Gabriel Grub was an ill–conditioned, cross–grained, surly fellow—a morose and lonely man, who consorted with nobody but himself, and an old wicker bottle which fitted into his large deep waistcoat pocket—and who eyed each merry face, as it passed him by, with such a deep scowl of malice and ill–humour, as it was difficult to meet without feeling something the worse for. -From The Goblins Who Stole a Sexton (Chapter 29 in [b:The Pickwick Papers|229432|The Pickwick Papers|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1360795072l/229432._SY75_.jpg|3315230])


The book I am reviewing, [b:Mr. Pickwick's Christmas|61160449|Mr. Pickwick's Christmas|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1653412064l/61160449._SX50_.jpg|96406992], is a collection of three consecutive holiday themed chapters from The Pickwick Papers, specifically chapters 28-30. Chapter 28 begins the tale of the Pickwickian's jolly journey to Dingley Dell, and then transitions to Mr Wardle telling his fellow revellers a Christmas Eve tale of yore about Gabriel Grub's encounter with some rather frightening goblins. The last chapter in the mix, tidies up the Pickwickian's holiday trip with an ice skating adventure.

I was amazed that these individual chapters could be read as wonderfully entertaining stand-alone stories and when combined, they seamlessly flow together to make a fun Christmas compilation. Although I've never read The Pickwick Papers, I didn't have any problems following the events in any of the chapters. I guess this is a testament to the writing genius of Dickens, as I'm not sure many authors could pull this off. There is an essence of "A Christmas Carol" in these chapters. I could see the beginning of some ideas that would later be expanded on or refined by Dickens.

If one is a fan of Boris Karloff, there are a few free recordings of an old LP recording posted on YouTube. A digital recording of the album is also available through Amazon Music or iTunes. The recording is missing a few lines from Dickens' original writing but it is still an incredibly fun listening experience. Also, be aware the LP only contains chapters 28 and 29 from The Pickwick Papers.

Final rating: 4.5 stars
Highly recommended for any fans of holiday themed writing or spooky goblin stories. ( )