Christmas Short Stories by Dickens

Title: Dickens at Christmas - Nine Short Stories


Author: Charles Dickens (English, 1812-1870)
Originally published:  1835-1854
Page count: 105 total (~5-20 pages each)


Dates read: 11/23/19-12/6/19 (8 days)
2019 book goal progress: 33 out of 41
Back to the Classics category: 19th Century Classic


Read my other Dickens at Christmas reviews HERE.

Read my other book reviews for the challenge HERE.


Mini-Reviews of the Nine Christmas Short Stories:
"THE STORY OF THE GOBLIN WHO STOLE A SEXTON" (The Pickwick Papers - 1836)
This is by far my favorite short story in this collection - probably because it's a ghost story similar to A Christmas Carol. Gabriel Grub is a Scrooge-like character who has a change of heart after meeting the goblin king. It is humorous, but there are dark moments too.

First sentence:
"In an old abbey town, down in this part of the country, a long, long while ago - so long, that the story must be a true one because our great-grandfathers implicitly believed it - there officiated as sexton and grave-digger in the churchyard, one Gabriel Grub."

"A CHRISTMAS TREE" (Household Words - 1850)
This is by far my LEAST favorite short story in this collection. It's a stream of consciousness that didn't really make much sense - it was just written so differently than what I had come to expect from Dickens. The first third is about nostalgia regarding gifts and decorations on Christmas trees. The second third talks about fairy tales not connected to Christmas. Then there's a two-paragraph transition about Christmas trees and the birth, life, and death of Jesus. The last third is a series of ghost stories that have no connection to Christmas. Then it ends with two paragraphs talking about Christmas trees and Jesus. It is a super weird story with no plot or point.

First sentence:
"I have been looking on, this evening, at a merry company of children assembled round that pretty German toy, a Christmas Tree."

"A CHRISTMAS DINNER" (Household Words / Bell's Life - 1835)
This is a cute story that starts as an essay about Christmas being a cheerful time to put aside differences and get along with family. The rest of the story is an anecdotal tale that proves the moral of the essay.

First sentence(s):
"Christmas Time! That man must be a misanthrope indeed, in whose breast something like a jovial feeling is not roused - in whose mind some pleasant associations are not awakened - by the recurrence of Christmas."

"WHAT CHRISTMAS IS, AS WE GROW OLDER" (Household Words - 1851)
This is a forgettable story about remembering those who are no longer around to celebrate Christmas with us.

First sentence:
"Time was, with most of us, when Christmas Day encircling all our limited world like a magic ring, left nothing out for us to miss or seek; bound together all our home enjoyments, affections, and hopes; grouped everything and everyone around the Christmas fire; and made the little picture shining in our bright young eyes, complete."

"THE SEVEN POOR TRAVELLERS" (Household Words - 1954)
This contains a 'main' story that is about travelers celebrating Christmas together. In the middle, there's a story within the story told - which lasts for over half of the entire short story. This 'second' story is about forgiveness but has nothing to do with Christmas.

First sentence:
"Strictly speaking, there were only six Poor Travellers; but, being a Traveller myself, though an idle one, and being withal as poor as I hope to be, I brought the number up to seven."

"THE POOR RELATION'S STORY" (A Round of Stories by the Christmas Fire - 1852)
This is a loosely Christmas-y story about a man who tells the account of his life. There is a twist at the end that changes what you thought all along. It's worth the read just for the twist!

First sentence:
"He was very reluctant to take precedence of so many respected members of the family, by beginning the round of stories they were to relate as they sat in a goodly circle by the Christmas fire; and he modestly suggested that it would be more correct if 'John our esteemed host' (whose health he begged to drink) would have the kindness to begin."

"THE CHILD'S STORY" (A Round of Stories by the Christmas Fire - 1852)
This is an incredible allegorical story about the journey of life. I highly suggest reading this one - it has nothing to with Christmas, though.

First sentence(s):
"Once upon a time, a good many years ago, there was a traveler, and he set out upon a journey. It was a magic journey, and was to seem very long when he began it, and very short when he got halfway through."

"THE SCHOOLBOY'S STORY" (Another Round of Stories by the Christmas Fire - 1853)
This story is about a group of schoolboys who are malicious to a teacher, but the teacher is still kind to them in the end. I didn't like this tale and it didn't have anything to do with Christmas.

First sentence:
"Being rather young at present - I am getting on years, but still I am rather young - I have no particular adventures of my own to fall back upon."

"NOBODY'S STORY" (Another Round of Stories by the Christmas Fire - 1853)
This is about how the poor and working-class are blamed for all the troubles in life even though it's not their fault. This was a good story, but, again, it's not about Christmas.

First sentence:
"He lived on the bank of a mighty river, broad and deep, which was always silently rolling on to a vast undiscovered ocean."

Overall Review of the Short Stories:

These are all pretty good stories and I think they're definitely worth reading. Most of them can easily be read aloud to a group due to how short they are. The two exceptions, which are longer, are "A Christmas Tree" (which is the only one I would suggest skipping anyway - it was bad) and "The Seven Poor Travelers." My main disappointment is that they aren't all actually about Christmas. I would definitely suggest reading "The Story of the Goblin who Stole a Sexton" and "The Child's Story" - even though that last one is not about Christmas.

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Charles Dickens have the last words:

"Would that Christmas lasted the whole year through (as it ought), and that the prejudices and passions which deform our better nature, were never called into action among those to whom they should ever be strangers!" -A Christmas Dinner