An Evening with Charles Dickens

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 93, 12 February 1889, Page 2

An Evening with Charles Dickens

THE CHRISTMAS CAROL. Jn the construction of this charming little story Dickenatias introduced; no lea* than twenty threw characters, all dissimi' lar, and it is in the interpretation ojE these that the reading has its diffioultieß and at the same time charms ; to give v point" to the various character, to make. them interpret themselves is the chief art of the . reader, and to do this, much study of each, character is required as well as a grasp, a thorough grasp, of th£ author's intention. It is however impossible to put all the scenes of the Carol' before an audience in one brief evening, t^ckena himself: when reading the Carol, adopted an abridged form. To read it as a whole and do justice to every detail,; would occupy four or five hours at least, tirhich we need scarcely say would be irksome to both reader and hearer, whereas the abridged form gives a sufficiently good ; outline, and places before the audience the salient points of the story, which never fail to satisfy even the most captious critic. On the 15th February "the Christmas Carol" in its abridged form, will be read by Mr W. H. Warren, at the Folding Assembly Booms, it occupies the post of honor in his programme for that occasion, ■ ■.. and will comprise the most. humerous scenes of the story. We have already reported what has been said of s> ratfnfc rendering of " the Carol" at Pahiatoa, and whilst it is not claimed for Mr Warren that he is a " veritable Dickens" we give . our readers the benefit of a report from : ' the Ashburton Guardian of 24th of August ■. last and leave them to judge further of V Mr Warren's, .^abilities a» applied to the . reading of " the Carol," at the same time . recommending all who cap to patronise these readings on the 15th February, for their own amusement, as weU,,as for the , object which they are intended to assist, . viz., the funds of the Feilding Public Library. The following is extracted from . the report referred to, vis. :t— ** Mr Warren v. as warmly thanked Jbr. giving such an ad- . mirable Treading for so good a cause. Mr . D. H. Brown in moving tiie vote of thanks to the reader, spoke of the pleasure it had given him to listen to the reading of " th» Carol," as it recalled to his mind an occasion when he heard the great novelist himself read the same piece. Mr Warren will be at Tinwald this evening and we can promise the townspeople there a great