Though it’s unseasonably warm at the moment, Christmas is technically just around the corner for those who celebrate, and the New York Public Library podcast and Nerdist favorite Neil Gaiman have a treat in store for everyone who loves a little holiday magic at this time of year. Below you can listen to Gaiman’s presentation of the classic Charles Dickens‘ A Christmas Carol.
Everyone knows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim because various incarnations of it have been told and retold by the movie industry over the last 85 years. But when’s the last time you sat down and actually read the real story? I will admit, I’ve only read the actual book once, and it’s been a few years. In my brain, the iconic Disney Mickey’s Christmas Carol is the ultimate version of the story, but Neil Gaiman is very, very close second. Gaiman performed this live reading at the New York Public Library in 2013, and I was lucky enough to be there.
When someone emails you and says, “Hey do you want to go see Neil Gaiman read Dickens with me?” the only answer is yes. And Gaiman did not disappoint. The following year he would do a reading at the same location fully decked out in a dead Charles Dickens costume. You had to be there to see it, and it was perfect.
So give this podcast version of the real thing a listen and let it become a part of your holiday tradition.
Image: NYPL
