40 Days Until Christmas: A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

Many years ago I found, on the remainder shelf, or perhaps at a book sale, a pristine copy of A Christmas Carol published by Candlewick Press, with absolutely exquisite illustrations by P.J. Lynch. I had no need to buy another copy of the Carol, having already replaced my second edition annotated copy with the third edition of the annotated copy, plus having it in an illustrated version based on the George C. Scott film, plus several books of “short" stories which included the complete Carol. Not to mention that I had an e-book version as well!

But I bought it anyway, lured by the illustrations, saving it for Christmas–until I discovered a friend of mine had never read the book although they’d seen numerous versions on film. Never read A Christmas Carol? Not ever? Not even in a little Signet paperback with the original illustrations by John Leech bound in the middle? Inconceivable! So I took the Lynch book and sent it to my friend instead–then completely forgot I did so and went looking for it a year later. I only realized this when I went through all my Christmas books, and this year, when I found the book on a special offer from Amazon, decided to replace it.

It was truly worth the trouble, not only for Dickens’ timeless story but for these wonderful illustrations done in watercolor and gouache. His people have an Arthur Rackham vibe, but it’s the landscapes and streetscapes that truly shine. The cover illustration alone is beautiful. Of particular note: the foggy London street at the opening of “Stave One, another street scene on pages 20-21, a nearly greyscale shot above Scrooge’s neighborhood on page 40, the page 48-49 countryside spread looking like a shot out of a James Herriot Yorkshire book, the fabulous lighthouse scene on page 101, Scrooge’s first glimpse of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come on 114-115, and the spirit’s cloak becoming a curtain on page 134. And there are no words for the heartbreaking view of Bob Cratchit bowed over Tim’s bedside on 140.

If you have only one version of the Carol to buy, make it this one. You won’t be sorry. I promise.