The Annotated Christmas Carol Author:Charles Dickens, Michael P. Hearn This book is the first extensive critical study of this great holiday fable. Readers will find an accurate reprinting of the text of the 1843 edition, complete with the original hand-colored engravings and woodcuts of John Leech. Supplementing these are over 80 seasonal and related sketches by other artists, including John Tenniel. Michael Patri... more »ck Hearn has provided the reader with extensive annotations which explain the various literary, autobiographical, and historical dimensions of the text. He has also written a lengthy introduction, telling the fascinating story of how Dickens, in desperate need of money, wrote his "little Carol" in just six weeks, how he chose his illustrator, and how he found himself in a bitter court dispute over piracy of the tale.« less