Completed: 12/23/2023
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
Recommended By: I cannot remember
Review:
Indeed, Dickens is a word smith. Lots of detail and tons of nuance is lost in the adaptations. The way in which the ghosts are described, the methods by which Scrooge and the ghosts move, and the nature of the change of heart. I always felt that Scrooge thought of himself as liked, but is shocked to discover he is not. The actual story shows the incredible lack of introspection that governs Scrooge's life and how his devotion to money was not a last grasp, but a fundamental part of who he was which grew out of his own impoverished and largely unloved history. Scrooge is much more human in Dickens' telling and represses his memories and feelings leaving him bitter and unfeeling. The ghost of Christmas past is critical in the original telling, because this is what awakens Scrooge and forces him to remember his loving past. The ghost of Christmas present is fleeting in the original telling, though, he seems to dominate in modern adaptations. The use of words to describe people moving (they don't just flock into the street, they appear in large groups and slip into the scene from back alleys and side streets calling out to one another and roiling into a larger group--a description of "flock" which is much more enticing) is wonderful and lush with both description and a sense of motion. He is truly a wonderful author.
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