Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol has become the cornerstone of our modern midwinter myth. In The Ghost of Christmas Present, John Higgs delves into why this strange and uncanny tale of a miser's supernatural redemption continues to enchant us across centuries and cultures. Far more than a Victorian morality tale, Dickens's work emerges here as profoundly shamanic wisdom - a timeless meditation on salvation, transformation and the power of confronting mortality. From its rejection of establishment values to its countercultural resonance, Higgs uncovers layers of meaning that challenge our assumptions about the Victorian era and redefine our understanding of this overfamiliar story.

Our journey through A Christmas Carol begins in the Bronze Age with Stonehenge, traverses the golden age of Victorian counterculture and lands in the modern day with pop culture milestones like the Muppets and Epic Rap Battles of History. Through Higgs's lively and thought-provoking lens, we see how Dickens's novella shaped not only our concept of Christmas but also our spiritual understanding of making merry. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a bold celebration of the enduring magic of Dickens's tale and its universal message: as Tiny Tim famously declared, 'God bless us, every one!'