A New Christmas: Return to the classics

A lot of people begin to feel the pressure at this time of year, for a whole variety of reasons. Sometimes we just need a little time to ourselves, to just shut the door and just take comfort in the pages of a well-loved classic.

There are few that compare to the works of Charles Dickens. Time and time again we find ourselves revisiting the tales of A Christmas Carol, The Old Curiosity Shop and Oliver Twist. Despite many of us knowing the endings, it never fails to put a smile on our faces when Mr Scrooge finally learns his lesson or Oliver asks for more.

There is much more to Dickens than meets the eye, reading between the lines there is a whole world to discover. In each of his novels, Victorian England comes to life in a variety of colourful characters, who can forget Miss Havisham? Or the foreboding presence of Magwitch? Much of what Dickens writes about in his novels was inspired by his own life and experiences. If you want to learn more about these you need look no further than many of the biographies and analogies of his life available in the non-fiction section of the library.

Dickens continues to inspire authors and film makers alike, so much so that in 2015 the BBC created “Dickensian”, a 20 episode murder mystery epic following Inspector Bucket and his investigation into the death of Jacob Marley. If you haven’t seen this yet or maybe you want to watch it again, this DVD is available at Canterbury or can be ordered from other libraries in the county.

If that is not your cup of tea at Canterbury Library you will find our classics section brimming with exciting adventures, intrigue, romance and even a trip into the future! From Jane Austen to George Orwell there really is something for everyone.

Give classics a try this Christmas and see where they will take you.

All the titles discussed above are available through Kent Libraries.