A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Meeting at the usual place, upstairs at The Shakespeare Hotel, 200 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, Thursday 3 Dec, at 7.00pm, we will be discussing A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.

Published in 1843, it recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet-to-Come. In the process, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man. It is high on the list of books that people think they have read, but haven't.

This fun 150-page novel was written at a time when the English-speaking world was re-imagining the holiday season. At a time when Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, played a major role in popularising what now seem 'ancient' traditions, such as the Christmas Tree and the eating of gingerbread at that special time of year.

There is a small industry of movies, animations and commentaries. For those wanting more of a reading fix, there are multiple academic commentaries and re-tellings: feminist, gay, black, Jewish, science fiction, steampunk, horror-zombie, coming-of-age, literary, philosophical and Marxist.

For those who like Dickens, there is a NSW Dickens' Society at https://dickenssydney.com.au

Hard copies of the book are available from local libraries and from amazon, and soft copies from https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/46

There will be about 30 of us in a semi-private room, upstairs, conducive to discussion. We will discuss the book as a 'big group' for about 40 mins, before breaking up into informal small groups to further discuss the book or anything else. We are a friendly lot and newcomers are welcome. Contact Dale on [email protected] for more info.