It’s been quite a year for the
Secret Victorianist, and 2020 is set to be even more exciting, with the
publication of my forthcoming novel, Bronte’s Mistress. Happy Christmas and, whether you’re new here or have been
following along since 2013, thank you for reading!
In keeping with the festive
season, in this post I recount a conversation with Jesse Kornbluth, a writer
who recently took on abridging a seasonal classic—Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (1843).
Jesse is the writer behind Head Butler, a website that aims to be your cultural concierge, covering books,
movies, music and more. His abridged version of A Christmas Carol, created with children and those listening to the
story aloud in mind, is now available on Amazon.
Me: Jesse, what made you want to take on the (formidable!) job of
abridging one of the English language’s best-loved novelists?
J: I remember Arthur Bliss Perry,
the aged and legendary headmaster of Milton Academy, reading A Christmas Carol to us in a dimly lit
library before we left school in December. He didn’t read the entire story.
Fifty years later, when I tried to read it to my daughter, she couldn’t bear it
after five minutes. So I decided to do what Mr Perry did (and what Dickens
himself did when he performed his stories): I abridged it.
Me: What was your overall approach?
J: I kept all the dialogue, but
streamlined the description. Thanks to movies, readers already have a picture
of what Victorian London looked like. Dickens would have been a terrific
screenwriter. He moved the story forward with no digressions.
Me: Speaking of films, do you have a favourite adaptation of A Christmas Carol?
J: Hmm, it has to be one of the
black-and-white films—probably the 1951 version, with Alastair Sim. [Note: This was released as Scrooge in the UK.]
Me: And any favourite Dickens quotes?
J: Yes, but from Bleak House, not A Christmas Carol: “Dead, men
and women, born with Heavenly compassion in your hearts. And dying thus around
us every day.”
Me: What is it do you think about Dickens, and A Christmas Carol in particular, that
continues to resonate with readers, listeners and viewers today?
J: I think we all want to believe that there’s no evil in
the world—only damaged people who can be healed. And if there is evil, we want to believe in a magical
cure. That’s what A Christmas Carol
offers.
Me: Thank you, Jesse, and merry Christmas!
If you’re interested
in learning more about Jesse’s project, then check out his website. And if you
have any ideas/requests/suggestions for content from the Secret Victorianist in
2020, let me know—here, on Facebook or by tweeting @SVictorianist.
I’ll be updating you
on my publication journey here on my blog, but check out my author website to read early praise for Bronte’s Mistress
and, if you want to receive news straight to your inbox, sign up for my email
newsletter below.
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