Kevin Readdean – Voice Talent

Carrey vs. Curry – Bah! Humbug!

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas (full title) was first published on this day in 1843. This classic has been adapted to every publishing and performance medium imaginable. If you haven’t seen the latest movie adaptation of this classic, Disney’s A Christmas Carol (Robert Zemeckis, 2009), I recommend you pass on this one and watch the 1992 Disney/Henson version of the story, The Muppet Christmas Carol. In brief, Michael Caine is a much better Scrooge than Jim Carrey; and who can resist the musical genius of Paul Williams and Miles Goodman?

Another way to get your Dickens fix would be to read or listen to the original novel. There are numerous audio book versions of A Christmas Carol. I recommend the version narrated by actor Tim Curry (perhaps best know as Dr. Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show). Curry’s natural English accent plays well for this 19th century classic. Curry’s variation on the different characters brings Dickens’ prose to life, while chronicling Scrooge’s inner turmoil and ultimate redemption. Curry captures the essence of this classic, injecting wit and enthusiasm throughout and ultimately inspires the generosity of the season.

So if you’re looking for a new way to enjoy Dickens’ A Christmas Carol this year, I recommend Curry over Carrey. While both are exceptional actors, listening to Curry will provide a more authentic Dickens experience.

“Plus there’s more” – Scrooge-like misers can get a free version of this audio book if they are Audible subscribers and Applegazette readers.

Bah! Humbug!

Tags: anniversary, audio book, history, narration, voice actor