Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old skinflint. He hates everyone, especially children. But at Christmas three ghosts come to visit him, scare him into mending his ways, and he finds, as he celebrates with Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and their family, that geniality brings its own reward.

I've read this a couple of times over the years, and it is a wonderful and evocative tale. As part of the BBC Big Read I get a chance to reread this classic.