Dickens and Christmas by Lucinda Hawksley

Dickens and Christmas by Lucinda Hawksley ISBN-13: 9781526712264 Hardcover: 208 pages Publisher: Pen & Sword Released: Oct. 31, 2017

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
Charles Dickens survived childhood poverty to become the most adored and influential man of his time. Written by one of his direct descendants, this book explores not only Dickens’s most famous work, A Christmas Carol, but also his all-too-often overlooked other Christmas novellas. It takes the readers through the seasonal short stories he wrote, for both adults and children, includes much-loved festive excerpts from his novels, uses contemporary newspaper clippings, and looks at Christmas writings by Dickens’ contemporaries.

To give an even more personal insight, readers can discover how the Dickens family itself celebrated Christmas, through the eyes of Dickens’s unfinished autobiography, family letters, and his children’s memoirs. Readers will journey through the Christmases Dickens enjoyed as a child and a young adult, through to the ways in which he and his family celebrated the festive season at the height of his fame. It also explores the ways in which his works have gone on to influence how the festive season is celebrated around the globe.


My Review:
Dickens and Christmas is a biography of Dicken's life with a focus on Christmastime--how his family celebrated Christmas at various times in his life, what books he released, and even changes during his lifetime in how people celebrated Christmas (partly due to the influence of his Christmas stories). The author quoted from books, articles, and Dicken's personal letters to show what Christmas was like for his family and in general.

The main focus was on Dicken's life and included details about his writing. We get summaries and extensive quoting from his first five Christmas releases (A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life, and The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain) and excerpts of the Christmas scenes from his other novels and short stories. Mixed in with the biographical details were tidbits about traditional Christmas foods, decorations, presents, and activities. You couldn't create your own Dicken's-style Christmas from this book, but you can get an idea of what it was like.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.