James Metcalf on the fictionality of the latest archaeological page-turners
Stephen Puddicombe looks at the unusual appeal of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot
Ciaran Rafferty investigates the science of book classification
Lois Cameron on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
From the brilliant opening sentence (“Marley was dead: to begin with”) through to Scrooge’s redemption, there’s nothing I don’t love about A Christmas Carol. I love the depiction of Scrooge’s miserly nature. I love his attempt at a joke when faced with the ghost of Jacob Marley. I love that Dickens uses the ghosts to make a fairly strong social message, as Scrooge’s own words are thrown back in his face when he sees the reality of the Cratchit family Christmas and Tiny Tim’s situation. I love the way that Fred is actually quite nasty about his uncle. And, after all that, there’s little that warms my heart more than the final chapter. The complete turnaround in Scrooge’s character is masterfully portrayed by Dickens, as he suddenly becomes as generous and open-hearted as any man that ever lived. A more Christmassy tale there never was, and that’s why I love it.
Lizzy Pennock on The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
At first I wasn't quite sure as to why this book popped into my head at the thought of Christmas. But then I realised that you couldn't find a more Christmassy book, as even Father Christmas himself makes an appearance, even if he is under domination by the wicked White Queen. The snowy wonderland that gives the book its festive charm has so permeated the public consciousness that a common term for a snowy landscape is “Narnia.” There are many reasons why this book has become the ultimate children's tale and one could say that is the ultimate battle of good vs. evil, the whimsical characters, the brave Aslan, but in the end it comes down to one thing: the wardrobe. Any child is going to be captivated by the thought that an object so prominent in everyday life as a wardrobe can be a portal to another world. I defy anyone to deny that when they read it a small part of their childhood self was disappointed when getting into a wardrobe was just, well, getting into a small and cramped wardrobe. A truly magical tale.
Thomas Smith on Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens
Not a novel but a collection of short stories, published in his own magazine “Household Words” for Christmas. It’s difficult to imagine Christmases without electricity, but the sheer variety of Christmas decorations in “A Christmas Tree” (1850) and the ghost story in that same tale prove that Victorians had at least as much fun as we do at Christmas. Dickens was a major part of any Victorian Christmas, and this collection of stories that were first read at the Christmas of the year they were published, are a link to the Victorians’ Christmases. Although we may not be as familiar with some of the settings, such as Mugby Junction’s chaotic station with lots of staff, the attitudes of people at this time of year are just as familiar to us as to the first audiences that read these stories from the magazines of the Victorian age.
Laura Furniss on The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet Alhberg
Although not would traditionally be called 'literature', my favourite Christmas book is The Jolly Christmas Postman. Forget Pat, my favourite postman is the jolly one. He visits the three bears, little red riding hood, humpty dumpty, and all manner of other fairytale and nursery rhyme characters, all on Christmas eve. He delivers their Christmas cards, every single one, from a sack he carries on his back as he rides his little red bicycle all around the land in a blizzard. Frankly, he's the postal service's jolly, slightly chubby, mitten-wearing version of superman. All the way through there are sneaky little jokes, a sign which says 'pull your own enormous turnips' being my favourite. And it's interactive: puzzles, pop-outs, mini books, everything you could wish for. AND he meets Santa and gets to ride in the sleigh. Awesome. I want to be a postman.
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