Charles Dickens is considered one of the greatest English authors of all time. Dickens often used the pen name Boz. Much of his work first appeared in periodicals and magazines in serialized form. Unlike many writers of his time Dickens wrote the entire novel before serializing it. He made frequent use of the cliffhanger to keep the public interested. A Christmas Carol is a traditional favorite about the conversion of Ebenezer Scrooge from a grasping old miser. Three nights in succession, Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, and emerges from the experience a totally changed man. The Cricket on the Hearth published in 1845 is a Christmas story. Instead of chapters this book is divided into Chirps. The story revolves around a family with a cricket in the house. The cricket is their guardian angel. At one point the cricket warns the master that his wife may be having an affair. Even though this seems to be a tragic occurrence all is well in the end. Love prevails and a girl may regain her sight. This IS a Christmas tale after all.