Dickens and Christmas

This is a fascinating and sometimes myth-busting account of Charles Dickens and how his work impacted both his own life and the culture at large. He was among those who were drivers of the cultural changes that led to the way we celebrate Christmas and the ways in which it is marketed to us. The book includes excerpts from the work of Dickens and others and contains photos and illustrations.

Lucinda Hawksley does a good job of intertwining the parts of Dickens' personal life that inspired his Christmas writing--and while the book mentions his other work, some of which was being written at the same time as the Christmas stories, she does focus on the Christmas work. A Christmas Carol was the first of these stories and not only did it change the way Christmas was viewed, but the popularity of it profoundly changed his own life too, in ways both good and bad. There's a lesson in unintended consequences there.

The book is well-written and an enjoyable read.

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