This was my “12 Days of Holiday Gifts” sneak peak in episode 17 of the podcast. So if you want to listen to me rave about the book, check that out. Here, you can read my rave!

Les Standiford’s new book looks at the life of Charles Dickens, focusing on the year he wrote A Christmas Carol. Dickens was serializing Martin Chuzzlewitt and sales were not good. Everyone thought it was too depressing. He decided to write something more uplifiting and something that might make him a little bit of money. Based on his recent sales, his publisher rejected A Christmas Carol. Dickens was forced to self-publish 6000 copies which sold out in three days!

The book also talks about how A Christmas Carol changed the way people celebrated Christmas, it looks at all of the great (and not-so-great) adaptations on stage and screen, and shows Dickens’ failed attempts to recreate the book’s magic. Les Standiford has done an amazing job of weaving these stories together into a cohesive and enjoyable read that fills in the details in a story we thought we knew.

I really loved this book and think it is perfect for any book-lover on your list. It also makes a nice little treat for yourself!

The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford 
ISBN: 978-0-307-40578-4, $19.95