Word to Dickens

In reaching back, I remember the good times I spent with Dickens this past Christmas time. In brief, it was a book I looked forward to reading...I thought it enriched my Christmas season, and most people I know, or who encountered me reading it on the train, agreed. A Christmas Carol is a great addition to Dickens' other reads; A Tale of Two Cities (which I actually read leaving London and arriving into Paris [the Two cities]) and Great Expectations. Mostly what Dickens does for me is create a space of, well, the familiar and occasionally cozy.

I've included Kathy's response (posted Jan. 26) below and I could have sworn that Steph sent me her entire response, but alas, I cannot locate it in my e-box. So I included one of her interim comments.

LOVE YOU LADIES,
Nancy

Step's:
I bought the book last night and started reading it. I like it already. I even read the second paragragh to Vaughn.


Kath's:
Well, we all know the story but I think it’s different when you get a change to actually read what was actually written. Some thing I especially liked was the part when Jacob sees Scrooge and Scrooge doesn’t want to believe what is happening. Jacob asks why he doesn’t believe his owns senses, seeing him and hearing him. Scrooge says “Because, a little thing affects them. A slight disorder of the stomach makes them cheats. You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato. There’s more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are!” I love the imagery and word playing of “gravy” and “grave”. Very clever. I also thought it was significant when the ghost of Christmas Present used some Scrooges own words when Scrooges asked what would happen to Tiny Tim the year to come. The ghost said, “If he would like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the population.” Then, “Scrooge hung his head his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.” I have said tons of things I regret. I wish I could take them away, too. I was impressed with Scrooge’s nephew who was always mostly nice and loving to him even though Scrooge was rotten to him. My favorite parts was with the ghost of Christmas Past. He took him to see his old boss, Fezziwig, and how loving he was towards his employees. They closed shop to have a wonderful party and Fezziwig had put some money into it. “A small matter,” said the Ghost, “To make these silly folks so full of gratitude.” “Small!” echoed Scrooge…(Ghost) “Why! Is it not? He has spent but a few pounds of your mortal money: three or four, perhaps. Is that so much that he deserves this praise?” “It isn’t that,” said Scrooge, heated by the remark, and speaking unconsciously like his former, not his latter self- “it isn’t that, Spirit. He has the power to render us happy or unhappy, to make our service light or burdensome, a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks, in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ‘em up; what then? The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.” It is true that small things can matter so much more than we know. Well, even though we all knew the story, I liked reading it. It was a fast read but one that I would like to read often during Christmas again and again, especially since the English is a little old.