I read this book for the first time in the last week leading up to Christmas, finishing it on Christmas Eve, which made the story all the more magical. Already being familiar with the story from popular tradition and movies and plays, the storyline was not as new or exciting as it may once had been, but it is still a classic, and a must-read for the holiday season! Dickens is an excellent writer, poetic and funny, as well as inspiring. This short work proves his skill as a storyteller.