We all know the plot to A Christmas Carol. The book has been adapted and borrowed from so many times, it would be impossible to not know about Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim etc. I had, therefore, never really been tempted to read the book. However, when Audible gifted its members a version narrated by Hugh Grant, I gave it a go. After all, Hugh Grant…
We all know Dickens is considered a literary great and even without taking any of his other books into account, it’s easy to discern why from A Christmas Carol.
I guess some parts of the plot were disappointing, but it's not Dickens's fault. It was just because it is too well known. There were no shocks or twists and I knew Scrooge would see the light and find a heart and lose his bah humbug ways. But if I had looked at the plot alone with complete innocence, it’s really very clever. It’s got touches of a thriller, with ghosts rattling their chains, I imagine in 1843 it might have almost been a little scary. It has humour, my favourite part being Scrooge wondering if those same ghosts were caused by indigestion. It covers a plethora of themes, the importance of family and love, forgiveness and redemption, and of course, social inequality. It’s also got a bit of tension towards the end, with Scrooge not sure as to whether or not he can change the course of his future. You’ve got to admit, that’s a lot to pack into a mere 112 pages.
Then there is the characterisation in 112 pages. We get Scrooge’s impatience and miserly ways within a couple of paragraphs. He and the other characters, even his already dead partner Marlowe, jump from the page and are so easy to imagine immediately (enough to even eclipse the various movie versions which might be stuck in your head).
Dickens’s prose is obviously also very good. His descriptive passages are a marvel. I could have read (listened, anyway) to some of them over and over. I also found it surprising how easy Dickens’s writing was to read. Usually reading something from 1843, you might expect some turns of phrases etc to be confusing, but I never had to pause and wonder what he meant at any stage. Obviously this is another sign of Dickens’s literary skill.
As for Hugh’s narration? Let me just put it this way - I’m off to check if he’s narrated any other books, so that’s a big ‘yes’ from me (and maybe a little ‘guh’ and ‘yeah, bb’).
Obviously, 5 out of 5
A Christmas Carol
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