Every Christmas, more or less, belongs to ‘A Christmas Carol.’ It is densely woven into our idea and vision of what Christmas is. This year, however, the story of Scrooge and his second chance, seems to have been omnipresent. Adaptations, stagings and dramatised readings have abounded. Live on stage ‘The Bridge’ (wonderful), live streamed from the Old Vic (visceral) and a tremendous one-man show from the Dickens Museum.
First published in December 1843, the story has travelled far beyond the narrow confines of its time. What pulls us back again and again to the story? Few of us would choose to identify ourselves with Scrooge, I suppose, but we can all identify with the hope of a second chance and to make some degree of peace with the events of the past.
Perhaps this year the memorable moment we should take away from the story is Scrooge’s exultation on awakening after his final ghostly visitation, to find himself still alive, able to enjoy the next day and the next.
“Best and happiest of all, the Time before him was his own, to make amends in!”
The Solitary Reader 