A Christmas Carol: In Prose being a Ghost Story of Christmas

A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens, which tells the story of bitter old miser Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation resulting from supernatural visits by the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come. Dickens' sources for the tale appear to be many and varied, but are, principally, the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim.