Book Review: Mr. Dickens and His Carol - Samantha Silva

Mr Dickens and His Carol is a charming work of historical fiction by Samantha Silva - the characters and events were loosely based on the real Charles Dickens and his struggles behind writing one of his most famous books - A Christmas Carol. The plot of this book, and most of its elements, however, were imagined by the author.

The story follows Charles Dickens, who is something of a celebrity in his time, doing successfully with his books and living a happy life with his wife and five kids (and one on the way). But after his latest book is a flop, he is forced by his publishers to have to write a Christmas book to make up for the financial loss, or they will call in all his debts and he could lose everything he's made for himself - and all this takes place just a few weeks before Christmas. Adding to the stress, Dickens’ relatives are constantly poking for a loan, his kids want more, bigger presents, and he's pressured because he is known for donating generously to various charities, especially around Christmas time. His wife’s annual Christmas party seems to grow larger and more expensive each year, and it all becomes too much for the writer. So, shuts himself off from the rest of the world, moves into a cheap room, and reluctantly tries to write his book, but suffers from major writer’s block.
As the readers, we slowly see his transformation into the very character he is creating - Ebenezer Scrooge - as he loses the spirit of Christmas, and struggles to find his muse, while the deadline looms closer each day. His character’s own Scrooge-like journey and seeing what goes on inside his head and how it changes throughout the story is a main part of what makes this book so captivating to read.

I really enjoyed this book, as it was very creative and a seamless blend of fact and fiction. It has rich descriptions which paint a vivid image of the setting and time that is Victorian London, in a lovely story with an interesting twist that ends on a warm, feel-good note. The characters become very real and easy to invest in emotionally, so that you feel frustrated, sad, and happy just as they are throughout the whole book. While the overall tone is more light, filled with clever nods to Charles Dickens’ real life and works, and little bursts of humour, it slips in other, more serious themes and issues as well, such as family troubles, poverty, competition/plagiarism, stress, debt, and dealing with your own ghosts - just as Scrooge does.
Overall, this book is a great re-imagining of the origins of A Christmas Carol, as well as an idea of how we might embrace each other in a spirit of love and generosity, wrapped in a compelling, heartwarming tale. I would definitely recommend it, especially to fans of Dickens or historical fiction.