Charles Dickens’s reading copy of A Christmas Carol with strikethroughs and marginalia.
Photograph by Robert Kato

Charles Dickens (1812–1870)
Dickens’s reading copy of A Christmas carol in prose: Being a ghost story of Christmas
London: Bradbury and Evans, 1849
Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature

Dickens’s reading copy of A Christmas carol in prose: Being a ghost story of Christmas

A Christmas Carol (1843) enjoyed enormous popularity, running through six editions in five months, and it remains an enduring classic. Dickens chose this work for his first public readings in December 1853 and went on to perform it more than 100 times to huge audiences. This prompt copy, which Dickens assembled for his stage performances, reveals the changes he made to his text over 16 years, including deleting or severely abridging large portions of text. Dickens employed a different voice for each character—from a “sulky growl” for Scrooge to a “childish treble” for Tiny Tim—and his notes reminded him of tone and emphasis.

: Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature

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