A Christmas Carol is a classic novella by Charles Dickens, first published in 1843. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a selfish and miserable old man who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. The first ghost is the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who warns him that his miserly and unkind ways will lead to a lonely and miserable existence. The other two ghosts are the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Christmas Future, who show Scrooge the consequences of his actions and the potential for change.