Without question, The Annotated Christmas Carol is the most authoritative and entertaining edition ever produced.

What would Christmas be without A Christmas Carol? Charles Dickens's famous ghost story is as much a part of the season as plum pudding and mistletoe, and Michael Patrick Hearn, the celebrated annotator of The Wizard of Oz and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, has now prepared a sumptuous new edition of the Dickens classic. This latest contribution to the Norton annotated series delves into the engrossing history of the book's publication, when it first captivated Victorian England. This is the first edition to combine the original text of 1843 with Dickens's Public Reading text, which had its world premiere in America in 1867 and has not been reprinted in nearly a century. Also included are rare photographs as well as the original Leech wood engravings and hand-colored etchings. These are supplemented by other contemporary illustrations by George Cruikshank, Gustave Doré, John Tenniel, and "Phiz."

The Annotated Christmas Carol will be a literary feast for the whole family for generations. 2-color, 100 black-and-white illustrations, and 8 pages of color.

Featuring over 100 illustrations by John Leech and other artists, this volume presents the original 1843 text of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, along with extensive annotations. The writing, publication, and reception of the story are discussed in the introduction. Also included is the Public Reading text, originally published to coincide with Dickens' 1867-68 American tour.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

"Hearn's introduction grandly describes the story's enduring popularity around the world....The annotated edition is enriched by numerous wood etchings....Old Scrooge himself would approve." Publishers Weekly

"Such a delightful work...overflowing with good nature and good will towards the humblest and most friendless of our race." William Cullen Bryant

"Who can listen to objections regarding such a book as this? It seems to me a national benefit, and to every man or woman who reads it, a personal kindness." William Makepeace Thackeray

"Read with satisfaction; presented with satisfaction, and many Christmas wishes." Thomas Carlyle

"I like and admire...the exquisite scenes about the clerk and Tiny [Tim]; I thank the writer in my heart of hearts for them." Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"The story sings from end to end like a happy man going home....It is lyric and exclamatory, from the first exclamatory words of it. It is strictly a Christmas Carol." G. K. Chesterton

The celebrated annotator of The Wizard of Oz and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has now prepared a sumptuous new edition of the Dickens classic.

The Annotated Christmas Carol includes:

• The original 1843 text of A Christmas Carol
• An illuminating introduction about the writing, publication, and reception of A Christmas Carol
• Countless annotations, drawing on vast amounts of primary sources and previously unknown material
• The original 1867 Public Reading text, which has not been reprinted in nearly one hundred years
• Over one hundred illustrations by John Leech, George Cruikshank, "Phiz," Gustave Doré, John Tenniel, Sol Eytinge Jr., and other artists

What would Christmas be without "A Christmas Carol"? Combining the original text with Dickens's Public Reading text, this annotated edition of the classic ghost story delves into the engrossing story of the book's publication, when it first captivated Victorian England.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 257-266).

Over nearly two centuries, Charles Dickens (1812-1870) has demonstrated that he is the most enduring and popular of all nineteenth-century novelists. Just a few of his many books are Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, and Great Expectations.

Michael Patrick Hearn is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Annotated Wizard of Oz, The Annotated Huckleberry Finn, and many other books. He has also written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Nation, and many other publications. He lives in New York City.

Acknowledgments xi
Introduction to The Annotated Christmas Carol xiii
A Christmas Carol in Prose (1843) 3
Preface 5
Stave 1 Marley's Ghost 7
Stave 2 The First of the Three Spirits 49
Stave 3 The Second of the Three Spirits 79
Stave 4 The Last of the Spirits 126
Stave 5 The End of It 149
Appendix 163
Introduction to A Christmas Carol. In Four Staves 163
A Christmas Carol. In Four Staves (1867) 213
Stave 1 Marley's Ghost 213
Stave 2 The First of the Three Spirits 226
Stave 3 The Second of the Three Spirits 233
Stave 4 The Last of the Spirits 245
Bibliography 257