Video of the Week... Charles Dickens and the story of A Christmas Carol

December 19 will mark the anniversary of one of literature's most famous tales, the book that, some would say, saved Christmas: Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'.

The story has been re-told countless times, by everyone from Alistair Sim and Alec Guinness to Bill Murray and the Muppets, and its timeless quality has seen it become an integral part of Christmas celebrations around the world. Many historians credit it with playing a key role in returning Christmas to prominence in British and American culture, after each society's years of abstinence from the season of merriment.

This week a rare first edition of the book will go under the hammer at Sotheby's, signed by the author himself, with an estimated price of $316,772. If sold it could break the World Record price for a Dickens book, currently held by yet another copy of A Christmas Carol which sold in 2009 for $290,500.

The story has become emblematic of the spirit of Christmas itself, and it seems that as long as the holiday is celebrated, the story will be told and its popularity will endure throughout the generations.

Our video of the week gives a little insight into the effect the story has had on our culture, and how Dickens came to write it in the first place.

 

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