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The Chimes (Christmas Books series Book 2)

Thursday, June 27, 2019Thursday, June 27, 2019 admin

This story paints the bleakest picture of the poor in all the Christmas books. Instead of a miser, Dickens uses a man named Trotty for his main character. In a very "It's a Wonderful Life" way, he learns what the consequences of his actions might be. His daughter is in love, but he doesn't believe that the marriage should go forth because of their poverty. I find this story distressing.

The Lady Most Likely: A Novel in Three Parts.
Christmas Books.
A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth.
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The Christmas Books, Volume 1: A Christmas Carol/The Chimes by Charles Dickens.
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The main character is such a nice little man and the visions he receives so horrible, that at the happy end, I find my heart still broken. In this story, a bitter professor named Redlaw is haunted by past grievances and hurt. When a ghost offers him the opportunity to forget all his wrongs, he accepts. But something unexpected happens. He is still angry but doesn't know why and he spreads his bitterness to others. It has a satisfying happy ending and there are some memorable characters to make the story go along.

The book is very atmospheric but doesn't have the appeal of the top three. The Battle of Life. No supernatural beings in this one.

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Just interesting folks who seem to be in love with the wrong people. Jedlar and his two daughters, Grace and Marion, live on a former battlefield. Dickens suggests that the memories of the battle haunt those who live on it. The character of Clemency Newcome, who is Dr. Jedlar's servant, is delightful and she gets her happy ending too. This one to me is the least Christmas-y and perhaps that's why I like it least. All these stories are in the public domain. But if you want a hard copy, seek out the Oxford Illustrated Classics version has all the original illustrations!

And it's small enough to stick in a tote bag or backpack for some reading while waiting in line at the dentist's office or grocery store. Dec 19, Jeff Currie rated it it was amazing. I've listed this because of A Christmas Carol - the source of every stage and film retelling, of course, and amazingly, in my experience the source of all of what seems to be the embellishments in each retelling. What a great idea for the end of a year and the beginning of the next and the Season of Light - to consider one's current life with a view to one's past and a look at what might lie ahead - all based on one's frame of mind.

View all 3 comments. Eerie, profound, and funny. I like how the message was Biblical without stuffing it down one's throat. Though Dickens never claimed Christianity, I have a sneaking suspicion that he was a low-key Christian yes I just made that term up. Jan 03, Teri rated it it was amazing Shelves: But I finally read both over the holidays. The Chimes is similar in its message and delivery as A Christmas Carol its structure is a little more vague however, and you have to keep on your toes for the transitions.

There are haunted chimes, rung by goblins, to ring in the New Year. What's not to like? The cruel treatment of the poor, and the responsibility to help the poor, is even more dramatically on display in The Chimes than it was in A Christmas Carol. One scene in particular may be troubling to children. Dickens does a great job showing how we should not let others validate our worth, that wealth and station are not what determines worth.

Apparently Dickens wrote 5 Christmas stories, and after reading the two in this book, I think I'll have to track the rest down for next Christmas, to see what they're like. I love Dickens' descriptive writing! Jan 16, Terence Manleigh rated it it was amazing Shelves: One star for "The Chimes", I'm afraid. May 07, Shaun Victor rated it it was amazing. Two classics that are easy to read yet both contain such important insights into class inequality that still persists today.

Feb 20, Michael rated it really liked it. My family has a tradition of listening to a minute version of this from an old record. In any case, I have seen and heard numerous versions of this story before I decided to sit down and read it. The obvious weakness is that Ebenezer Scrooge does not require too much to shake him from his dour, crabby, miserly ways.

A few hours spent with some ghosts who show him some human interaction, affection, and pain, and he converts pretty quickly.

The Christmas Books of Charles Dickens — A Christmas Carol and other stories.
Sos Papà (Bambini e genitori) (Italian Edition);
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Eagles Shadow (Thaumatology Book 7);

I think there is good evidence he is well on his way to being more humane and generous even after the first ghostly visit and likely does not need the final two. As characters go, where did his convictions and habits originally come from that got him to this place? Why would he change so quickly? Has no one else told him of these things along the way? Did he lead such a sheltered life that he never saw or experienced the affection and horrors of life that would provide him a heart? Now you may say that is not the intention of the piece — that it is meant to be propaganda of sorts or supposed to be a fantasy reminder that we should put humans and love and caring for one another as more central elements in our lives, rather than cold logic that leads to money grubbing and suffering.

Still given the conditioning I have for this story, I like it and recommend reading it. The Chimes is also part of this book and is one I had never heard of before. It was enjoyable enough, but mostly for the attitudes the different characters embody, informed by their class positions. Dickens makes fun of the upper classes in all cases.

One upper class character sees the poor as having faults that need to be corrected before they can improve their position. Another decries this view and believes the poor should essentially be treated like children and taken care of by either the government or those who are superior to them. The main character accepts all of this readily and just tries to go about his life. Dec 05, Lawrence rated it it was amazing. The genius of "A Christmas Carol" is its narration how a very rich, miserly, and loveless man is also susceptible to personal reformation.

Even though Dickens could be savage when portraying injustice, he can nonetheless see a man like Scrooge as a member of our human race. The task of "A Christmas Carol" is to describe Scrooge's breakdown and the humanity that emerges and transforms him. In sum, "A Christmas Carol" expresses a hope for personal reformation for the worst of us, and is Dickens' model of a reformed world or, if not model, the witness to its possibility. Because Scrooge is our hero, the story is a remarkable lesson in the writer's charity and generosity.

For me, the story's pivotal scene is Christmas Day at the home of the mild Bob Cratchit.

The Christmas Books, Volume 1: A Christmas Carol/The Chimes

This is the time in the story when Scrooge begins to change within as opposed to delighting in reminisences, for example, of Mr. On one level, the scene in the Cratchit home is sentimental. On another, it is marked by the harsh contrast between cohesive love and the poverty of making do. It is a great depiction of the modest, struggling poor. The dramatic language of the spirits including Marley's ghost is always fresh for me. Take, for instance, the pronouncement of the Spirit of Christmas Present when Scrooge discovers the two wasted children under the Spirit's robe: This girl is want.

But most of all beware this boy. Also consider the way the spirits ironically parrot to Scrooge his own remarks about prisons and workhouses and decreasing the surplus population. The story does not end with the visitations. Dickens carries us along to show the consequences. Thus, he describes the end result of Scrooge's reformation the silliness of a giddy man buying the prize turkey and capering about his threadbare home.

Then, there is the beauty of the Christmas visit at last to his nephew's home. I took the time out recently to read G. The Chimes is slightly grim, but still has a good outcome it is rather the typical beat them down then pull a good lesson out of it type of story -thankfulness for what you are given and have, a good lesson. And of course these stories are extremely time driven, so you have to think as if you were in that day it does pull you I have always loved Dickens Christmas Carol, but have never read his trilogy of Christmas stories.

And of course these stories are extremely time driven, so you have to think as if you were in that day it does pull you there, and some of the ways in which the stories are written paint the picture of writers at the time. The Cricket was more of an upbeat story with a twist untwist at the end. Amusing and fun to read, but still not as good as the carol. When my daughter was in college, I gave her English professor a small plum pudding for Christmas and in return, she presented me with a copy of this book, which I cherish and try to read a bit each Christmas.

This year I'm starting with A Cricket on the Hearth. Between his books, I forget how much I love Dickens. I still can't remember if I've read "A Christmas Carol" before, but in any case I've just finished it for perhaps the first, perhaps the second time. Now on to two stories I know I've never read. It is compelling, though too long, and without the punchiness of "A Christmas Carol. Still, having read all three, it's apparent why "A Christmas Carol" became the most famous.

It's simply head and shoulders above the other two. Dec 21, Malissa added it Shelves: They just cannot hold my attention at all! Dec 22, Matthias rated it really liked it. Dec 13, M. Crane rated it liked it.

The Chimes, the next book in this collection, was disappointingly dry, a feeling ex The book begins with a perennial Dickensian favourite, A Christmas Carol. The Chimes, the next book in this collection, was disappointingly dry, a feeling exacerbated when reading it after the easy reading in A Christmas Carol. The idea of the story is to change the mind of a man who believes that all humans are inherently bad, but this message is got across in a somewhat awkward manner. The story was pleasant overall, but was, in my opinion, the least enjoyable story in this book.

Finally, we come to The Cricket on the Hearth. The story does not have a seasonal theme, unlike the other two, and is instead about the comforts of home. It was, however, a lovely read, and was far better than The Chimes. It was an entirely unexpected pleasure to have such a wonderful read thrust upon me at the of the volume, but it was a delightful read.

It rivalled A Christmas Carol in my enjoyment of it, and was a great way to finish. The Christmas Books is a compendium of three Dickens short stories, and two of the stories I thoroughly enjoyed. Despite the dip in the middle that was The Chimes, the other two were deserving of 5-star reviews. The Christmas Book is an easy way to get your hands on a copy of The Cricket on the Hearth, which would not be common elsewhere, and for that reason alone, it is worth buying.

A Christmas Carol was also, as expected, a touching and lovely read, and it is easy to see how it has become a favourite for many generations. Jan 03, Rachel rated it it was ok Shelves: Well, of course A Christmas Carol was magnificent. The Chimes and the Cricket on the Hearth - not so much. Everyone knows the plot of A Christmas Carol, so I will not rehash it here except to say that if you have only watched one or more of the dozens of versions of the story in film but have not read Dickens' actual story, do yourself a favor and read the book - you will not be disappointed.

Plus, it makes it more fun to analyze the plethora of CC movies made over the years to see how close t Well, of course A Christmas Carol was magnificent. Plus, it makes it more fun to analyze the plethora of CC movies made over the years to see how close they replicate the actual story. The Patrick Stewart version is really faithful to the written word, but I digress The other two stories are holiday stories as well, however, they pale in comparison to A Christmas Carol and are drier and less interesting than chalk dust.

The Chimes is a feeble New Year's goblin story wherein Dickens once again mounts his soap box to thrust his social criticism down the reader's throat via poorly developed characters and plot line. At the end, you are left scratching your head and saying to yourself, "huh? The best part of Cricket is that one of the main characters has the last name of "Peerybingle. I don't find my life enriched for having read either The Chimes or Cricket in the Hearth.

They are the reason I gave such a low review to this book. A Christmas Carol is the reason the star rating is higher than it should be and in and of itself should be awarded all 5 stars. Although I have been bombarded with portrayals of Scrooge, from Blackadder to Bill Murray, since I was a schoolchild, I had not got around to reading the original until now, at nearly 50 years of age. Furthermore, I was almost unaware of the other two works in this volume.

This is a pity, as this whole short collection is uniformly brilliant. It is also easily digestible, with each story suitable to tackle in an evening. Dickens' style is really inimitable, although there are elements of it disce Although I have been bombarded with portrayals of Scrooge, from Blackadder to Bill Murray, since I was a schoolchild, I had not got around to reading the original until now, at nearly 50 years of age. Dickens' style is really inimitable, although there are elements of it discernible in Terry Pratchett and others. He is a keen and cynical observer of human nature and of the hypocrisy and unfairness of Vistorian life.

While he is witty, some of his characters really make you itch to slap them, while some of them display an achingly real humanity. The deprivation makes you stamp your feet against the cold, while the meals positively glisten with just the right amount of rhetorical fat to get the juices flowing. Dickens style is rich but not as florid as many Victorians, and he is the master storyteller. All three stories deal with supernatural spirits that might not, in fact, be anything more than the troubled conscience of the protagonists bubbling up in dreams.

At any rate, each sees transformation from the steely, cold spirit of Victorian trickle-down religiosity to the warmth of "real" Christmas cheer and generosity.

An Introduction - What the Dickens? Christmas Edition - VLOGMAS DAY 2

I would be hard put to select a favourite, as all three deserve credit comparable to that of "A Christmas Carol". The three ghosts of Christmas, the spirits of the bells and that of the hearth cricket, all of them awaken cold hearts and light bright logs by the common table. It's just the right time of the year to tackle this, and I thoroughly recommend it as an introduction to Dickens. Reading Dickens is not an easy thing to do, I'll say that much. I started this book thinking how well he writes and how beautiful this is, only to later question his need for being musical in writing.

The characters were either singing in my head or talking very But, moving on to the stories themselves I loved A Christmas Carol. It was heart whelming and inspiring. I find it difficult not to learn the lessons Dickens wants the readers to learn and it's difficult to take a Reading Dickens is not an easy thing to do, I'll say that much. I find it difficult not to learn the lessons Dickens wants the readers to learn and it's difficult to take a different stand with this kind of emotional story that he comes up with.

Because of this, I'm not sure anymore of where I stand after this; I need to rethink some stuff. A story that does that to you is a really good story. I didn't know anything about The Chimes before I read it and it also took me a while to get into it, regardless of it being a rather short story. This is the story that had a lot of rhythm and it sounded like it was written in verses sometimes. Something that applies to both this story and The Cricket on the Hearth , is that I actually cared about the characters and I was hoping for happy endings, even when things seemed hopeless.

It was magical to see how easily I could get attached to characters and how much there was to learn from these wonderful stories. Charles Dickens is an author worth reading and his lessons are worth remembering. Nov 17, Dana rated it really liked it. Within the first few pages of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens I had to stop and wonder why on earth I had waited 36 years to read him!

I don't want to get ahead of myself but I think its pretty safe to say that after reading just one of his books, I already love him. Had I no other reading responsibilities I would spend all of soaking up all the Dickens I could. A Christmas Carol is a familiar enough story, as it has been represented in so many different film adaptations over the year Within the first few pages of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens I had to stop and wonder why on earth I had waited 36 years to read him! A Christmas Carol is a familiar enough story, as it has been represented in so many different film adaptations over the years but it seems to me nothing was quite like reading it.

Dickens greatest strength lies the in power of his description and I only wish my own vocabulary greater so that I could do him justice when trying to praise his writing. From the ghost of Marley shake those chains! I really loved this book and now understand why my good friend Betsy reads it every year at Christmas time. Count me in and bring on more Dickens! Dec 20, Tim rated it really liked it. I've read nine Dickens novels, but finally got around to reading his "Christmas Books. That takes some of the punch out of the story, we know so much of it already.

Still, TV and movie versions often focus too much on the monetary miserliness of Scrooge and leave out some of the details of the ghosts' visits. I expected my familiarity with the story to drag down my enjoyment of the tale; I I've read nine Dickens novels, but finally got around to reading his "Christmas Books.

I expected my familiarity with the story to drag down my enjoyment of the tale; I liked it more than I expected, and Dickens' writing here is much better than I was led to believe. As for the other two novellas here, both are good, though "A Christmas Carol" towers over them. All three, by the way, have some sort of supernatural element to them. In addition, who is the last to join the party at the end? I gathered it was the dog. Overall, good stuff, well worth checking out even for those who think the marquee tale here is too familiar.

Dec 19, J. Asking the upper classes to stop interfering with his life and leave him to die, Will Fern makes a bitter reference to the biblical Book of Ruth , deliberately misquoting Ruth 's "Whither thou goest, I will go" speech. The novel's setting is contemporary and the s the " Hungry Forties " were a time of social and political unrest. Trotty's conviction that poor people are naturally wicked is influenced by an article in his newspaper about a young woman who has tried to drown herself and her child, and this motif returns at the climax of the book, when Meg is driven to contemplate the same course of action.

This is a reference to Mary Furley, a destitute young woman sentenced to death in for infanticide after her desperation not to return to the workhouse led to a suicide attempt in which her child drowned. Dickens took part in the general outcry against the sentence, which was eventually commuted to transportation. Alderman Cute is a parody of Sir Peter Laurie , a Middlesex magistrate, alderman and former Lord Mayor of London, known for his determination to "put down" the lower classes and their antisocial behaviour.

The unnamed young man who harks back to the "good old times" is a reference to the Young England movement. Dickens removed many of these references prior to publication. In , the book was made into a silent film, The Chimes , directed by Thomas Bentley. The Chimes was adapted into a minute clay-animated film in by Xyzoo Animation.

It won a Cine Special Jury award in In a stage adaptation by Les Smith premiered at the Southwark Playhouse. In , Audible issued The Chimes as a free audible book with Christmas well wishes from the company to its subscribers. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. For other uses, see The Chimes disambiguation. Title page of first edition, with engraving by F. The Letters of Charles Dickens.

The Life of Charles Dickens. Ohio State University Press. Archived from the original PDF on 27 July Introduction to The Chimes in Charles Dickens: The Christmas Books, Volume 1. Retrieved 13 February Barnard's Inn and Beyond". Retrieved 6 December Check date values in:

The Chimes (Christmas Books series Book 2)

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A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens