Ebenezer

The True Life Story of Ebenezer Scrooge

By: Douglas Bass

Narrated by: Benjamin Fife

What do you think of when you hear the name “Ebenezer Scrooge”? Mean, greedy old man haunted by three ghosts one Christmas night, right?

Well, what if what we’ve been told, while not being entirely wrong also wasn’t entirely right, either?

Ready for the truth?

Then enjoy the rich, complete story of literature’s most famous redeemed villain, showing us no one is ever beyond hope once their eyes are fully opened to who they were always meant to be.

©2017 Douglas A. Bass (P)2021 Douglas A. Bass

Wonderful BackStory- lots of Sad before it Lighten

Ok, so I love the Christmas Carol and I knew going into this book that Scrooge must have had a terrible backstory but I guess I wasn't fully prepared. This is a really well written book with relatable characters and details that really bring the story to life. I really think that's why I struggled with the amount of strife and trials that Scrooge lived through. I do really like the book but be warned all but maybe 3 hours worth of the book is on the heavy/sad side of reading... for me I had to break it up into sessions of listening to this one and then switching to something happy and fluffy to lift my mood. I definitely recommend it for those who love the Christmas Carol, I do feel this book is an asset to the story and more fully brings the miracle of change into a new perspective.

The narrator does a fantastic job with all the differentiations, acting and is simply a lot of fun to listen to.

Parents- PG13- Overall this is a pretty clean read, very little language, no graphic violence. Mostly clean romance but there is one bedroom scene that is not described in detail but is lightly skimmed over towards the end of the book.

—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

The Rest Of The Story....

This was my first experience with Douglas Bass' work, and I enjoyed it a lot. The author wrote a creative novel based on the short story titled "A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being A Ghost Story Of Christmas" written by Charles Dickens. Although the author doesn't deviate from the original writing, the author put his own unique spin to it and made the story his own. I found the tale to be expressive and heartwarming. I recommend it to others who enjoy this genre. Benjamin Fife's narration was stellar. I thought that Benjamin's narration skills were awesome. He provided various voices for the different characters, and he engendered an array of emotions in the listener during his performance. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

A new take on a classic tale

I have to admit, I never thought about Scrooge's backstory. After reading this book, I feel like I understand him...and my heart breaks for him. The story was gripping, heartbreaking, heartwarming, heart-melting, etc. The author drew me in while the narrator brought the story to life. I absolutely recommend this book!

**OUTSTANDING**

**OUTSTANDING** I don't think I have every called a book outstanding before, this story as told by Benjamín Fife is justly so!
I finished the story of Ebenezer's life with tears on my cheeks and thoughts of how unusual to feel so moved when during his life story he was, at times ,a tyrant and a cad. But he was also an undeservedly unloved and badly treated child by most, except the shining light of his sister. With probable dyslexia ( my thought ) and a willing and easy nature he blossomed from a kind act and you will find exemplary characters in this book to gladden your heart but also scoundrels of temptation as you will see. Along the way there are many many tales which make up his life, love, dreams, goals, realizations, friendships and acquaintances, spirits and a specific ghost, before he comes to terms with himself and lives a good life. I was also facinated of the historical glimpses of Old England throughout the story.
This is a clean, long (audio 17hrs), well told, good value, well written book that I wholeheartedly recommend.

An amazing story.

The story takes some thought provoking twists and turns and yet stays true to it's roots. I did not want to put it down and yet did not want to come to the end. Someone wrote it would make a great movie. I agree!

I hope to see more from this author.

So much more than I ever expected!

Here we have a retelling and expansion of the classic "A Christmas Carol" that is so much more, and so much better written, than I ever could have anticipated!

Now, about that narrator.
As always, Benjamin gives us a fantastic performance that encompasses each unique character and every nuance brilliantly. There aren't many narrators who can differentiate so many voices and all their emotional nuances with the skill Benjamin has.

I think the thing that grabbed me right away is how clear it is right from the beginning that this isn't your typical interpretation of the original story.

Not only is there so much more depth than I was expecting, it also paints every character involved in a much different light than I've ever seen before.

A small disclosure here, however. Before I listened to this book, I had never actually read the original. I listened to the audiobook once, but wasn't really paying attention as we used it as basically background noise on Christmas one year.

That being said, I did go back and listen to the audiobook (the recent edition narrated by the phenomenal Tim Curry!) immediately after finishing this one.

With that in mind I can confidently say that while there are a great many additions that I'm sure Dickens never intended, this book is true to the original in almost every way. We get a much longer, deeper story that reads much like a memoir told in the third person. We get infinitely greater character development, with nearly all of the main characters feeling like fully fledged, 3-dimensional, real people.

That is not to say they don't do things that I, as a reader, find inexplicable and unbelievable. They absolutely do. In fact, in many ways the story hinges on it. It's an inescapable truth of being true to the original, yet in this telling there are reasons for every one of those near-unbelievable actions and choices. Reasons that absolutely make sense with the way the characters are developed.

Now, you may ask yourself, as I did, can a novella like "A Christmas Carol" really be adapted into a novel of this one's length without being full of fluff and filler? To which I can say absolutely, yes, and here it has done so. If anything, there were actually a few places where time is skipped that I would have liked to have a bit more information about what Scrooge was doing.

There were a handful of points where I thought the direction of the story was perhaps a bit too obvious, and I found myself getting frustrated with Scrooge for not seeing past some things, but when I look back on it I realize that his thoughts and actions are accurate to what someone in loved in his time would have done. Things that seem obvious to us in 2022 would appear far different to a man living in the 19th century.

And finally, in the latter sections of the novel we get into the events depicted in the original, and even here we have additions that serve to expand and enhance the story in ways I never could have imagined. It isn't often that I read a book with the ability to get me so emotionally invested that it can actually make me cry, but this one managed it.

More than once, I might add.

So, in closing, whether you've never read "A Christmas Carol" or if you've always found it missing something, or even if you've always been perfectly happy with it, this is one book I highly recommend you pick up.

Wonderful story

As I first listened, I was confused. ... Trying to fit it into the paradigm if A Christmas Carol. Within a chapter, I was hooked. A very plausible fleshing out of Ebenezer Scroofe’s life and character. Marvrllous! And beautifully narrated by Benhsmin Fife. I received a free copy, with no obligation.

A Deep Dive on a Beloved Christmas Tale

What an interesting idea - the backstory of Ebenezer Scrooge. I must say it is a wonderful concept and illustrates the psychological background to Scrooges personality via the story implied but not told in the original Christmas Carol. For anyone, like me, enamored with this classic story, it gives depth, meaning and perspective, delightfully and masterfully narrated by Benjamin Fife. Douglas Bass captures the essence of Dickensonian style and relays backstory elements that enhance the original storyline. What a great gift for the holidays.

Didn’t want story to end!!

I totally enjoyed this version of Ebenezer Scrooge ! It delved deeper into his early life with explanations of his relationships and his coming of age. I realize this is fiction but it so adeptly filled in the blanks and fleshed out the main characters within Scrooges life. Excellent listen for those who love Scrooge and The works of Charles Dickens!

Life of Scrooge

While the story of Ebenezer Scrooge is one we all know and love it is by no means the full and truthful account. From Ebenezer's birth through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood there are many things that molded him into the man he became. Through these instances we can see led to his meeting with the ghosts and how his life changed there-after. Join me in traveling through the ages and getting a deeper understanding of this man made myth.
I received this audiobook from the narrator in exchange for an honest review. While I received it before Christmas it took me a while to get through it. Not that I don't enjoy scrooge, I think it is just so frequently told that for the most part we all know a great deal of this man's life already. As always, I enjoyed listening to the narrator, Benjamin Fife. My only regret in regards to the audiobook was when it entered the singing portions. Each time it happened I left the audiobook to play as I walked out of the room because it wasn't pleasant to listen to and I didn't know how far ahead to skip for the song to be over.

After listening to this audiobook I know a great deal more about the events in his life that made Scrooge the way he was depicted by Dickens so long ago. In fact, this story is one told by Tiny Tim as an old man where he recounts "Uncle" Scrooge's life. We learn more about the woman who held Ebenezer's heart, Miss Anabelle, and that it was not nearly as much her fault as we previously believed. We learned of his parents and what happened there. Most importantly we learned more of his sister, Fan.

Fan was easily my favorite character in the book, although her choice in a husband was quite lacking. I wish that she could have seen how Ebenezer's story played out, but his life was one rife with loss, hers counted among the greatest. I enjoyed being able to see the story a bit more clearly and the fact that Dickens was in the book made it all the better.