A Fairy Tale of Home
The Cricket on the Hearth is one of several Christmas books written by Charles Dickens in the 1840s. Rather than chapters, this book is divided into chirps (much like staves in A Christmas Carol and quarters in The Chimes). In A Christmas Carol, the themes are generosity and compassion. In The Chimes, using our time wisely is the major theme. In this book, Dickens develops the themes of home and hearth as well as the sanctity of marriage; I would also add that not letting your emotions get the worst of you is another theme developed in this book. Dickens also uses the techniques of flashbacks and visions much like the previous two books. While maybe not on the same level as A Christmas Carol, The Cricket on the Hearth is a good book with relevant messages.
