I love Dickens for his extravagant yet precise way with words; for his funny, well-observed portraits -- so often exaggerated, often to the point of caricature, but (mostly) always a feeling of truth & affection; for his indignation; & his determination to give the reader a good time. A Christmas Carol is heart-felt & funnier in print than the TV & movie versions. It is also particularly well-written. Dickens uses a cascade of words & images in long, complicated sentences that suddenly resolve into short, simple, direct sentences which carry the point of the scene and/or a joke, often both. It is a wonderful companion while you're reading it. (PS: It also substantially changed the way England & the US celebrate Christmas -- worth reading up on....)