In the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, the reclusive curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited on Christmas Eve by four spirits who force him to examine his selfish ways. When Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning, he is a new man, flinging open the windows of spiritual transformation and given to an entirely new outlook on life.A Christmas Carol Book and Bible Study Guide includes the … entire book of this Dickens classic as well as Bible study discussion questions for each chapter, Scripture references, and related commentary.Detailed character sketches and an easy-to-read book summary provide deep insights into each character while examining the book’s themes of greed, isolation, guilt, blame, compassion, generosity, transformation, forgiveness, and finally redemption. To help with those more difficult discussion questions, a complete Answer Guide is available for free online.This complete Bible study experience is perfect for book clubs, church groups, homeschool and Christian schools as well as independent study.A Christmas Carol Book and Study Guide includes:A Christmas Carol book by Charles DickensFive sessions of weekly studyComplete character sketches and summaries to go deeperBible study questions that are ideal for group discussionAnswer Guide for all questions and Scripture Reference Guide available for free onlineAvailable in print or e-book formatsThis Christmas, allow the transformational story of Ebenezer Scrooge to transform your life while inspiring change in the lives of those around you. There’s no better tool for making that happen than with A Christmas Carol Book and Study Guide!
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I am so happy to have found this wonderful guide to A Christmas Carol. Always one of my favorite stories, the author gave it much more dimension by relating it to modern-day challenges through thought-provoking questions. This would be an excellent resource to read through Advent, either on your own, as a family, or with a book group.
The story of Scrooge and his timely visit by three elusive spirits and their transformational effect on him is not only classically well known, it is full of application even now, 176 years later. While I am sad I haven’t read this book before now, I’m glad I have now read it. I think the reading of this short tale will become a yearly Christmas time tradition. It has put me in the mood for the holiday and left me feeling very happy.
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens, 1843
My favorite quote: The opening line: “Marley was dead, to begin with.” What a great way to start
Notable characters: Ebenezer Scrooge, a heartless miser who finds redemption
Most memorable scene: My favorite scenes have always been those early moments when the spookiness is just beginning to take shape. That first appearance of Jacob Marley’s ghost is the kind of stuff that made me a fan of ghost stories in the first place. I still can’t get enough of it
Greatest strengths: Character development, of course
Standout achievements: I don’t think the general public has any idea how profound a cultural impact this little novella really had — not only at the time of its publication in England, but even today, in America. One example of this is the fact that this book popularized the terms “Merry Christmas” and “bah humbug.” Before A Christmas Carol, no one really said those things. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you’re looking to have your mind blown, give it a Google
Fun Facts: Dickens originally intended A Christmas Carol to be a pamphlet called, “An Appeal to the People of England on behalf of the Poor Man’s Child,” which would be about child labor in the British society.
Other media: Well … how much time do you have … ?? (My favorite is a toss-up between Mickey’s Christmas Carol and Disney’s version with Jim Carrey)
What it taught me: The importance — and the power — of character development. I mean, can you imagine how lame this story would have been if Ebenezer hadn’t changed?
How it inspired me: My collaborator, Tamara Thorne, and I have the honor of beginning a new venture called Horror Classics with Thorne & Cross, where we’ll be writing introductions for and giving our thoughts on classic horror-themed novels, stories, and novellas.We chose A Christmas Carol to kick it off because we can’t think of a more important, meaningful, and enduring classic in ANY genre. The ebook, paperback, and audiobook (narrated by Jamison Lee Walker) is available now at Amazon and Audible
Additional thoughts: Because his previous book didn’t sell well, Dickens wasn’t able to find a publisher for A Christmas Carol and paid for the printing himself … making him one of the early self-published authors
Haunt me: alistaircross.com
What an amazing holiday book! I don’t read many books more than once but this is one I read year after year during the holidays. It delivers a timeless message that you just can’t help feeling good about.