One aspect of the festive season I’ve always enjoyed is Charles Dickens’ magical novella, A Christmas Carol.

The story is often referred to be the name of its famous central character, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge.
Scrooge, a hard-nosed businessman, is notoriously uncharitable and meanspirited as the story begins, his attitude to Christmas summed up by his frequent use of the disparaging phrase, “bah, humbug!”

During the course of one memorable Christmas Eve night, Scrooge’s attitude is transformed as he is visited by a succession of phantoms, notably the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come.

Many of us probably know the tale well from the countless TV and film versions which have appeared over the years. Good though many of these are often are, I’d certainly recommend Dickens’ reading original novella too. It is short, undeniably very dark in places, but very readable. It first appeared in 1843, fairly early in Dickens’ career, when he was 31.

It has come to play a major role in the creation of the modern idea of Christmas, helping form our idea of what the festive season is supposed to be all about.

Many actors have tackled the character on screen over the years ranging from Albert Finney, George C Scott, Patrick Stewart and Jim Carrey.

Personally, I’d consider Alastair Sim in the 1951 film to be the best one. Sim pulls of the rare trick of capturing Scrooge’s Christmas Eve grumpiness and Christmas Day euphoria equally well.

I also must admit to a soft spot for The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). The film sees Michael Caine play the role of Scrooge deadly straight throughout. Watching his performance in isolation, you would never have any idea at all he was playing opposite a Muppet-dominated cast at all.

Two more things I like about the film: The character of Mr Fezziwig (Dickens had a penchant for eccentric character names) is played by Muppet regular, Fozzie Bear, becoming ‘Mr Fozziwig’. Also, towards the end of the film, a shop called 'Micklewhite’s' can be seen in the background. This sounds like another wonderfully Dickensian creation. Except, of course, It is a clever reference to Londoner Michael Caine’s original surname. The man who would be Caine was once called, Maurice Micklewhite.

Filmmakers have had fun with the three ghosts, over the years.

For whatever reason, the Ghost of Christmas Past is described rather oddly and so has been variously portrayed as a candle or (eerily) as a young child. Sometimes it is something else completely.

The second ghost (Present) is fairly vividly described as a jolly, bearded, jolly fellow, rather like Father Christmas himself and usually appears like this in film and TV versions of the story. I always imagine, the actor Brian Blessed would be perfect in such a role but I’ve no idea if he has ever played him.

The final Ghost (Yet To Come) is invariably the scariest one: a cowled, mute skeleton. He is essentially the Grim Reaper: Death.

It is easy to forget there are four ghosts in the book, not three.

Scrooge is first visited by the spirit of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, who suffers a miserable existence in the afterlife bound by the chains and money boxes forged as a result of his life of greed.

I’ve never really understood why Marley is punished in this way while Scrooge, whose behaviour has surely been just as bad, is given what is essentially a golden opportunity to redeem himself.

Also, while we’re on the subject, why do the three ghosts only come to Scrooge when he is an old man? Surely it would have been better to visit him earlier in his life when he still had more years of potential good behaviour ahead of him?

Still, I suppose you can’t really apply logic to a ghost story. As it is, this is the perfect Christmas story,
often retold, sometimes parodied but always enjoyable.

Merry Christmas!