A Christmas Carol Audiobook (free download)

Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" during a period when the British were exploring and re-evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols and newer customs such as Christmas trees. He was influenced by the experiences of his own youth and by the Christmas stories of other authors including Washington Irving and Douglas Jerrold. Dickens had written three Christmas stories prior to the novella, and was inspired following a visit to the Field Lane Ragged School, one of several establishments for London's street children. The treatment of the poor and the ability of a selfish man to redeem himself by transforming into a more sympathetic character are the key themes of the story. There is discussion among academics as to whether this was a fully secular story, or if it is a Christian allegory.

This week, the audio book version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol has made it into the top 50 bestsellers in the Classics category. You can legally download or stream this audio book and listen to it for free at Spotify, Deezer, and in high quality at Audible.