Charles Dickens Four Complete Novels (Great Expectations, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities)
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A Christmas Carol

by Charles Dickens

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Publication

Dickens began Carol in October 1843,[15] and completed the book in six weeks with the final pages written in the beginning of December.[16] As the result of a feud with his publisher over the meager earnings on Martin Chuzzlewit,[17] Dickens declined a lump-sum payment for the tale, chose a percentage of the profits in hopes of making more money thereby, and published the work at his own expense.[16] High production costs however brought him a mere £230 rather than the £1,000 he expected – and needed, as his wife was once again pregnant.[17][18][note 2]

The book was published in London by Chapman and Hall on 19 December 1843,[note 3] and bound in red cloth with gilt-edged pages.[15][16] Four expensive, hand-coloured etchings and four black and white wood engravings by John Leech accompanied the text.[16] Production was not without problems. The drab olive endpapers were replaced for the second printing with yellow endpapers, but, once replaced, clashed with the title page which was then redone.[5][19] Modestly priced at five shillings,[16] the first run of 6,000 copies sold out by Christmas Eve and the book continued to sell well into the New Year.[5][20][note 4] In spite of the disappointing profits for the author, the book was a huge artistic success with most critics in generous and kind moods.[20] The tale gave Dickens's career a much needed boost after the fiasco of his poorly-selling and disappointing previous novel, Martin Chuzzlewit.[6]

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