickens' most recent book, Martin Chuzzlewit, is a huge flop. His publishers are threatening to take their advance back if he doesn't produce a new book by Christmas - and they have already helpfully arranged for him to do a public reading of it on Christmas Eve! Dickens is thrown into a panic and promptly goes down with writer's block. His family have got used to the money his success has brought and fail to take seriously his hints that perhaps they ought to economise. His teenage sweetheart wants a reconciliation, bookshops and theatres are plagiarising his work, sometimes before it's even published; he feels everyone wants a little piece of him - sometimes literally!Mr Dickens and His Carol has obviously been written by someone with a deep affection for Charles Dickens and a thorough knowledge of his work. It was fun to spot the references to his books and characters, and even if it is a work of fiction there are enough true stories woven into the story to make it completely believable. And Victorian London is horribly authentic.I absolutely adored this story and would love to see it dramatised for TV or film. It somehow manages to be both funny and poignant; writers will 'get' the in-jokes; and I loved the way Dickens' life began to mirror the book he was writing. The perfect Christmas book, in fact!