PS: I hope you and your family had a Merry Christmas!

You ask whether Scrooge can teach us anything about great writing, and from a writers point of view I would most definitely say yes. From a technical point of view it is a reminder of how English, as a language can sing, and how it is still applicable to produce a sentence that flows like a pebble and rock strewn stream. The modern writer is constantly pressured into writing “Jack and Jill” style prose so as to sate the appetite of the modern reader who, apparently, can only digest bite size pieces of prose, It is a brave writer that bucks such a trend and reverts to a more “chewy” sentence format, but thank God (or who or whatever) that there are still a few of us around

One thing which we all tend to forget with the classics though, is how they, just like the modern writer, has to fit into the format of the time in order to be conmervaillly succesful. and how they also produced many a “potboiler” in response to consumer demand. Dickens is a fine example of such a scenario. His work, serialised for greater impact and consumption, is often highly topical, but it is still couched in a writing style which was popular in it’s day. As regards a pot boiler, and I’ve nothing against pot boilers, It is a classic. It has a strong moralistic and faith message, but as a feel good redemptive story it is a real beauty, and one, for it’s time which was almost bound to succeed

Finally, my favourite film version is the one with Alastair Sim, because of the acting, and my favourite hymn, well, as an ex choir member Cym Rhondda as it is such a belter with a glorious base line, and emotionally I heard the voice of Jesus say come unto me and rest. The tune is so old, the words so universal, regardless of faith, and it is both a pleasure to both read, relate to,, hear and sing

Similarly, the story, “A Christmas Carol” fills my heart with warmth more than any other Christmas story.

Thank you for this post.