I read this book before watching the movie "The Man Who Invented Christmas" which is about how Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol." This book explained Dickens' thoughts, corresponding with each chapter in "Carol." The layout of the book allowed you to move through Dickens' life and see where his inspiration might have come from. The story of how the name Scrooge was thought up was particularly fascinating. I had no idea that Dickens was one of the first authors to perform his stories to crowds! I'm a huge fan of Christmas and this is the perfect read for this time of year.