In these five novellas, written specifically for Christmas, Dickens combines his concern for social ills with the myths and memories of childhood and traditional seasonal lore.

A Christmas Carol, the first of the selection, has become a touchstone of English festive fiction and an enduring favourite internationally. Repeatedly adapted, parodied, staged and filmed, this richly influential tale is powerfully vivid and moving.

The other stories, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man, blend whimsy, sentiment, comedy, satire, the didactic and the fantastic, developing the themes of joy, giving, and individual and social regeneration.

Full chapter listing:

- Chapters 2 to 9: A Christmas Carol

- Chapters 10 to 15: The Chimes

- Chapters 16 to 20: The Cricket on the Hearth

- Chapters 21 to 25: The Battle of Life

- Chapters 26 to 30: The Haunted Man