A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
About the event
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](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 [dalemills@cantab.net](mailto:dalemills@cantab.net) for more info.
