Eben Kruge

How "A Christmas Carol" Came to Be Written

By: Richard Barlow Adams

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

How wonderful it is for those who love Christmas to listen to stories that inspire the happiest of seasons. And no story is as compelling as Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, penned in 1843. But what inspired the Carol? What triggered Dickens' imagination to write a story so unlike anything he had written before - a story about Christmas, wrought with flashbacks and flash-forwards and infused with the supernatural? In Eben Kruge, Richard Barlow Adams delivers a pause-resisting narrative that weaves fact and fiction for a penetrating look inside the life and psyche of Dickens when he and wife Catherine traveled to America in 1842 at the invitation of Washington Irving.

Thirty years old and already world famous, he visits nearly two dozen cities, from Richmond to St. Louis to Quebec. At the end of his five-month trip, exhausted, overly vetted, and less than enamored with the new nation, he makes a final stop at the United States Military Academy north of New York City. For the first time facing writer's block, Dickens learns of the man Eben Kruge, an attorney who resides in Cornwall and whose "black turned to white" quite literally overnight. Declaring he must meet the man and know his story, he strikes out for Cornwall early the next morning, oblivious to what lies ahead and risking the secret he intended to take to his grave.

©2012, 2020 Richard Barlow Adams (P)2020 Richard Barlow Adams

A Most Engaging Story

Eben Kruge is a most engaging and very well written story. The combination of a wonderfully told tale, vivid characters, and an excellent narration warmed my heart. I think I cried at the end more than I do after watching "A Christmas Carol." Once you start listening, you won't want to stop!

Very Intriguing audible book

Christopher Lane makes the characters come to life in Rich Adams’ well written story. I highly recommend it!

A great take on a great classic

My favorite classic of the Christmas season is A Christmas Carol and in Eben Kruge Adams has crafted a great new twist on the classic story. It is fairly short, and moves swiftly. It is a story you can listen to quickly as you go about your errands of the holiday season, and will keep you in the mood of the season. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting take on the class story.

Masterful Storytelling

Richard and Christopher are the perfect team for telling a likely tale of the origins of A Christmas Carol. But this is a story to be heard year-round. Bravo!

Nostalgic Inspiration

Eben Kruge is a well-worth-it read. I would describe it as nostalgically inspirational. In narrative form Mr. Adams offers us a source of origin for Charles Dickens’ favored classic, A Christmas Carol. In this Dickens-esque written story Mr. Adams settles on character (in my opinion, Dickens’ finest literary element) as the major propulsive force of action. The narrative is not fueled by Aristotelian crises as in Greek classic form, but more by the growing investment of our souls in the characters. We are thus treated to a luxurious pace as he deepens the characterizations and unpredictable relationships in whose portrayal the tale unfolds. This seems an appropriate speed when you are enjoying nostalgia. On the way, we are taken back to the story we all grew up with and loved, A Christmas Carol, and are inspired to read once again this classic with the renewed inspiration Eben Kruge brings to it. There is a lovely twist at the end which surprises us and leaves us (at least me) with a warm, spreading smile on my face. Count me sentimental, but I love a story that leaves me smiling and assured that the world is ultimately in good hands.

In answer to the book’s Preface question, could this story of Eber Kruge have actually happened, I say yes!

I loved reading this book and loved it even more in audible form! The English narration was excellent; the story believable, historic, mysterious, and spiritual. The book consists primarily of dialog between Dickens and the very interesting characters throughout ‘Eben Kruge.’ Felt personally present in these conversations and totally engaged from beginning to end. After listening to the Audible version, believe it could become a great movie!

A wonderful story, wonderfully told

I have read the book Eben Kruge, so I was excited to find the title in Audible and eager to listen to the story. I was no disappointed! Christopher Lane does a beautiful job giving voice to Richard Adams’ lovely words. The story came to life for me in entirely new ways, and that’s saying something, since the author does a vivid and captivating job of telling this story. I highly recommend both the book and the Audible version to everyone. It’s a timeless story about an even more timeless classic that will encourage any listener.