A change this week as we wind down for the Christmas holiday: Alastair Sim’s immortal Scrooge the morning after the night before. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was published in 1843 to rapturous applause — the Spectator’s original review will be republished shortly. Critics praised Dickens’ success at distilling the Christian message of goodwill to all men in Scrooge’s dramatic transformation. As Scrooge says, rather cornily, to Cratchit, ‘I’ve not lost my senses, Bob. I’ve come to them.’

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