Marley's Ghost Author:Mark Osmun, Mark Hazard Osmun Before Scrooge, before Dickens, there was Jacob Marley. In Charles Dickensclassic, A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge owes his salvation to one man: his former partner, the late Jacob Marley. Yet despite Marleys crucial role we know him only as a shadow. Until now. Fugitive, prodigy, gambler, miner, mentor, corruptor and partner... more » of Scrooge, Jacob Marley suffers a life in which he is both victim and villain, noble and vile. After his death, Marleys ghost wanders a frozen hell seeking answers and redemption. There he plays one last role: that of a pawn in the battle between Light and Dark. Ultimately, Marley must choose between God and the Devil, between sacrifice and betrayal, as Mankinds future hangs in the balance. Marleys Ghost, a dark tale about the winter of the soul, shines a brilliant, new light on Dickens immortal story.« less
The book was part "Wicked" and part "The Five People you will meet in Heaven" blended with the enigma of Charles Dicken's most haunting character. The book is a great read, but those who are fans of "A Christmas Carol" may be disappointed in how the climatic scene plays out.
This was an excellent, ambitious tale, on par with Gregory Maguire's Wicked and Charles Dickens' own Victorian epics. Enthralling all the way through, and the climax is truly shocking. There's a reason for every life, and every afterlife.