R. William Bennett

Do we really need this? The ghost of Marley, according to Dickens, is presumably forever trapped in a bad place for his transgressions, which encourages Scrooge to look into his own life. But Marley here is a guiding angel who is redeemed. Bleh. Disney-fare. Middle-brow. Dickens was a vital author, Christmas Carol a serious work of literature that withstands repeated readings, new gems appear each time. It can be life changing. For me, Marley remains a mystery whose back story does not require explanation. With that said, I gotta give Bennett credit for managing a Dickens knock-off fairly well, at least at the level of theme and sensational plot coincidences.… (mehr)

Everyone knows the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas that helped him mend his ways. But, ever wondered what happened to his partner, Jacob Marley, who started the whole thing? I mean, really, the person behind Scrooge getting another chance was his partner who appeared in ghostly form first to tell him that the spirits were coming whether he wanted them to or not. I always thought poor Marley really got the shaft because he helped Scrooge, but still flew off into the night dragging that long chain with money boxes and ledgers tied onto it. He did a kindly deed in helping his curmudgeonly partner -- surely he wouldn't be damned to a whole eternity dragging rusty bank boxes through hell.

When I heard about this book -- Jacob T. Marley -- I knew I had to read it! I wanted to know more about Marley, and what happened to him! The tale starts with Marley's childhood and how he grew into a man just as stingy and unfriendly as Scrooge. The story doesn't end with Marley's exiting the mortal coil, of course, because his ghost is an integral part of Scrooge's story. So, of course, Marley tags along with the spirits and Scrooge, and discovers a lot about his life, and what being a caring and kindly person means. Kindness and true charity not only help those on the receiving end, but bless those on the giving side too.

This book was a delightful read! Not just because A Christmas Carol is my favorite book of all time, but because I finally got to read a story about Marley and his fate. It blended Scrooge's travels on that fateful Christmas Eve, with the life, and afterlife, of Jacob Marley. Marley was dead as a coffin nail, but still had a lot of things to learn! Those who don't learn lessons during their life are fated to do so after death. That's not always a bad thing. Marley didn't appear to make Scrooge wonder about underdone potatoes and bits of undigested cheese.....he came back to save Scrooge from an eternity of torment and to make amends for his own empty life.

This book was a real joy to read. Even the cover art made me happy. :) Bennett kept the general feel of Dickens' original tale with a light dose of humor and a generous amount of morality tale. Definitely a good read! I've read a couple poorly done continuations of the Scrooge saga, but this one more than made up for those that lacked the right stuff. I heartily recommend it! No Bah Humbugs from me!

And.....Lord bless us every one!

My rating: 8/10
All ages.


… (mehr)

This is a worthy companion piece to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Author William Bennett and narrator Simon Vance do a masterful job, although I feel Bennett relied a wee bit too much on Scrooge's story and not enough on confrontations in Marley's redemption to get a 5-star review from me. Well done, nevertheless, although Fan - the sister not the niece - and her family seem to have been edited out of the story! Their outcomes and responses could have added quite a bit of impact and emotion to Marley's story.… (mehr)

I chose "Jacob T. Marley" because I was searching for festive cheer and the premise of the book sounded interesting. The publisher's summary promised a story that:

"... focuses the spotlight on Scrooge's miserly business partner, Jacob T. Marley, who was allowed to return as a ghost to warn Scrooge away from his ill-fated path. Why was Marley allowed to return? And why hadn t he been given the same chance as Ebenezer Scrooge? Or had he?

Written with a voice reminiscent of Dickens, Jacob T. Marley is to A Christmas Carol as the world-famous Wicked is to The Wizard of Oz as this masterfully crafted story teaches of choices, consequences, and of the power of accountability."

I listened to the first two hours of this four-hour audiobook before abandoning it.

The idea, at least at the beginning, was as original as it sounded. The writing is well crafted and sounds suitably Victorian without lapsing into pastiche. The narration is first rate.

I abandoned the book, despite its strengths because I felt it was withering in the shadow cast by a "Christmas Carol". Dickens' novel has a light touch that delivers a unique blend of humour, pathos, horror and moral certitude. By comparison, this book feels weighed down by the need to honour its progenitor while generating something novel of its own.

To me, it seemed that after-life that Jacob T. Marley encounters was more firmly rooted in Christian myth than "A Christmas Carol" was. As I read "Jacob T. Marley" I realised that Dickens had painted a mostly pagan view of the Spirits of Christmas and that much of its joy and sense of possibility comes from not being held to account to Judeo/Christian Ledger of Atonement.

I'm sure many people will enjoy the four hours that they spend in Jacob T. Marley's company but it wasn't what I was looking for.… (mehr)