To kick off this amazing feature, I selected a short book that promised to be interesting: Ebenezer's Ghosts by Michael Lawrence. So, on to the review!
We all know the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, yes? We also know various adaptations: print, stage, and big screen. In fact, we may well be sick to death of old man Scrooge. Then along comes Michael (sung to the tune of Along Comes Mary...if you don't know what this aside is taking about, kindly ignore.)
Michael gives the classic his own unique treatment that is just perfect for this pre-Halloween time of year.
With most references to Christmas removed, the reader focuses more on the ghosts themselves. This is made easy by Michael's chillingly detailed descriptions. A phrase that I won't soon forget, "The hand was folded like a cup of knuckles". Isn't that a truly awesome description? What does it mean exactly? I'm not 100% sure but it sounds disgustingly fantastic. There are many more brilliant gems like that throughout the story. Particularly vivid is the scene of the first spirit making a grand entrance, the second ghost's special "party trick", prophetic apple juggling and a fantastic use of the Tiny Tim character.
While reading, I stopped frequently to admire the word choices and imagery. Don't let this ebook original fool you. Michael is a master of language. Nothing but excellent writing here.
The ending is also quite different than the many variations of the classic original. Without spoiling it, I'll just say that, for me, the ending hints at Michael's interest in alternate realities and how things might, or might not, turn out.
My final verdict, this is a good read for middle schoolers and up. For a quick read with fantastic ghostly descriptions, I highly recommend it.
With Halloween fast approaching, this is a good tale to cuddle up with in the dark. If you have a Kindle, or Kindle reading capabilities and want to check this out, I can loan it to the first person who asks. Just include your email address in the comments and I'll send it along. I am a librarian after all. There are also extracts.
Ooh! This sounds great. My dad's family has the tradition of reading A Christmas Carol aloud every Christmas Eve, so it's a story I'm VERY familiar with and this sounds like a unique twist. One more reason to invest in a kindle... :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a wonderful tradition!
ReplyDeleteI really felt that the descriptions in this piece alone were worth the $2.99 Very well done. Get that Kindle and enjoy it! As an aside, as a librarian, I must remind you that Kindle is now compatible with library ebook collections, so you can checkout free ebooks just like a regular print book. Pretty cool!
I know! I feel myself breaking down... I like real books so much better than e-readers, but e-readers definitely have some advantages. Among them, no need to build a new wing on the house to store your books :)
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