A Christmas Carol - by Charles Dickens (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This perennial Dickensian favorite about a miser's startling change of heart is illustrated by Italian artist Roberto Innocenti and reissued for the readers of all the Christmases Yet To Come"--

Book Synopsis

From the bustling, snowy streets of 19th-century London to the ghostly apparitions of Christmases past and future, award-winning artist Roberto Innocenti vividly renders not only the authentic detail but also the emotional impact of Charles Dickens's beloved Christmas tale. In both crowded urban scenes and intimate portraits of familiar characters, we gain a sense of the timeless humanity of the tale and perhaps catch a glimpse of ourselves.

Review Quotes

"A handsome, worthy addition to holiday reading traditions." - School Library Journal

"Few of the many interpretations of Dickens's holiday parable can match this handsome edition for atmosphere, mood and sheer elegance. Innocenti's full-page watercolors are striking, full-bodied evocations of 19th-century London, particularly the life and vigor of the city's streets: merchants sell their wares, urchins tumble and play, the gentry ride in their carriages, and the destitute huddle in doorways and keep warm at makeshift stoves. At the same time, the paintings' realism, dramatic intensity, occasional luminosity and almost microscopic observation of detail strongly recall the exquisite art of the Italian Renaissance. Their stateliness is carried through in the book's design: each page of text is boxed with fine sepia rules, overlaid with a delicate, gradually fading wash, and topped by a single, modest ornament. The effect suggests an old manuscript or parchment--one that, every so often, opens a splendid pictorial window on the world of this classic narrative. For all its elegance, however, this is a somber and unsentimental view of Dickens's world. The beautiful and the sordid, the good and the malevolent, are never far apart--a concept that is powerfully suggested through the frequent use of high, oddly angled perspectives, as if readers, along with Scrooge and the spirits, are privy to telling glimpses of life skimmed from above. All ages." - Publisher's Weekly

About the Author

Charles Dickens (1812-70) is one of the most popular English authors of all time. His works include 15 novels and many sketches, travel books, and other nonfiction works. Dickens also wrote five "Christmas books." The first, A Christmas Carol, was published in 1843. Today, it is recognized as one of the most famous stories ever written.

Roberto Innocenti is a self-taught artist who has earned worldwide acclaim with such illustrated books as The House, Nutcracker, Rose Blanche, Erika's Story, The Adventures of Pinocchio, and The Girl in Red. In 2008, he received the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award for his contributions to children's literature. He lives in Florence, Italy.