ABSTRACT
Context and social background A Christmas Carol was written in just six weeks at the end of 1843 when Dickens was in need of money. It was an instant success and it has remained popular for more than 160 years, with its portrayal of the meaning of Christmas. During his lifetime, it was also one of his most popular books for public reading – he wrote an abridged version for performance which he read in about 90 minutes. The book is structured in five sections, called stanzas, possibly a reference to the verses of a song or carol. Ghost stories were very popular with Victorian readers, who were fascinated by supernatural powers; Wilkie Collins’ 1859 novel The Woman in White enjoyed similar success to A Christmas Carol.
