Where I Finally Read the Original Thing

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I got this as a gift last year and saved it up to read at Christmastime. I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint.

Of course, I know the story pretty well. Lots of different movie versions going around. I even read an easy version with my ESL students back in the day. But reading the original is always the best, and I was pleased to see that I enjoyed it more than expected.

The story, separated from the original text (and plopped into a cartoon or the like), doesn't fell much like Dickens to me, but reading the real thing I finally got it. It really is Dickens. There are lots of characters, lots of details, lots of ironic lines, even in this short novella, that make it read like his other books, and I like how it came together. The three ghosts device is pretty clever, and having Scrooge eavesdropping on conversations he can't enter into, hearing what people really think about him, is a brilliant conceit. Nothing could ever be more honest--more brutal, too--than hearing what they say in their private homes, and it leaves Scrooge without any way to argue the point or shout them down. He has to listen and is basically convicted by their testimony, even in his own heart. We're so used to the story that these events don't much stand out, but I think it's a pretty impressive plot device.

Dickens' long books are generally a pleasure to read in their own way, filled with subplots and meanderings, but I really liked how quick this one reads. It's quite nice for a change to have it be so brief.

Even those who don't care for Dickens would probably enjoy this novella. It's pretty accessible for a number of reasons and doesn't take too much time to get through. And Dickens fans in particular should all find a lot to like here (if they haven't already).

So recommended for most readers. :)

I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry a a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody!

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Where an Old Man Enjoys Some Kid Stuff

The Complete Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck Volume 1 by Don Rosa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a Father's Day gift from my son, who apparently listens when I rant and also has a "read whatever you enjoy" ethos, two qualities I admire.

As far as comics go, I prefer stories that are contained in a single issue, with unambiguous art, boundless creativity, and a generally positive outlook toward the world and life. Kids' comics like Uncle Scrooge (and Richie Rich and Hot Stuff, things like that) are more to my taste than most superhero comics or other "sequential art"--even though I am officially quite old and haven't looked at them much since the 70s. I shared this opinion (about comics, not about being old) as we wandered around the local convention, and my alert son hunted down this volume for me.

Worked out pretty good--I really liked it.

Don Rosa's Scrooge, a European version of the familiar Disney character and comic, is well done. He tells Scrooge's biography in a way that answers some questions and makes the character more sympathetic than ever, with engaging art and fun stories. I'm not really sure who the audience is supposed to be, but I liked it, and I'm eager to find others by him.

Sometimes you just want to read about a prospecting duck riding an emu across the Outback, you know?

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