Book Details:
Book Title: Humbug: Scrooge Before the Ghosts
Author: Sarah Whelan
Publisher: Mascot Books
Narrator: Charles Robert Fox
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Pairing: MM
Tense/POV: First person, past tense
Genres: Historical
Tropes: Forbidden love
Themes: Prequel to classic story, redemption, recovery from loss
Heat Rating: 2 flames
Length: 344 pages
Audiobook Length: 9 hours and 29 minutes
It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.
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A Christmas Carol shows us one terrible day in Ebenezer Scrooge’s life, but have you ever wondered what came before his fateful encounter with the ghosts of Christmas time? What happened to turn him into the scowling, penny-pinching old man we think we know so well?
There is so much more to this character—possibly more than Charles Dickens himself could ever have imagined.
Scrooge has compelling reasons for hating Christmas, for rejecting his fiancée and his precious nephew, and for employing Tiny Tim’s father, despite his obvious incompetence. He is a doting uncle, beloved brother, successful businessman, and passionate lover, but a dark secret puts both him and his loved ones at risk. Scrooge struggles to embrace his true self and live in defiance of the Victorian era’s repressive moral standards. Soul-crushing losses and his own destructive choices shape his fate into a twisted path of sorrow, frustration, and uncertainty—but also happiness, fulfillment, and love.
Scrooge’s own words sum it up best: “How delightfully queer life is.”
MERCY
1850
The phantom looms over my deathbed, his skeletal form shrouded in the same hooded cloak as the first time he appeared to me, on Christmas Eve some seven years ago. He is silent, as before, but his mission is a different one. Instead of the redemption he and his fellow specters offered on their previous visit, he has come to collect and deliver me to the spirit world.
“Do not take me yet, Phantom.” My voice is as shaky as my resolve.
A tear trickles down my cheek, but I lack the strength to wipe it away. It lingers there, stalled halfway through its journey, just as I remain teetering at the edge of a desolate chasm between life and death.
It is not the fear of dying that keeps me here, for I know what awaits me in the afterlife. I redeemed myself after Jacob Marley and his ghosts left me with a soul churning in regret. I embraced my penchant for compassion, loved and was loved in return, and undid some of the damage I had inflicted on the souls of others, as well as my own. It took the better part of my life to amass the courage needed to reject the moral constraints society imposed and overcome the obstacles I had embedded in my own path. True happiness came only when I gave myself completely to the person I loved most.
I earned my rightful place in eternity, and my heavenly sanctuary awaits just beyond the mortal realm. But I choose to endure, despite the agony, as spasms tear through my body and I shiver with cold, though the blankets weigh heavily upon me. I offer this suffering willingly in exchange for the opportunity to revel in the memories of my seven decades on this blessed earth.
In my final moments, I wish to honor those who walked beside me through a lifetime comprised, in turns, of misery and happiness, selfishness and altruism, isolation and kinship, bitterness and love.
On my knees, hands clasped against my chest and head bowed to the towering shadow figure, I beg, “Grant me time enough to remember. Then I will surrender my soul. I will offer no resistance. Will you have mercy on your old friend Scrooge?”
A single nod is the phantom’s response.
Grateful for his gift of a temporary reprieve, I grip his bony hand.
“Lead on, generous spirit. Let us journey to the past.”
4 out of 5 (very good)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Ok, 2 things: First I've read of this author, and first I've listened to of this narrator. These two things are intertwined.
I really enjoyed this reworking of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It takes us on a more in-depth and more deliciously different path that follows Scrooge from the very beginning. I'm not going to go into the storyline too much, but for spoilers, but suffices to say, that I really enjoyed the path this took.
The way Whelan builds the world around Scrooge and gets over the descriptions of the places and the people he comes across is astounding and I could see myself sitting there with Scrooge. Loved the descriptions of everything.
Charles Robert Fox narrates.
Now, for the most part, narrators have American accents, and there is nothing wrong with that but I am so very glad that this narrator was used for this book. His accent is very VERY English and fits in the Victorian England setting so beautifully! He uses a much OLDER voice for Scrooge, when talking to the ghosts than he does when he is telling his story, and I love that the voice ages as the story goes on.
It goes without saying, that my enjoyment of this book would be very different had I read it, or had a different narrator been used.
I'd like to read more of this author and listen to more of this narrator's work.
4 stars for the book
4 stars for the narration
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
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Shari Sakurai
Unlike Scrooge, SARAH WHELAN loves Christmas: the decorations, the music, the traditions—everything. She is excited to make her own contribution to the holiday with a new twist on Charles Dickens’ classic tale. Sarah is a full-time professional writer, and her nonfiction has appeared in a variety of magazines. Her first novel, The Struggle Within, was published in 2018. She lives in Connecticut and loves spending time in her favorite city of Boston.
Social Media Links
About the Narrator
Charles Robert Fox is an experienced professional narrator, performer and general storytelling wizard. He has over 100 titles listed on Audible. Location: England, United Kingdom
Tour hosted by: Gay Book Promotions
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