Sunday, January 2, 2011

A Christmas Carol

How have I gone through so many Christmas seasons without reading this wonderful book? I have watched many screen adaptations but it has stayed on my mental list of books to read for years. Our good friends gifted us a copy this year and there were no excuses! I tried and tried to read it with my family before Christmas, but it didn't happen. I decided that I would read it on my own anyway, and I am so glad I did.

I loved so much about this book. There were so many good insights about humankind. In particular, I loved what Jacob Marley's ghost said to Scrooge about what our business (as human beings) needs to be:

"Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business! The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!"

I hope that with the new year I will be better about concerning myself with the common welfare, charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence. 


**Have you read this book?
**What is your favorite quote (or idea) from the book?

1 comments:

Amanda Petersen said...

I love reading this book and I loved teaching it. One of my favorite symbols is the Ghost of Christmas past's "cap" that puts out his light. I think sometimes there are things in our past that are too painful to think about but those are usually things that can help shape our future the most. It is fun to read the book because there are so many gems that even the best film adaptation can't quite catch.