I Read Dickens: Christmas Stories
Hey haven't we been here before? I check and yes, I've already reviewed a collection of Dickens Christmas Stories back in June. But these are different Christmas Stories. It's like Christmas comes every year, and every year Dickens wrote something for the various publications he was involved with at different times! So what have we got?
In this edition some stories are frustrating, due to them being collaborations with other writers, and the chapters by the other writers are missing. In four cases we get Dickens start, and Dickens end and the middle is missing. The general shape of the middle is obvious, but a few details niggle at me. Not enough to make me go and search out full versions though. I can't recommend these.
We have a ghost story, which is not especially good. There's a slightly over sweet story about an orphan bringing people together into a makeshift family. There's some misunderstandings leading to people having adventures. And there's a funny but overlong comparison of railway buffet rooms in England and France, the latter of which "...there were - I do not exaggerate - actually eatable things to eat." This, of course, from the point of view of the Mugby Junction refreshment room staff.
Read This: For completists really
Don't Read This: If you're already frustrated by Dickens better works
In this edition some stories are frustrating, due to them being collaborations with other writers, and the chapters by the other writers are missing. In four cases we get Dickens start, and Dickens end and the middle is missing. The general shape of the middle is obvious, but a few details niggle at me. Not enough to make me go and search out full versions though. I can't recommend these.
We have a ghost story, which is not especially good. There's a slightly over sweet story about an orphan bringing people together into a makeshift family. There's some misunderstandings leading to people having adventures. And there's a funny but overlong comparison of railway buffet rooms in England and France, the latter of which "...there were - I do not exaggerate - actually eatable things to eat." This, of course, from the point of view of the Mugby Junction refreshment room staff.
Read This: For completists really
Don't Read This: If you're already frustrated by Dickens better works
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