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A Writer's Christmas: Dickens & More
The arrival of Christmas evokes a range of feelings in most of us -- from intense nostalgia, to playful whimsy, to high seriousness, to simple joy. In this respect, great writers are no different. Now on display, from the Library's Berg Collection of English and American Literature, are examples of several different kinds of "holiday spirit" expressed by a small group of literary luminaries. Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, a fable of personal redemption and social reform, became a Christmas favorite since its initial appearance in 1843. Some of the other expressions of Christmas sentiment displayed here are more idiosyncratic.
Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol:
The little story that is probably Dickens's most beloved, A Christmas Carol was originally published on December 19, 1843. The first of his five Christmas books, it is a tender tale that received a rapturous public welcome that continues to this day. Of the story, the Victorian novelist William Makepeace Thackeray said famously: "Who can listen to objections regarding such a book? It seems to me a national benefit, and to every man or woman who reads it a personal kindness." |