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The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge: A Christmas Carol Continued
A delightful sequel to Dickens’s beloved A Christmas Carol by the bestselling author of First Impressions and The Bookman’s Tale
On a hot summer day some twenty years after he was famously converted to kindness, Ebenezer Scrooge still roams the streets of London, spreading Christmas cheer, much to the annoyance of his creditors, nephew, and his employee Bob Cratchit. However, when Scrooge decides to help his old friend and former partner Jacob Marley, as well as other inhabitants of the city, he will need the assistance of the very people he’s annoyed. He’ll also have to call on the three ghosts that visited him two decades earlier. By the time they’re done, they’ve convinced everyone to celebrate Christmas all year long by opening their wallets, arms, and hearts to those around them.
Written in uncannily Dickensian prose, Charlie Lovett’s The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is both a loving and winking tribute to the Victorian classic, perfect for readers of A Christmas Carol and other timeless holiday tales.
On a hot summer day some twenty years after he was famously converted to kindness, Ebenezer Scrooge still roams the streets of London, spreading Christmas cheer, much to the annoyance of his creditors, nephew, and his employee Bob Cratchit. However, when Scrooge decides to help his old friend and former partner Jacob Marley, as well as other inhabitants of the city, he will need the assistance of the very people he’s annoyed. He’ll also have to call on the three ghosts that visited him two decades earlier. By the time they’re done, they’ve convinced everyone to celebrate Christmas all year long by opening their wallets, arms, and hearts to those around them.
Written in uncannily Dickensian prose, Charlie Lovett’s The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is both a loving and winking tribute to the Victorian classic, perfect for readers of A Christmas Carol and other timeless holiday tales.
107 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2015
About the author
Charlie Lovett
27 books1,057 followersI was born in Winston-Salem, NC and grew up as the child of an English professor. We spent our summers in the rural North Carolina mountains, so I felt an early affinity for the countryside. I was educated at Summit School, Woodberry Forest School (VA), and Davidson College (NC) and in 1984 went into the antiquarian book business with my first wife, Stephanie. About the same time I began to seriously collect books and other materials relating to Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
When I left the book business in the early 90s, I continued to be a book collector, and now have a large (and growing) collection of rare (and not so rare) books and artifacts connected to Lewis Carroll and his world.
In 1997 I received my MFA in Writing from Vermont College (now Vermont College of Fine Arts). During my work on this degree I researched and wrote Love, Ruth, a book about my mother, Ruth Candler Lovett, who died when I was two years old. Maya Angelou called the book “tender, sensitive, and true.”
After completing my MFA, I traveled with my wife, Janice, and daughter, Jordan, to England where we lived for six months in Kingham, Oxfordshire. We immersed ourselves in the culture and made lifelong friends. Ten years later, we purchased the cottage we had rented in 1997 and renovated it. My wife and I now spend about 6–8 weeks a year in Kingham, and have traveled extensively throughout the UK.
In 2001, my wife was hired to oversee the third grade drama program at Summit School. Bemoaning the dearth of good material, she asked if I would write a play. Thus began my career as a children’s playwright. For eleven years, as Writer-in-Residence, I wrote plays for third graders and for eighth and ninth graders. Nineteen of my plays have been published and have proved extremely popular and have seen over 3500 productions in all fifty states and more than 20 foreign countries.
During all my years as a writer, I have worked on writing fiction. I wrote my first novel-length manuscript in the early 1990s and, with luck, it will never see the light of day, but it did prove to me that I could write a book-length work of fiction. In 2008, my novel The Program, about an evil weight loss clinic, was published by the micro-press Pearlsong Press, which later published my YA novel The Fat Lady Sings.
But my big break-through as a writer came when I put together two of my passions—rare books and the English countryside—to write The Bookman’s Tale. It was a New York Times bestseller, a Barnes and Noble Recommends selection, and has been translated into several foreign languages. Parade Magazine called the book “[A] delightful tale of love and bibliophilia.”
My next novel, First Impressions, is another literary adventure, this one starring Jane Austen. People Magazine called it “a delightful novel that weaves together a modern love story and a literary mystery involving Jane Austen.”
2015 was a busy year for me, being the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I curated a major exhibition called Alice Live! at the New York Public Library for Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. I spoke at the international gathering of Carroll enthusiasts in New York and wrote the introduction to the new Penguin Books edition of Alice. 2016 also saw the publication of my Christmas book, The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge, which USA Today called “[a] clever, merry, and, yes, convincingly Dickensian reimagining of this Victorian tale.”
My new novel, The Lost Book of the Grail, will be published on February 28, 2017. Set in an English cathedral library, and reaching through centuries of English history, it tells the story of bibliophile and Holy Grail enthusiast Arthur Prescott as he works to uncover a centuries-old secret about the cathedral’s history.
None of this could have happened without the support and love of my wonderful wife, Janice, and my fabulous children, Jimmy and Jordan.
When I left the book business in the early 90s, I continued to be a book collector, and now have a large (and growing) collection of rare (and not so rare) books and artifacts connected to Lewis Carroll and his world.
In 1997 I received my MFA in Writing from Vermont College (now Vermont College of Fine Arts). During my work on this degree I researched and wrote Love, Ruth, a book about my mother, Ruth Candler Lovett, who died when I was two years old. Maya Angelou called the book “tender, sensitive, and true.”
After completing my MFA, I traveled with my wife, Janice, and daughter, Jordan, to England where we lived for six months in Kingham, Oxfordshire. We immersed ourselves in the culture and made lifelong friends. Ten years later, we purchased the cottage we had rented in 1997 and renovated it. My wife and I now spend about 6–8 weeks a year in Kingham, and have traveled extensively throughout the UK.
In 2001, my wife was hired to oversee the third grade drama program at Summit School. Bemoaning the dearth of good material, she asked if I would write a play. Thus began my career as a children’s playwright. For eleven years, as Writer-in-Residence, I wrote plays for third graders and for eighth and ninth graders. Nineteen of my plays have been published and have proved extremely popular and have seen over 3500 productions in all fifty states and more than 20 foreign countries.
During all my years as a writer, I have worked on writing fiction. I wrote my first novel-length manuscript in the early 1990s and, with luck, it will never see the light of day, but it did prove to me that I could write a book-length work of fiction. In 2008, my novel The Program, about an evil weight loss clinic, was published by the micro-press Pearlsong Press, which later published my YA novel The Fat Lady Sings.
But my big break-through as a writer came when I put together two of my passions—rare books and the English countryside—to write The Bookman’s Tale. It was a New York Times bestseller, a Barnes and Noble Recommends selection, and has been translated into several foreign languages. Parade Magazine called the book “[A] delightful tale of love and bibliophilia.”
My next novel, First Impressions, is another literary adventure, this one starring Jane Austen. People Magazine called it “a delightful novel that weaves together a modern love story and a literary mystery involving Jane Austen.”
2015 was a busy year for me, being the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I curated a major exhibition called Alice Live! at the New York Public Library for Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. I spoke at the international gathering of Carroll enthusiasts in New York and wrote the introduction to the new Penguin Books edition of Alice. 2016 also saw the publication of my Christmas book, The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge, which USA Today called “[a] clever, merry, and, yes, convincingly Dickensian reimagining of this Victorian tale.”
My new novel, The Lost Book of the Grail, will be published on February 28, 2017. Set in an English cathedral library, and reaching through centuries of English history, it tells the story of bibliophile and Holy Grail enthusiast Arthur Prescott as he works to uncover a centuries-old secret about the cathedral’s history.
None of this could have happened without the support and love of my wonderful wife, Janice, and my fabulous children, Jimmy and Jordan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
December 11, 2015
Treaclier than the treacliest tart? Yup. Worthy addition to the Dickens Christmas tradition? Jury’s still out. Charming and brimming with wide-eyed innocence nonetheless? Indeed.
A light and airy holiday treat; for Dickensian obsessives only. The rest of you should just go read How the Grinch Stole Christmas! for the 4,511th time.
(I’ll say this about Lovett: having read The Bookman’s Tale and First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen in addition to this, there’s something inherently likeable about his style, even if the substance of the content doesn’t quite always match up.)
A light and airy holiday treat; for Dickensian obsessives only. The rest of you should just go read How the Grinch Stole Christmas! for the 4,511th time.
(I’ll say this about Lovett: having read The Bookman’s Tale and First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen in addition to this, there’s something inherently likeable about his style, even if the substance of the content doesn’t quite always match up.)
December 9, 2015
Scrooge is a changed man after his experiences with the three ghosts who showed him the error of his ways. Twenty years later he is almost broke after giving all he has to various charities, lives very frugally and tends to shout Merry Christmas and sing carols as early as June. Many find him irritating, he is always in good cheer and will stop everyone he meets with his sincere good wishes. In an effort to help his good, long dead friend Jacob Marley loose some of his chains, he has him summon once again the three ghosts and enlists them in his quest to change three more individuals for the better.
Blast to the past, loved meeting all these wonderful characters again. Lovett pays due homage to Dickens and Dickens fans will recognize many of the places they visit. This is pure fun, doesn't have quite the depth of a Dickens novel but it is much shorter than most of his. Still I think he did a credible and entertaining job with this novel. Good Christmas read.
Blast to the past, loved meeting all these wonderful characters again. Lovett pays due homage to Dickens and Dickens fans will recognize many of the places they visit. This is pure fun, doesn't have quite the depth of a Dickens novel but it is much shorter than most of his. Still I think he did a credible and entertaining job with this novel. Good Christmas read.
December 8, 2023
I can see why this book was in the free box at the library! I definitely don’t like books based on continuing the story, especially when it’s one of my favorite classics but I figured it was going to be a cute story. It was not.
Save yourself. Big waste of your reading time!
Save yourself. Big waste of your reading time!
November 25, 2015
This book was full of things to love. First of all, it was a quick read much like A Christmas Carol so I was able to finish it in basically one sitting. In some ways I had hoped it would be a little longer but overall it was nice to read a book that was quick and one that I could easily get into and enjoy.
There were also a lot of Christmas spirit to help get me in the mood for the holidays as well, which was exactly what I needed to get me ready for the holiday season!
I have been a big fan of Charlie Lovett’s works…..he always picks a classic story and expands on it in some way which I love. He also tries to always maintain the integrity of the author’s prose. In this book, Lovett really stuck with Dickens’s style, it made the reader feel like they were reading an extension of the Dickens’s classic.
There were times when his writing style was so much like Dickens’s that I forgot it was a modern writer! Lovett’s love of Dickens was evident in this story, so well done!
The hard copy of this book is magnificent! There are illustrations to share with younger readers and older readers alike. I don’t know about you, but I know a lot of families that read A Christmas Carol aloud each year as a tradition and there are always little illustrations to turn and show the audience, and this book has the same! I loved the hard copy edition!
If you are looking for a quick read that will take you back to the days of Christmas past with your favorite bah humbug then this is the perfect story for you! It will kindle all kinds of holiday feelings and remind you of the importance of Christmas….not to mention the fact that is’s reminiscent of A Christmas Carol it made me a little nostalgic as well. I will also be hosting a giveaway for this book that you don’t want to miss out on!
See my full review here
There were also a lot of Christmas spirit to help get me in the mood for the holidays as well, which was exactly what I needed to get me ready for the holiday season!
I have been a big fan of Charlie Lovett’s works…..he always picks a classic story and expands on it in some way which I love. He also tries to always maintain the integrity of the author’s prose. In this book, Lovett really stuck with Dickens’s style, it made the reader feel like they were reading an extension of the Dickens’s classic.
There were times when his writing style was so much like Dickens’s that I forgot it was a modern writer! Lovett’s love of Dickens was evident in this story, so well done!
The hard copy of this book is magnificent! There are illustrations to share with younger readers and older readers alike. I don’t know about you, but I know a lot of families that read A Christmas Carol aloud each year as a tradition and there are always little illustrations to turn and show the audience, and this book has the same! I loved the hard copy edition!
If you are looking for a quick read that will take you back to the days of Christmas past with your favorite bah humbug then this is the perfect story for you! It will kindle all kinds of holiday feelings and remind you of the importance of Christmas….not to mention the fact that is’s reminiscent of A Christmas Carol it made me a little nostalgic as well. I will also be hosting a giveaway for this book that you don’t want to miss out on!
See my full review here
December 21, 2015
I love Charlie Lovett's earlier books--The Bookman's Tale and First Impressions--but I did not like this book because it did not seem true to the characters of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Indeed, I was surprised to read in his afterword of the author's devotion to A Christmas Carol, because this book is almost a satire of that work--which the author says it started out to be before he got serious about it. He didn't make enough changes. The book takes place 20 years after Scrooge's fateful night with the Spirits, and on a short summer night. Fair enough. But Scrooge is almost a parody of the man who learned his lesson and said he would "honor Christmas in [his] heart, and try to keep it all the year." Although he is trying to do that in some ways, he is apparently bankrupting himself in the process--hardly calculated to enable him to continue in good works and generosity--and irritates others by daftly wishing them a Merry Christmas every time he meets them and all through the year, in addition to accosting unwilling children with his pats on the head. People think he is becoming senile and try to avoid him. Further, Scrooge's nephew Fred and clerk Bob Cratchit have become models of the Scrooge-like character that he once was, which is totally out of character with the original work. If you want to read a book that deals wonderfully with Marley's redemption, I recommend F. William Bennett's Jacob T. Marley and not this disrespectful send-up of Dickens' wonderful tale.
February 5, 2017
I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program in the hopes that I would leave an honest review.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of my favorite Christmas tales (it's a classic for a reason) so I was excited to see how it could be taken into the future. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. (I think, maybe I was expecting Scrooge to have relapses somewhat; I'm pretty sure most people in his position would suffer at least a bit of a relapse to be quite honest. But he didn't relapse, so I didn't get what I was expecting for that simple fact alone.)
I liked how the basic premise of this story was that Marley needed to effect change in more lives than just Scrooge's to escape his shackles, and it makes sense that it would be necessary considering the monumental number of people he must have shortchanged in his lifetime, and the far reaching impact of that on their descendants. I think it's strange that Scrooge has to help him in that endeavor though, since he has clearly changed his ways and spent the past twenty years doing good for people. There are some reasons why I can still accept this being the case though, but I still think it's strange.
Overall the story was fun and whimsical and stayed fairly true to the Spirit of Books Past (see what I did there?), in my opinion. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an uplifting holiday read this coming Christmas in July season.
4 out of 5 stars.
Reviewed on Just Another Girl and Her Books blog.
http://www.justanothergirlandherbooks...
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is one of my favorite Christmas tales (it's a classic for a reason) so I was excited to see how it could be taken into the future. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. (I think, maybe I was expecting Scrooge to have relapses somewhat; I'm pretty sure most people in his position would suffer at least a bit of a relapse to be quite honest. But he didn't relapse, so I didn't get what I was expecting for that simple fact alone.)
I liked how the basic premise of this story was that Marley needed to effect change in more lives than just Scrooge's to escape his shackles, and it makes sense that it would be necessary considering the monumental number of people he must have shortchanged in his lifetime, and the far reaching impact of that on their descendants. I think it's strange that Scrooge has to help him in that endeavor though, since he has clearly changed his ways and spent the past twenty years doing good for people. There are some reasons why I can still accept this being the case though, but I still think it's strange.
Overall the story was fun and whimsical and stayed fairly true to the Spirit of Books Past (see what I did there?), in my opinion. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an uplifting holiday read this coming Christmas in July season.
4 out of 5 stars.
Reviewed on Just Another Girl and Her Books blog.
http://www.justanothergirlandherbooks...
November 6, 2015
This was a fun book to read. Charlie Lovett an author is a fan of Charles Dickens and of the story "A Christmas Carol". This short novella takes place 20 years after A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer has spent these years being charitable and kind. Every day of the year he wishes the townspeople a Merry Christmas and a Happy new year. It is now June 20 years later. The ghost of Jacob Marley visits Scrooge to tell him that only five of Jabob's links have gone he has many more to go. Scrooge wants to help his old business friend. He asks for the three spirits to visit him again because he has a plan. In June the spirits once again visit Ebenezer but this time Scrooge has the spirits visit people he knows who he thinks needs help to change things around. On this night characters from the original story get visits of their own from the three spirits. I won't give any spoilers. This is a very quick read. I think that Charlie Lovett did a very good job capturing the spirit of Charles Dickens. I was not sure if i would like this book, but found myself enjoying this very much. the author did a nice job showing what could have happened to Scrooge over the next 20 plus years.
November 25, 2018
A great holiday read! Charlie Lovett loves Dickens and this shines through this well written novella of how Ebenezer Scrooge might have acted after his three visits from the Spirits of Christmas. The message is timeless and worthy of an annual reading just as the original Christmas Carol is.
December 29, 2016
I really love this book. If you, or someone you know, is a fan of Charles Dickens and his classic holiday story, A Christmas Carol, then this is the book you need to get.
I don't think I've ever read a modern-day published book wherein the author has a complete grasp on how to write like a Victorian-day author. Enter, Charlie Lovett. Masterfully, he has interwoven the things we love best from Dickens' story into a sequel, one that lets us explore Scrooge 2.0 (AKA, "after his epiphany"). The way Lovett has done this book, I believe would make Charles Dickens one proud papa.
I'd best recommend this book if you want a charming holiday book to get caught up in, and if you are fond of vintage writers. This is an excellent title to have on your shelf.
I look forward to reading more by this author, as he seems to share the same passion for vintage classics that I do. And I would gladly re-read this book again some year in the future, especially right after A Christmas Carol.
*Book completed for A Literary Christmas reading challenge at inthebookcase.blogspot.com.
I don't think I've ever read a modern-day published book wherein the author has a complete grasp on how to write like a Victorian-day author. Enter, Charlie Lovett. Masterfully, he has interwoven the things we love best from Dickens' story into a sequel, one that lets us explore Scrooge 2.0 (AKA, "after his epiphany"). The way Lovett has done this book, I believe would make Charles Dickens one proud papa.
I'd best recommend this book if you want a charming holiday book to get caught up in, and if you are fond of vintage writers. This is an excellent title to have on your shelf.
I look forward to reading more by this author, as he seems to share the same passion for vintage classics that I do. And I would gladly re-read this book again some year in the future, especially right after A Christmas Carol.
*Book completed for A Literary Christmas reading challenge at inthebookcase.blogspot.com.
December 12, 2015
If you love The Christmas Carol as I do this is a very wonderful companion piece that gives a look at what might have happened had Scrooge continued to spread his joy. This book will make you realize again the important things in life! It's excellent and a must have for any true book lover's collection. Lovett loved Dickens and he integrates so much of Dickens' works, and the customs he brought to life we still do today, into this little novella. Highly recommended!
More to come at www.hookofabook.wordpress.com.
More to come at www.hookofabook.wordpress.com.
December 19, 2015
Twenty years after being visited by spirits, Scrooge is exactly the opposite as he was before the nocturnal Christmas visit 20 years before. In fact, Scrooge is so filled with the spirit of Christmas he walks around wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year every day, even in the middle of a sweltering London summer. His seasons' greetings are enough to make everyone cringe and his bankers wince as they study his declining bank balance. They try to reason with Scrooge but he is insistent that he must be responsible for helping the poor. While Scrooge makes merry, Bob Cratchitt is busy working and has little time for his family. Scrooge's nephew Fred, a clerk in Whitehall, also has little time or inclination for anything but his job. When Marley next visits Scrooge he reveals that his future is nearly as bleak was it was 20 years ago. It's up to Scrooge to propose a plan that will free Marley from his chains and allow him to rest in peace.
This book is something of a parody of A Christmas Story. It also borrows heavily from Dickens's own life and other writings (Scrooge even reads David Copperfield). It takes the characters and the reader on a journey through the seedy side of 19th century London life, much like the original. A Christmas Carol is my family's favorite Christmas story so I was skeptical going into this, but I enjoyed it for the most part. Charlie Lovett's writing is pretty good. He mimics the tone of the original, borrowing phrases from the novella and twisting or changing the words around. It's a bit more light in the beginning and very heavy on the message. If you like A Christmas Carol, you will probably enjoy this take on the story.
This book is something of a parody of A Christmas Story. It also borrows heavily from Dickens's own life and other writings (Scrooge even reads David Copperfield). It takes the characters and the reader on a journey through the seedy side of 19th century London life, much like the original. A Christmas Carol is my family's favorite Christmas story so I was skeptical going into this, but I enjoyed it for the most part. Charlie Lovett's writing is pretty good. He mimics the tone of the original, borrowing phrases from the novella and twisting or changing the words around. It's a bit more light in the beginning and very heavy on the message. If you like A Christmas Carol, you will probably enjoy this take on the story.
February 27, 2017
Ridiculous exploitation of the greatest story ever written. Contrived, unrealistic, and portions practically plagiarized.
Scrooge has gone from having his heart opened to being nonsensical, living in poverty, rarely putting in time at the office (where Cratchit now slaves by choice), writing bad checks all over town, and wishing everyone a merry Christmas every day of the year. Small wonder he's got people avoiding him.
He decides to help Marley lose some of those chains by having the three spirits of Christmas visit four people from the original story: his nephew Fred, the bankers who were collecting for charity, and Cratchit. Twenty years later, they're no longer the good guys, but have all become cynical, avaricious workaholics. What bunk.
Spoiler (but not hiding because you should NEVER bother with this book): The story is resolved when Fred becomes a MP who happily channels your tax dollars to his welfare programs, the bankers form a foundation to cover all the bad checks Scrooge has been writing, and Bob follows in Scrooge's footsteps - stops going to the office, and instead spends long days crawling around the yard with his grandchildren. Undoubtedly, Scrooge and Cratchit's business is going down the tubes, but no matter - they can live off of foundation donations now.
There is no reason or balance in this story - it ends up with a bunch of deadbeats expecting to "do good" with other people's money. This is a story meant for those who like to feel warm and fuzzy without putting any real thought into cause and effect, or personal responsibility.
As for the plagiarism, Lovett borrows heavily from the original text. This is not a subtle tribute to Dickens, but full sentences lifted throughout the story. The only one he didn't pull out is "God bless us, everyone." He throws in nods to other Dickens' works, most notably including Murdstone from David Copperfield, but isn't particularly clever about it.
I hate to trash an author who so obviously appreciates a story and an author who is also so special to me. But it's exactly because Dickens is my favorite author that I can't possibly give this "sequel" more than one star.
Scrooge has gone from having his heart opened to being nonsensical, living in poverty, rarely putting in time at the office (where Cratchit now slaves by choice), writing bad checks all over town, and wishing everyone a merry Christmas every day of the year. Small wonder he's got people avoiding him.
He decides to help Marley lose some of those chains by having the three spirits of Christmas visit four people from the original story: his nephew Fred, the bankers who were collecting for charity, and Cratchit. Twenty years later, they're no longer the good guys, but have all become cynical, avaricious workaholics. What bunk.
Spoiler (but not hiding because you should NEVER bother with this book): The story is resolved when Fred becomes a MP who happily channels your tax dollars to his welfare programs, the bankers form a foundation to cover all the bad checks Scrooge has been writing, and Bob follows in Scrooge's footsteps - stops going to the office, and instead spends long days crawling around the yard with his grandchildren. Undoubtedly, Scrooge and Cratchit's business is going down the tubes, but no matter - they can live off of foundation donations now.
There is no reason or balance in this story - it ends up with a bunch of deadbeats expecting to "do good" with other people's money. This is a story meant for those who like to feel warm and fuzzy without putting any real thought into cause and effect, or personal responsibility.
As for the plagiarism, Lovett borrows heavily from the original text. This is not a subtle tribute to Dickens, but full sentences lifted throughout the story. The only one he didn't pull out is "God bless us, everyone." He throws in nods to other Dickens' works, most notably including Murdstone from David Copperfield, but isn't particularly clever about it.
I hate to trash an author who so obviously appreciates a story and an author who is also so special to me. But it's exactly because Dickens is my favorite author that I can't possibly give this "sequel" more than one star.
December 18, 2018
The author did a really good job of writing this in a Dickensian style, and made a fitting sequel to Dickens' own story. I like the concept of Scrooge being equally committed to his Christmas spirit as he had previously been committed to his everlasting "Bah, humbug!"
There are theological issues here that mirror those in "A Christmas Carol," such as the restless dead wandering the earth in chains wrought by their earthly deeds, and the striving to do good in order to rid themselves of their chains and be at peace. God's Word tells us that it is appointed to men to die, and then face judgment. There will be no opportunity to redeem our deeds after death. Also, no matter how much good we do, we can never be good enough to rid ourselves of our chains and bondage to sin. That's why we need a sinless Redeemer to pay the penalty for sin for us, One without blemish to drink the cup of the wrath of God, that His punishment would bring us peace, and by His stripes we are healed. That's why we needed Christmas. Jesus came to us, born to die in our stead. By His death and resurrection we may have life everlasting, if we but repent, turning away from our sin, place our faith and trust in Christ alone, and rely on Him for our peace and salvation.
That is what Christmas is all about. The gospel of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us.
Merry Christmas!
There are theological issues here that mirror those in "A Christmas Carol," such as the restless dead wandering the earth in chains wrought by their earthly deeds, and the striving to do good in order to rid themselves of their chains and be at peace. God's Word tells us that it is appointed to men to die, and then face judgment. There will be no opportunity to redeem our deeds after death. Also, no matter how much good we do, we can never be good enough to rid ourselves of our chains and bondage to sin. That's why we need a sinless Redeemer to pay the penalty for sin for us, One without blemish to drink the cup of the wrath of God, that His punishment would bring us peace, and by His stripes we are healed. That's why we needed Christmas. Jesus came to us, born to die in our stead. By His death and resurrection we may have life everlasting, if we but repent, turning away from our sin, place our faith and trust in Christ alone, and rely on Him for our peace and salvation.
That is what Christmas is all about. The gospel of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us.
Merry Christmas!
December 15, 2018
I’m glad I read this novella, so strikingly similar in theme and style to the original. As a fan of Dickens, I appreciate Charlie Lovett’s effort at imitation-nailed it! The turn of phrase is right on (some of it is actually lifted from A Christmas Carol, but Lovett’s own wording is quite seamless) and the warmth and humor shines through. While this is definitely a worthy extension of Scrooge’s story, I guess I was expecting something a little more original, less repetitive. Don’t get me wrong, I like this spin picking up 20 years later with an octogenarian Ebenezer helping his old pal Marley. The message resounds. And it’s one that bears repeating.
December 16, 2018
What a charming story! I have always loved the story A Christmas Carol. I love watching the many different film versions of this at Christmas time. This book continues the story of Ebeneezer who has not forgotten the lessons he learned that fateful Christmas Eve. But it seems others have. So Ebeneezer has to call out to the Ghosts once again to remind them what Christmas is about. To me the point of this story and Charles Dickens story is, yes one person makes a difference in the lives of others. And it is up to each of us to keep Christmas alive all year through good deeds. Make sure you read the afterword on how this novel came about.
Read
December 9, 2015Discussed it at bookclub last night -- and everyone enjoyed it. A perfect Christmas read. Lovett pays such a lovely tribute to Dickens here, employing passages from a variety of Dickens's works which gives the book such an authentic tone.
December 29, 2020
3.5 stars rounded down to 3.
December 31, 2015
Charlie Lovett has a way of delving into literature and shaking things up a bit. He did it first with Shakespeare and The Bookman's Tale and then again with Jane Austen and First Impressions. Now he does it with once more with Charles Dickens and The Further Adventures of Ebeneezer Scrooge. In The Bookman's Tale and First Impressions Lovett combines a modern-day story with a mysterious story involving the authors. The Further Adventures of Ebeneezer Scrooge is without the modern-day story. And as the title suggests, it's what happens to Scrooge after that fateful Christmas day.
This story does not take place at Christmas, but during the hot summer months. Ebeneezer is true to his word and keeps Christmas in his heart. So much so that during summer he's still wishing people a merry Christmas. Which makes him look and sound like a mental patient. Even those he's closest to--his nephew and his clerk turned partner--look at him like he might be going to the insane asylum any day. Not only that, his departed friend, Jacob Marley, still has many, many chains that cling to him. Scrooge vows to help Jacob anyway he can and so he once again enlists the help of the three spirits that helped him so long ago to help the people dearest to him before it's too late.
I've read both The Bookman's Tale and First Impressions and enjoyed them immensely, so I was thrilled to see what he'd do with Dickens' A Christmas Carol. While Dickens doesn't make an appearance in this novel, his spirit seams to dwell in the background, between the sentences and punctuation. Much like A Christmas Carol, The Further Adventures of Ebeneezer Scrooge is a quick but enticing read. And while this may appear to be a book to read only during the holidays, I believe it could be read during any season really. If you have an hour or two to spare during this holiday season, I suggest you give this book a try. It's also available on audio, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds, which is perfect to listen to while you're wrapping the last few gifts or getting dinner ready. I can't wait to see what Lovett's next book will be.
Read more at http://www.toreadornottoread.net/2015...
This story does not take place at Christmas, but during the hot summer months. Ebeneezer is true to his word and keeps Christmas in his heart. So much so that during summer he's still wishing people a merry Christmas. Which makes him look and sound like a mental patient. Even those he's closest to--his nephew and his clerk turned partner--look at him like he might be going to the insane asylum any day. Not only that, his departed friend, Jacob Marley, still has many, many chains that cling to him. Scrooge vows to help Jacob anyway he can and so he once again enlists the help of the three spirits that helped him so long ago to help the people dearest to him before it's too late.
I've read both The Bookman's Tale and First Impressions and enjoyed them immensely, so I was thrilled to see what he'd do with Dickens' A Christmas Carol. While Dickens doesn't make an appearance in this novel, his spirit seams to dwell in the background, between the sentences and punctuation. Much like A Christmas Carol, The Further Adventures of Ebeneezer Scrooge is a quick but enticing read. And while this may appear to be a book to read only during the holidays, I believe it could be read during any season really. If you have an hour or two to spare during this holiday season, I suggest you give this book a try. It's also available on audio, narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds, which is perfect to listen to while you're wrapping the last few gifts or getting dinner ready. I can't wait to see what Lovett's next book will be.
Read more at http://www.toreadornottoread.net/2015...
November 16, 2015
3.5 Have you started your holiday reading yet? No? Well, here's one to add to your list - The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge by Charlie Lovett. (And I have a copy to giveaway as well as a bonus book!)
You read that right - further adventures. Lovett imagines what might have occurred after Scrooge was visited by the three ghosts and changed his outlook on Christmas - and life - in Charles Dickens' book A Christmas Carol.
Well, Scrooge is celebrating year round - wishing everyone he meets a Merry Christmas each day of the year. But those who benefitted from Scrooge's change of heart twenty years ago have also lost their way. Partner Bob Cratchit is a workaholic, nephew Freddie ignores the plight of those around him and Scrooge's creditors can't see the human side of his largess, only the debts. So one summer's day, Scrooge calls upon the ghosts to help them as they did him so many years ago.
Lovett writes in the style of Dickens (sometimes employing phrasing and referencing Dickens' other works) to recreate the tenor, tone and message of A Christmas Carol.
The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is a lovely reminder that "...scores and hundreds understood the ways of wealth and money and even of philanthropy, but their hearts lacked the true wealth of love, of family, of Christmas joy, which, he now saw, might have been theirs all the year round."
The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is a quick little one night read. Guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit - hopefully year round!
You read that right - further adventures. Lovett imagines what might have occurred after Scrooge was visited by the three ghosts and changed his outlook on Christmas - and life - in Charles Dickens' book A Christmas Carol.
Well, Scrooge is celebrating year round - wishing everyone he meets a Merry Christmas each day of the year. But those who benefitted from Scrooge's change of heart twenty years ago have also lost their way. Partner Bob Cratchit is a workaholic, nephew Freddie ignores the plight of those around him and Scrooge's creditors can't see the human side of his largess, only the debts. So one summer's day, Scrooge calls upon the ghosts to help them as they did him so many years ago.
Lovett writes in the style of Dickens (sometimes employing phrasing and referencing Dickens' other works) to recreate the tenor, tone and message of A Christmas Carol.
The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is a lovely reminder that "...scores and hundreds understood the ways of wealth and money and even of philanthropy, but their hearts lacked the true wealth of love, of family, of Christmas joy, which, he now saw, might have been theirs all the year round."
The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is a quick little one night read. Guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit - hopefully year round!
September 29, 2015
Advanced reading copy review Due to be published October 20, 2015
After reading a few heady non-fiction books I needed a break from doom and gloom. In a perfect example of kismet, this little book came across my desk. I am a big fan of the original "A Christmas Carol" and celebrate "Scrooge-fest" every year with friends so I was naturally curious. My first thought was that it would be a cynical take on Scrooge's life after his transformation at the hands of the spirits. Instead, it is a charming tale of Scrooge trying to repay the favor by saving the ghost of Jacob Marley from his eternal suffering in chains.
The author, Charlie Lovett, does a credible job imitating (sometimes plagiarizing) Charles Dickens' style. There are references to other works by Dickens that astute readers will enjoy. Will it become a classic like its predecessor? Probably not, but it will make a delightful present for anyone who can't let a holiday season go by without experiencing at least one telling of "A Christmas Carol".
After reading a few heady non-fiction books I needed a break from doom and gloom. In a perfect example of kismet, this little book came across my desk. I am a big fan of the original "A Christmas Carol" and celebrate "Scrooge-fest" every year with friends so I was naturally curious. My first thought was that it would be a cynical take on Scrooge's life after his transformation at the hands of the spirits. Instead, it is a charming tale of Scrooge trying to repay the favor by saving the ghost of Jacob Marley from his eternal suffering in chains.
The author, Charlie Lovett, does a credible job imitating (sometimes plagiarizing) Charles Dickens' style. There are references to other works by Dickens that astute readers will enjoy. Will it become a classic like its predecessor? Probably not, but it will make a delightful present for anyone who can't let a holiday season go by without experiencing at least one telling of "A Christmas Carol".
December 14, 2015
my rating of this book is somewhere between a 3 and a 4, but it's getting the "i love all things christmas" bump up to a 4. i was really excited about this book for a number of reasons - the aforementioned fact that i love all things christmas; that "a christmas carol" epitomizes christmas for me (btw, has there ever been a book that has had as many movie adaptations made of it?); and that i have absolutely loved the other books i've read by this author. the premise - how scrooge lives his life after his christmas eve revelation - is clever. when he says he will honor christmas all the year, he means it, and seeing that in action was entertaining. the reason i was considering a 3 is because i guess i wasn't expecting it to recreate "a christmas carol" as much as it did; i was hoping for a little more original story. still the victorian prose was perfect and it was a quick, fun christmas read.
November 10, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. It would be a perfect book to read the night before Christmas. The book continues of tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. He has changed since the three Christmas spirits visited him, and he wants to change the lives around him as well.
December 7, 2017
Enjoyable Christmas story and take on the classic! I liked the message it sends--Christmas cheer need not be reserved for Christmas only, people!
October 23, 2019
Well done sequel. I think Mr Dickens would approve. I enjoyed seeing the past, present and future spirits once again.
December 23, 2017
3.5 stars
From New York Times Bestselling author of ‘The Bookman’s Tale’ comes a somewhat different novel!
I promised my dad that I would read and review this book for my Twelve Days of Christmas, and I was glad that I did. Although, maybe a little far-fetched it was a wonderful short read with a beautiful message for, not only the Holiday Season, but all year around.
In Stave IV of A Christmas Carol Scrooge promises to
“honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
Well, in this short story Scrooge may have taken that just a little too far as he continues to wish everyone a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” even on the hottest days of the year (not really keeping that spirit in your heart where it belongs, Scrooge!) All the town has come to the conclusion that he is losing his sanity, and he continues to sign cheques over the amount of the meagre funds he has not given away still trying to help those others in need.
After another visit from Jacob Marley where Scrooge learns that after 20 years of attempting to be a person (okay, ghost) he has only been divested of five links of his heavy chains. Scrooge then gleans a plan that will help Marley save thousands from their miserly ways and their poor circumstances without directly influencing them, which he is no longer able to do. Getting the three Spirits to visit some key people in Scrooge’s life he will turn the tides and bring the Christmas spirit back to the whole town, the whole Country even, while breaking the chains that weigh poor Marley down.
3.5 stars
Although, a visit from some Spirits may not actually cause a bank to help the poor or people to enter Government positions to help those who are mentally ill or downtrodden. The message was clear and concise, Christmas has always been
“a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”
In an age where our hearts are even more shut-up and suspicious of others, this is not a bad message to remind us of.
From New York Times Bestselling author of ‘The Bookman’s Tale’ comes a somewhat different novel!
I promised my dad that I would read and review this book for my Twelve Days of Christmas, and I was glad that I did. Although, maybe a little far-fetched it was a wonderful short read with a beautiful message for, not only the Holiday Season, but all year around.
In Stave IV of A Christmas Carol Scrooge promises to
“honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
Well, in this short story Scrooge may have taken that just a little too far as he continues to wish everyone a “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” even on the hottest days of the year (not really keeping that spirit in your heart where it belongs, Scrooge!) All the town has come to the conclusion that he is losing his sanity, and he continues to sign cheques over the amount of the meagre funds he has not given away still trying to help those others in need.
After another visit from Jacob Marley where Scrooge learns that after 20 years of attempting to be a person (okay, ghost) he has only been divested of five links of his heavy chains. Scrooge then gleans a plan that will help Marley save thousands from their miserly ways and their poor circumstances without directly influencing them, which he is no longer able to do. Getting the three Spirits to visit some key people in Scrooge’s life he will turn the tides and bring the Christmas spirit back to the whole town, the whole Country even, while breaking the chains that weigh poor Marley down.
3.5 stars
Although, a visit from some Spirits may not actually cause a bank to help the poor or people to enter Government positions to help those who are mentally ill or downtrodden. The message was clear and concise, Christmas has always been
“a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”
In an age where our hearts are even more shut-up and suspicious of others, this is not a bad message to remind us of.
November 6, 2021
I thought this is a pretty heart warming little story, good for tired minds. Three visits by the ghosts of past Christmas friends of Scrooge over one night. First onto his nephew Freddie, second onto bankers Messrs Pleasant and Portly, and third GrandPapa Cratchit.
Reading about albeit just a speck of banking story reminds me of Kane and Abel. I can't get past the warm thoughts of Richard bailing out Abel just out of.... what? Whims of his good heart? Or egoistic sense just to prove that he's got the right instincts? Whichever, I love those two characters.
Interesting to note the evil work of moneylenders have been ruining lives and murdering souls even that early. . “And the ten (shillings) and six (pence) he borrowed from a moneylender has compounded, as of today, into three hundred and sixteen pounds, eight shillings, and twopence.”
Love this thought by Cratchit "His descendants in their scores and hundreds understood the ways of wealth and money and even of philanthropy, but their hearts lacked the true wealth of love, of family, of Christmas joy, which, he now saw, might have been theirs all the year round."
Merry lives everyone.
Reading about albeit just a speck of banking story reminds me of Kane and Abel. I can't get past the warm thoughts of Richard bailing out Abel just out of.... what? Whims of his good heart? Or egoistic sense just to prove that he's got the right instincts? Whichever, I love those two characters.
Interesting to note the evil work of moneylenders have been ruining lives and murdering souls even that early. . “And the ten (shillings) and six (pence) he borrowed from a moneylender has compounded, as of today, into three hundred and sixteen pounds, eight shillings, and twopence.”
Love this thought by Cratchit "His descendants in their scores and hundreds understood the ways of wealth and money and even of philanthropy, but their hearts lacked the true wealth of love, of family, of Christmas joy, which, he now saw, might have been theirs all the year round."
Merry lives everyone.
December 26, 2021
3.5⭐
A nice What-If extension to a classic.
I like the characters selected to experience their own night with a ghost. I did feel their revelations and change of heart happened too quickly. Especially in comparison to Scrooge who needed all 3 ghost to change his heart. But they're not as terrible as how Scrooge was.
I didn't like how the end with Marley loosing some of his chains were just a paragraph or two. Especially since the main reason these characters were given their time with the ghosts was to help Marley.
Sometimes the narrator's voice took me out of the story. Mostly at the beginning.
I'd recommend for a quick read. Not sure if I'd read again.
A nice What-If extension to a classic.
I like the characters selected to experience their own night with a ghost. I did feel their revelations and change of heart happened too quickly. Especially in comparison to Scrooge who needed all 3 ghost to change his heart. But they're not as terrible as how Scrooge was.
I didn't like how the end with Marley loosing some of his chains were just a paragraph or two. Especially since the main reason these characters were given their time with the ghosts was to help Marley.
Sometimes the narrator's voice took me out of the story. Mostly at the beginning.
I'd recommend for a quick read. Not sure if I'd read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2021
If you love A Christmas Carol, you will enjoy this little sequel to the story. Lovett imagines Scrooge in the years after his visitation, he has nearly gone broke lavishing his wealth upon charitable causes. He receives a visit from his old pal Jacob Marley and is horrified to realize that even with all the change that Scrooge has made, Marley's chains still remain. So he comes up with an idea to use his ghosts to help others reach similar conclusions in their lives. We see each of the three ghosts revisit folks hand selected by Scrooge for their ability to have large charitable impact.
While it was much the same plot as A Christmas Carol, I enjoyed seeing new characters respond to the ghosts and their messages. I also liked the strategy of who Scrooge had visited and what their larger impact might be.
While it was much the same plot as A Christmas Carol, I enjoyed seeing new characters respond to the ghosts and their messages. I also liked the strategy of who Scrooge had visited and what their larger impact might be.
December 26, 2022
It’s been 20 years since the ghosts visited Ebenzer Scrooge. He now wishes everyone a Merry Christmas everyday, even in the middle of the summer. Scrooge decides to help his friends and the rest of London by revisiting his adventures with the ghosts of Christmas.
Review: I thought this was incredibly charming. It was pretty fun how the author chose to match the style of Dickens with this updated story. I also just really loved the concrete examples of changes our world could use. This was very fun and adorable and if you enjoy the Scrooge story, you’ll enjoy this.
Review: I thought this was incredibly charming. It was pretty fun how the author chose to match the style of Dickens with this updated story. I also just really loved the concrete examples of changes our world could use. This was very fun and adorable and if you enjoy the Scrooge story, you’ll enjoy this.
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