Official Review: A Christmas Carol 2: The Return of Scro...

[jcheiser]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Christmas Carol 2: The Return of Scrooge" by Robert J. Elisberg.]

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“A Christmas Carol 2: The Return of Scrooge” is presented as an “original long lost manuscript by Charles Dickens, revised by Robert J. Elisberg.” This “sequel” to the beloved Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol” is a fantastic sequel/parody combination in which many Dickens characters, from many unrelated Dickens stories, make appearances alongside the Cratchit family and other “Christmas Carol” characters. Throughout the story, Bob Cratchit learns that being too giving and trusting can have dire consequences, and that it doesn’t hurt to have a little essence of Scrooge, from his days before the visits of the three Christmas Spirits, in one’s life.

As with many books that are claimed to be from original manuscripts by famous classical authors, the claim that this was originally Dickens’ own work is questionable. This matter is addressed at the beginning of the book with a publisher’s note that reads, “Our researchers have been unable to find evidence of any claims that the author makes for the existence of the original manuscript he says Charles Dickens wrote. However…Mr. Elisberg insists it’s all true…” Frankly, I can only hope that this is not originally Dickens’ work because that means it’s purely Mr. Elisberg’s talent which so brilliantly mimics Dickens’ writing style (amazingly similar, yet with an air of parody entwined within the writing style itself). In this case, even the publisher’s note carries that potential air of parody and humor, as the note concludes with, “we have been advised by our legal department that if it turns out we’re wrong, since Mr. Dickens passed away in 1870, we’re on pretty solid ground against a lawsuit.”

One aspect of this sequel/parody that I really enjoyed was the inclusion of footnotes that accompanied the Dickens characters not normally associated with “A Christmas Carol.” Not only did this aid in identifying these characters’ original stories, but the footnotes themselves carried the same tone of parody, humor, and creativity of the story line and publisher’s note. This tone is wound into every aspect of the book, which makes it even more wonderful.

While the idea of bringing characters from different, yet related, stories is not exactly a novel concept, the way in which this story was crafted kept it from crossing the very fine line between a funny parody and a tacky one. This book was tastefully done, and I even laughed out loud a couple of times (which is a rarity for me). The author also included some humorous aspects such as the unavailability of the three Christmas Spirits, meaning that their places had to be taken by other spirits, instead (which, in itself, led to some interesting and amusing issues).

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I was amused throughout the whole story, and excited to see that it never crossed into the “tacky” category. I have already started recommending this book to others and will continue to do so! I think that anyone who enjoys Dickens classics would enjoy this lighthearted parody.

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Buy "A Christmas Carol 2: The Return of Scrooge" on Amazon

[Robert Elisberg]

Jcheiser --

As you might imagine, I quite appreciate your 4-out-of-4 star review of my novel and am glad that you like it that much. I'm mainly writing, though, to set your mind at ease -- as I suspect you really do assume, yes, the book was entirely written by me. There is no actual "lost Dickens" manuscript. I just felt I had to go with that conceit to make the story read more realistically, while putting enough hints in (that you got...) that this was all made up.

Thanks too for recommending it to others. Hopefully people will remember it as we near next holiday season. Not surprisingly, people don't tend to buy many Christmas books in the summer months...

(Preston Sturges did write and direct a classic film comedy, "Christmas in July", but that's such a rare thing...)


Robert Elisberg

[jcheiser]

Mr. Elisberg,

Thank you for responding to my review. I really enjoyed your book and I will definitely be recommending it all year (but especially near the holidays). I look forward to reading more of your work!

[readitandwept]

When Christmas comes around I think I will pick this up, it sounds very interesting.

[Amheiser]

This sounds like an amusing book that I think I will add to my reading list based on the reviewers comments. I liked the Dickens books that I have read and would be interested in reading this book as it sounds like it is something related to Dickens that I shouldn't miss out on.