A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co, 1915. Fine in very good dust jacket.. First edition thus, John R. Neill's delightful take on the Christmas classic, part of the Children's Red Book Series. Written in only six weeks at a low point in Dickens's career — and printed at his own expense when his publishers didn't want to take on the risk themselves — A CHRISTMAS CAROL Carol revived Dickens's fortunes. The characters of Scrooge and Marley, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, are immediately recognizable even to those who've never read a word of Dickens: "'God bless us every one!' said Tiny Tim, the last of all." Les Standiford calls it "the very apotheosis of [Dickens's] themes" (5) in his book THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS, which argues that Dickens's Christmas tale shaped traditions of the holiday for decades to come. Indeed, the singular success of the book would help establish a robust market for Christmas gift books that thrives to this day.
Here Oz artist John R. Neill's illustrations have lent extra charm to the beloved tale. A CHRISTMAS CAROL is one of his rarer works, particularly in original dust jacket. A merry and bright copy. 6.75'' x 4.75''. Original blue boards with large color pictorial paper paste-on. Original unclipped (no price) color pictorial dust jacket. Color pictorial endpapers of a variety of children's book characters, including Mother Goose and Peter Rabbit. Illustrated in color and black and white. 60 pages. Jacket mildly toned, with two moderate chips and shallower chipping to spine ends; four careful tape repairs to verso. Binding with a touch of edgewear. Sharp and clean. (Inventory #: 8493)