The Bookish Island's Book Review:
Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
Are there spoilers?
No.
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This is one of the books I read after the passing of Hurricane Maria here in Puerto Rico. With no water, electricity or internet I took to reading my books.
I read this one on September.
? days after.
Title - Mr. Dickens and His Carol
By - Samantha Silva
Publication - October 31st 2017 by Flatiron Books
Copy - Paperback, 288 pages
Genre - Historical Fiction, Christmas, Holiday, Fiction
Shakespeare in Love meets A Christmas Carol in this transporting debut novel set during the whirlwind period in which Dickens wrote his beloved classic, as he embarks on a Scrooge-like journey of his own.
For Charles Dickens, each Christmas has been better than the last. His novels are literary blockbusters, and he is famous on the streets of London, where avid fans sneak up on him to snip off pieces of his hair. He and his wife have five happy children, a sixth on the way, and a home filled with every comfort they could imagine. But when Dickens’ newest book is a flop, the glorious life he has built for himself threatens to collapse around him. His publishers offer an ultimatum: either he writes a Christmas book in a month, or they will call in his debts, and he could lose everything. Grudgingly, he accepts, but with relatives hounding him for loans, his wife and children planning an excessively lavish holiday party, and jealous critics going in for the kill, he is hardly feeling the Christmas spirit.
Increasingly frazzled and filled with self-doubt, Dickens seeks solace and inspiration in London itself, his great palace of thinking. And on one of his long walks, in a once-beloved square, he meets a young woman in a purple cloak, who might be just the muse he needs. Eleanor Lovejoy and her young son, Timothy, propel Dickens on a Scrooge-like journey through his Christmases past and present—but with time running out, will he find the perfect new story to save him?
In prose laced with humor, sumptuous Victorian detail, and charming winks to A Christmas Carol, Samantha Silva breathes new life into an adored classic. Perfect for fans of Dickens, for readers of immersive historical fiction, and for anyone looking for a dose of Christmas cheer, Mr. Dickens and His Carol is destined to become a perennial holiday favorite.
The Cover:
Although they say never judge a book by it's cover I believe the cover should represent what the book is going to be like or at least some aspect of it.
It's such a nice cover. I'd totally display it on my shelves around the holidays. Mostly because it's so pretty and because I'd be my only Christmas-y book. 😜
The Story:
Overall:
I enjoyed reading this book so much. Specially since I had just gotten it the day I read it from the mail and was lucky to have my own copy of A Christmas Carol unread.
I read that first which didn't take long and then read Mr Dickens and His Carol.
I was happy I got the opportunity to read this book despite it not being in December, and perfect for the holidays, but i was happy regardless.
Totally recommend you read this book whether it's around the holidays or not.
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