No Christmas Story might be as memorable as the Christmas Carol. Its mix of fantasy and realism catches the audience, and it is a great message for life or just as a bedtime story.
Set during the Industrial Revolution in England, it is a story about a man named Scrooge. Scrooge is a cold-hearted businessman, who couldn’t care less about traditions and the ways of Christmas “External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge.” After the death of his business partner, Marley, Scrooge took over as the leader and assigned the struggling Bob Cratchit as his assistant. To illustrate Scrooge stinginess, he wouldn’t even donate to help the poor in London. In fact, he said, “ If they would rather die, then had better do it to decrease the surplus population.” The very evening of that remark, Marley’s Ghost appeared to Scrooge and warned him of his fate if he did not change. Once Marley left, 3 ghosts visit Scrooge, the ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Through the ghosts, Scrooge undergoes a set of trials that will forever change his life.

The author, Charles Dickens, has written many other great novels such as a Tale of Two Cities and Oliver Twist. He is well known for writing about the social problems of his time in London. As a child, his family was poor, and his dad was sent to debtor’s prison. At the age of 12, he had to leave his family and go work in a shoe-polishing factory to earn money. This experience was a basis for many of his novels.

The setting and tone make for an interesting combination. The people around Scrooge are filled with the Christmas spirit, while Scrooge thinks Christmas is a waste of time and money. The author portrays the troubles of poverty and difficult circumstances of people, yet they remain upbeat about Christmas. The tone of the novel is serious, as the author wants to get his point across.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I felt the message is just as relevant today then when it was written. The characters are memorable, due to Dickens portrayal. I recommended this book to all, as it will always remain a classic.