A Christmas Carol

Name: A Christmas Carol
Author: Charles Kingsley

A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens that was first published on December 19, 1843. The story tells of Ebenezer Scrooge, an old miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.

By Charles Kingsley · First published 1870 · Genre: Christmas Story, Ghost Story, Victorian Literature · 248 words

First lines

It chanced upon the merry merry Christmas eve, I went sighing past the church across the moorland dreary -- 'Oh! never sin and want and woe this earth will leave, And the bells but mock the wailing round, they sing so cheery.

How long, O Lord! how long before Thou come again? Still in cellar, and in garret, and on moorland dreary The orphans moan, and widows weep, and poor men toil in vain, Till earth is sick of hope deferred, though Christmas bells be cheery.'

What this Textopian page supports

A Christmas Carol is listed on Textopian as a novel by Charles Kingsley, dated 1870 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Charles Kingsley
Date: 1870 CE
Language: English
Genres: Christmas Story, Ghost Story, Victorian Literature, Social Criticism, Novella
Length: 248 words
Structure: 1 section, 6 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for A Christmas Carol by Charles Kingsley
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters

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How does this novel by Charles Kingsley fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Christmas Story first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Christmas Story — The title of the novel indicates it is focused around the event of Christmas, and the plot confirms this as it defines the transformation of the main character's attitude towards Christmas.
Ghost Story — The plot involves the main character, Scrooge, being visited by various ghosts who ultimately change his perspective on life and Christmas. This element of the supernatural justifies the genre classification.
Victorian Literature — The book'a author, Charles Kingsley, is a prominent author of the Victorian period, and the setting and societal characteristics of the book, such as class distinction and industrial society, are typical attributes of Victorian literature.
Social Criticism — Through the transformation of the main character, the book criticizes societal issues such as poverty and lack of empathy, making it a social critique.