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A Christmas Carol

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Christmas Carol first editionFirst edition
Publication details ▽ Publication details △

Original title
A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.

First publication
1843

Literary form
Novella

Genres
Literary

Writing language
English

Author's country
England

Length
Approx. 28,000 words

Notable lines

Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge’s name was good upon ’Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.

— First lines

"Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"

 

"I am not going to stand this sort of thing any longer. And therefore," he continued, leaping from his stool, and giving Bob such a dig in the waistcoat that he staggered back into the Tank again; "and therefore I am about to raise your salary."

 

"Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There's no better rule."

 

All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretenses did I cheat myself.

 

So, throughout life, our worst weaknesses and meannesses are usually committed for the sake of the people whom we most despise.

 

He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!

— Last lines

 

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