The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain
Complete With Original Illustrations
📘 About This Book
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain, A Fancy for Christmas-Time (better known as The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain or simply as The Haunted Man) is a novella by Charles Dickens first published in 1848. It is the fifth and last of Dickens's Christmas novellas. The story is more about the spirit of the holidays than about the holidays themselves, harking back to the first in the series, A Christmas Carol. The tale centres on a Professor Redlaw and those close to him.Redlaw is a teacher of chemistry who often broods over wrongs done him and grief from his past.He is haunted by a spirit, who is not so much a ghost as Redlaw's phantom twin and is "an awful likeness of himself...with his features, and his bright eyes, and his grizzled hair, and dressed in the gloomy shadow of his dress..." This spectre appears and proposes to Redlaw that he can allow him to "forget the sorrow, wrong, and trouble you have known...to cancel their remembrance..." Redlaw is hesitant at first, but finally agrees.As a consequence of the ghost's intervention, Redlaw is without memories of the painful incidents from his past. He experiences a universal anger that he cannot explain. His bitterness spreads to the Swidgers, the Tetterbys and his student. All become as wrathful as Redlaw himself. The only one who is able to avoid the bitterness is Milly.With this realization, the novel concludes with everyone back to normal and Redlaw, like Ebenezer Scrooge, a changed, more loving man. Now a whole person, Redlaw learns to be humble at Christmas.
📖 Summary
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain, published in 2020 at 130 pages, presents Charles Dickens's final and fifth Christmas novella, originally written in 1848. Returning to the thematic roots of his famous earlier work, A Christmas Carol, this holiday tale places its primary focus on the underlying spirit of the season rather than the holiday festivities themselves. The narrative centers around Professor Redlaw, a dedicated teacher of chemistry whose life is shadowed by continuous brooding over past griefs and old wrongs inflicted upon him by others. Deeply burdened by these bitter memories, Redlaw finds himself haunted by a mysterious spirit. This entity is not a traditional ghost, but rather Redlaw's own phantom twin, bearing an uncanny and awful likeness to the professor himself, complete with his exact features, bright eyes, grizzled hair, and clad in the gloomy shadow of his garments. Through this striking supernatural encounter, the novella explores the psychological weight of memory, regret, and the human tendency to harbor grudges. As Redlaw interacts with his phantom double and those close to him, the story examines the intricate connections between memory and empathy, questioning whether escaping from painful recollections truly brings peace or strips away the essential human capacity for compassion and forgiveness. Dickens uses this concise yet rich narrative of 130 pages to deliver a profound commentary on emotional redemption, emphasizing that our shared sorrows and memories are vital to the human experience and the true meaning of holiday charity.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Delivers a profound psychological and emotional exploration of regret and memory.
Features the classic, evocative storytelling style of Charles Dickens.
Serves as a meaningful concluding entry in Dickens's holiday novella series.
Offers a concise and engaging read at 130 pages.
⚠️ Cons
May feel less universally accessible than A Christmas Carol.
Deals with heavy themes of brooding and grief that require careful reflection.
✍️ About the Author
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English writer widely regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works, including 'A Tale of Two Cities' and 'Great Expectations', combined social criticism with memorable characters.
View all books →❓ FAQ
When was The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain originally written? +
It was first published in 1848 as Charles Dickens's final Christmas novella.
How many pages is this edition? +
This edition published in 2020 contains 130 pages.
Who is the main character of the story? +
The main character is Professor Redlaw, a teacher of chemistry.
What is the nature of the ghost that haunts Redlaw? +
The spirit is not a traditional ghost, but Redlaw's phantom twin who shares his exact likeness and gloomy shadow.
How does this book relate to A Christmas Carol? +
It harkens back to A Christmas Carol by focusing heavily on the underlying spirit of the holidays and personal redemption.
