6 Chapter 3 The Gift Reversed, Part 1

The last of Dickens' Christmas novellas (1848), The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain centres around Professor Redlaw, a teacher of chemistry, whose personal life has been marred by sorrow and, he feels, by wrongs done to him in his past. He is haunted by his ghostly twin, who offers him the opportunity to forget completely all 'sorrow, wrong and trouble', claiming that this will make him happier. Redlaw wavers, but finally accepts this offer, discovering too late that there are conditions attached to it which cause him to infect with this unwanted 'gift' nearly everyone with whom he comes in contact. The story is populated by Dickens' archetypal comic figures - the Swidgers, who are servants of the college, and the hard-working but poor Tetterby family who run a nearby shop. As tends to be the case with these Christmas books, this one is awash with sentimentality, so suspend your 21st century cynicism for a few hours if you listen. (Introduction by Ruth Golding)

Arts

The last of Dickens' Christmas novellas (1848), The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain centres around Professor Redlaw, a teacher of chemistry, whose personal life has been marred by sorrow and, he feels, by wrongs done to him in his past. He is haunted by his ghostly twin, who offers him the opportunity to forget completely all 'sorrow, wrong and trouble', claiming that this will make him happier. Redlaw wavers, but finally accepts this offer, discovering too late that there are conditions attached to it which cause him to infect with this unwanted 'gift' nearly everyone with whom he comes in contact.The story is populated by Dickens' archetypal comic figures - the Swidgers, who are servants of the college, and the hard-working but poor Tetterby family who run a nearby shop.As tends to be the case with these Christmas books, this one is awash with sentimentality, so suspend your 21st century cynicism for a few hours if you listen. (Introduction by Ruth Golding)

The last of Dickens' Christmas novellas (1848), The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain centres around Professor Redlaw, a teacher of chemistry, whose personal life has been marred by sorrow and, he feels, by wrongs done to him in his past. He is haunted by his ghostly twin, who offers him the opportunity to forget completely all 'sorrow, wrong and trouble', claiming that this will make him happier. Redlaw wavers, but finally accepts this offer, discovering too late that there are conditions attached to it which cause him to infect with this unwanted 'gift' nearly everyone with whom he comes in contact. The story is populated by Dickens' archetypal comic figures - the Swidgers, who are servants of the college, and the hard-working but poor Tetterby family who run a nearby shop. As tends to be the case with these Christmas books, this one is awash with sentimentality, so suspend your 21st century cynicism for a few hours if you listen. (Introduction by Ruth Golding)

Share 6 Chapter 3 The Gift Reversed, Part 1

Sign up to save your podcasts

6 Chapter 3 The Gift Reversed, Part 1

6 Chapter 3 The Gift Reversed, Part 1

More shows like Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (version 2), The by Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870)

Pride and Prejudice (version 4) by Jane Austen (1775 - 1817)

Our Mutual Friend, Version 3 by Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870)

All in the Mind

Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray (1828 - 1917)

Little Dorrit (Version 2) by Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870)

Hour of the Dragon, The by Robert E. Howard (1906 - 1936)

Story of a Soul (Version 2), The by Saint Therese of Lisieux (1873 - 1897)

Divine Comedy, The by Dante Alighieri (1265 - 1321)

North and South by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (1810 - 1865)

His Last Bow: Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 - 1930)

Pride and Prejudice (version 3) by Jane Austen (1775 - 1817)