Rating: 
Summary: A yummy treat
Review: Patrick Stewart's performance of "A Christmas Carol" is a delicious treat, like a warm Irish Coffee and a big wool blanket. It might even be a tasty glass of eggnog and a big plate of cookies. This is a story that was intended to be read aloud, and listening to it summons up all of those cozy memories and feelings of Christmas. His voice is deep and resonant, and he slips back and forth into characters seamlessly. This is truly a one-man play, and not an audio book. He obviously cares for the work, and gives it weight and carriage. The adaptation is excellent, and contains all of the classic moments and lines. So snuggy up in your big wool blanket, pour yourself an Irish Coffee or eggnog, (light up the fireplace if you are lucky enough to have one,) and settle in to have Patrick Stewart read "A Christmas Carol."
Rating:
Summary: A masterwork
Review: Quite possibly the best performance of Dickens' story ever captured on recorded media. And I really don't hand out praise like that. Ever. This is "A Christmas Carol" in its purest form, unimpeded by special effects, costumes, and familar faces. It is a classic story rendered as a fireside tale that whisks the listener to 19th century England as quickly as a dried leaf may be blown down a wintry sidewalk. In this jaded age of technology and media saturation, it is a nearly mystical experience to nuzzle in a blanket, sip your hot cocoa, close your eyes, and be enthralled by the ancient art of storytelling. Stewart is absolutely astonishing in the breadth and depth of his performance. While gleefully spinning a tale, he enriches it further by plying his acting skills to their zenith. Each character stands unique and fully formed, even if they have only a single line. And the freshness this restores to this admittedly overfamiliar story is heartwarming in itself. Listening to this reading has become a tradition in our household. I cheerfully recommend making it one in yours as well!
Rating:
Summary: A masterwork
Review: Quite possibly the best performance of Dickens' story ever captured on recorded media. And I really don't hand out praise like that. Ever. This is "A Christmas Carol" in its purest form, unimpeded by special effects, costumes, and familar faces. It is a classic story rendered as a fireside tale that whisks the listener to 19th century England as quickly as a dried leaf may be blown down a wintry sidewalk. In this jaded age of technology and media saturation, it is a nearly mystical experience to nuzzle in a blanket, sip your hot cocoa, close your eyes, and be enthralled by the ancient art of storytelling. Stewart is absolutely astonishing in the breadth and depth of his performance. While gleefully spinning a tale, he enriches it further by plying his acting skills to their zenith. Each character stands unique and fully formed, even if they have only a single line. And the freshness this restores to this admittedly overfamiliar story is heartwarming in itself. Listening to this reading has become a tradition in our household. I cheerfully recommend making it one in yours as well!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Reading
Review: Stewart does an amazing job reading the story. It must be an incredible one-man show. He does all the voices and the sound effects. For example, he just says "ding" for the ringing of the clock as it strikes the top of the hour, but in the way Patrick Stewart does it he pulls you into Scrooge's nervous anticipation of the striking of the final bell. Using different intonations and voices, Stewart draws you into the story. His enthusiam for the story is infectious. His voice is mesmerizing. I can not recommend this audio book enough.
Rating: 
Summary: Praise for Stewart, ambivalence for the format
Review: Stewart presents a powerful, vivid reading of the story. He keeps most of the best bits, but he takes out Belle's marriage and most of Fred's party, which misses one of the central messages of the novelette: the importance of family, and the rewards of familial responsibility. It is important that Scroge has given up family in favor of money, and by cutting these scenes, we're left with a more generalized (and therefore less personal or intense) notion of social responsibility. BUt the performance is brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: An magnificently intense performance!
Review: Stewart presents a powerful, vivid reading of the story. He keeps most of the best bits, but he takes out Belle's marriage and most of Fred's party, which misses one of the central messages of the novelette: the importance of family, and the rewards of familial responsibility. It is important that Scroge has given up family in favor of money, and by cutting these scenes, we're left with a more generalized (and therefore less personal or intense) notion of social responsibility. BUt the performance is brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: Storytelling at it's finest!
Review: Storytelling can be so powerful when you have a great storyteller. Somehow a person reading to you, acting out the parts, can make stories come alive more than just reading to yourself. The experience can make old stories seem fresh and filled with new life. This is what I've experienced evererytime I've listened to this astonishing preformance. In my house, it has become a Christmas Eve tradition to dim the lights, snuggle up in a blanket, grab some hot chocalate and put on these CDs. Patrick Stewart reads Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" with such heart, spirit and vigor that you cant help but get caught up in it all again! With only the sound of his voice (there is very little in the way of sound effects) he is able to bring to life not only the entire cast of characters, but the world he's reading about as well. While listening I swear I can smell the turkey and pies at Fuzziwiggs pary, feel the cold of Scooges Home and hear the laughter and clamour going on in the streets on Christmas Day. Some things deserve to be cherished and experienced again and again. This is one of them.
Rating:
Summary: I thought it was great, it got me in the Christmas spirit.
Review: The book the "Christmas Carol" was good because it talks about how Christmas is a time for giving. I also thought it was cool that the three Christmas Spirits came to visit. I also thought that it meant that cats don't like dogs. Also, it means mice like cheese. What was I talking about? No, I'm to young to die no, don't do it. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!! All better, nothing like relieving yourself with a little bit of gas. Well, Got to go potty. Bye-Bye
Rating:
Summary: incredible voice, and performance
Review: The only thing I have to add to the existing reviews is that all of the audio on the CDs come on just one track. If you want to stop playback and resume at a later session, you'll have to remember where you were and fast forward to that moment. Breaking the recording into seamless chapters would have been helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Spellbinding Performance
Review: Unfortunately, I missed Patrick Stewart's one-man stage version of a Christmas Carol while he was still performing it. Fortunately, I decided to give the taped version a listen. After borrowing it several times from my local library, I bought my own copy to listen to every year. Mr. Stewart does an outstanding job of bringing all the characters to life. Only a couple times in the two hours do I ever get a little lost as to who is saying which line, and then it's only for a few seconds. The combination of Dickens' words and Stewart's dramatization brings every character and description to vivid life. It should be noted that this is an adaptation of the book. Some scenes have been cut, and other added for this recording. That doesn't interfere with my enjoyment, however, and I doubt that it will bother anyone else. I spend the two hours hanging on every word. It's over all too soon. This has become a Christmas tradition I look forward to every year. Give it a try, and you will be captivated by it as well.
| 
