Charles Dickens is sometimes called the "man who invented Christmas," and his enduring and much-adapted tale has proved a central addition to the literature that has grown up around the Christmas season. With its ghostly apparitions and poignant representation of the reformation of a miser's heart, Dickens's story contributed classic characters to the literary canon, in the form of Tiny Tim, Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit, and its central figure, Ebenezer Scrooge, the originator of the "Bah! Humbug!" Harold Bloom introduces this brand-new volume of critical excerpts that focus on this Christmas-centric tale. An annotated bibliography and an index will assist students studying this timeless classic.