Reading it again, I’m impressed by the wealth of detail. The world comes alive with the meager coal in Bob Cratchit’s fireplace, the door knocker that morphs into Marley’s face, and the pictures of revelry outside Scrooge’s window (and the bleakness within).

I also love the characters in this book. Scrooge bristles with complexity. As we pass through his past and linger in his present, we see that he’s more than the crusted, money-grubbing, crab he has become. Others, too, have intricately-woven personalities. Scrooge’s nephew delights. Bob Cratchit and all the other Cratchits make joy with hardly any wherewithal.

The thing I might like best about A Christmas Carol, though, is the way it champions the potential for redemption in everyone. If Scrooge can change, there’s hope for us all.

If you haven’t read this in a while (or never read it), I recommend picking up a copy. The digital copy I picked up from Amazon is free, and I’m sure it’s available at most libraries.