一千零一夜读书笔记 - <A Christmas Carol>

What can I say about this novel?

It's a fairy tale. A modern fairy tale about how a stingy businessman turned into a generous and gracious gentleman.

But how? By appealing to his left few humanity in his heart, but more importantly, by showing this selfish man how his soul would suffer, how his body would be forgotten and how his possessions would be plundered after death if he continued to behave in his old way.

The outcome is good for everybody. The soul was saved and even saved other people. The spirit of Christmas became respected and wide-spread in more families. But deep down, I doubt there is fundamental change in Mr Scrooge's living philosophy. You could say that he changed because he was afraid of the bleak future lying ahead, not because of his love for Christmas, or all the beautiful things in the world.

This novel, as 梁文道 mentioned, has drastically increased the popularity of Christmas celebration, and even seeded the invention of Santa Claus. I wish I could have read it when I was a girl, and it would be an enjoyable experience. But now the story is too naive for me to believe in.