The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.96 (536 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1543619630 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 391 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-11-11 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
The book immediately caused a sensation. His publisher turned it down, so Dickens used what little money he had to put out A Christmas Carol himself. And it breathed new life into a holiday that had fallen into disfavor, undermined by lingering Puritanism and the cold modernity of the Industrial Revolution. The Man Who Invented Christmas is a rich and satisfying listen for Scrooges and sentimentalists alike.. He worried it might be the end of his career as a novelist. As uplifting as the tale of Scrooge itself, this is the story of how Charles Dickens revived the signal holiday of the Western world. Just before Christmas in 1843, a debt-ridden and dispirited Charles Dickens wrote a small book he hoped would keep his creditors at bay. With warmth, wit, and an infusion of Christmas cheer, Les Standiford whisks us back to Victorian England, its most beloved storyteller, and the birth of the Christmas we know best. It was a harsh and dreary age, in desperate need of spiritual renewal, ready to embrace a book that ended with blessings for one and all
A Dickens Biography of A Christmas Carol Very good short biography about Charles Dickens that focused on his writing of the Christmas Carol. I think the title is sort of mis-labled. I don't think the author shows that Dickens invented Christmas as much as he may have helped revive its popularity and made the customs of the season more sentimental. The author did show how Dickens life growing up affected the writings of his books. His father did serve time in a debtors prison and that brought out a lot of what Dickens felt about charity, forbearance and . "a look at how Dickens reinvented Christmas" according to lindapanzo. Obviously, Charles Dickens didn't "invent" Christmas as this book's title would indicate. He is not the reason for the season, after all. However, he did reinvent the holiday and much of how we celebrate is due to his book, A Christmas Carol.This outstanding book is split between an examination of his interesting life, particularly as to how his popularity was flagging and his finances were dismal before A Christmas Carol, and a fascinating look at 19th century book publishing/bookselling. For most of Dickens' bo. Fascinating premise, well presented, but eventually tiring. I was disappointed by this book. Reviews made me think it would be wonderful. Well written and well researched but too much little detail about virtually every aspect of Dickens's life and career, of mid-18Fascinating premise, well presented, but eventually tiring. Kathy C I was disappointed by this book. Reviews made me think it would be wonderful. Well written and well researched but too much little detail about virtually every aspect of Dickens's life and career, of mid-1840s London, of his contemporaries who would also become famous, of the lack of observance of Christmas back then. Even so, it was a fairly short book. Maybe the focus was too small. But too much detail, no matter how engagingly written, becomes tiring after a while. I finally got to a point where I stopped read. 0s London, of his contemporaries who would also become famous, of the lack of observance of Christmas back then. Even so, it was a fairly short book. Maybe the focus was too small. But too much detail, no matter how engagingly written, becomes tiring after a while. I finally got to a point where I stopped read
From Publishers Weekly Charles Dickens was almost 32 in late 1843, and his career trajectory was downward. Since the megasuccess of The Old Curiosity Shop, dwindling sales of his work and problems with his publisher left little doubt in his mind: he would support his growing household as a travel writer on the Continent. But, says Standiford, this modern fable had a profound impact on Anglo-American culture and its author's career. . Standiford (The Last Train to Paradise) covers an impressive amou
LES STANDIFORD is the author of the critically acclaimed Last Train to Paradise, Meet You in Hell, and Washington Burning, as well as ten novels. Recipient of the Frank O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, he is director of the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University in Miami, where he lives with his wife an