Jacob T. Marley
by R. William Bennett
Publisher Shadow Mountain
publication date 10/12/11
received from NetGalley for review
Have you ever wondered why Scrooge became the (pardon the pun) Scrooge that he was? Why Jacob Marley became such a mean spirited miser? This wonderful book answers those questions and many more. Written in a style Dickens himself would have liked, this book will enchant and entertain adults and children alike.
This heartwarming story will make you feel happy and hopeful for the redemption of Marley, similar to the manner in which The Christmas Carol has you rooting for Ebenezer Scrooge. I won't lie to you, Marley is an odious, nasty man. He is concerned with nothing except making money for himself. He didn't attend the funeral of his mother because it took place on a workday. He sent money to pay for her final expenses and requested that his family never again contact him, as he was too busy to deal with them. That's the kind of man Marley had become.
I found the authors method of interweaving the lives of Scrooge and Marley to be very creative. Mr. Bennett seems to have mastered the style of Charles Dickens. This book is certain to become a Christmas classic in my house!