Primary sourceBook1845
The Cricket on the Hearth
Charles Dickens · 1845
A Christmas story written by Charles Dickens in 1845, blending sentiment and domestic life with his wider social concerns.
This is one of Dickens's own Christmas stories, written in his own hand and voice as author.
About this source
What it is
This is the full text of The Cricket on the Hearth, a Christmas story written by Charles Dickens and published in 1845. It is one of his series of short festive tales known as his Christmas books.
Why it matters
The story shows Dickens's gift for sentimental storytelling and his interest in ordinary domestic life, themes that run through much of his fiction. As a primary source, it lets readers encounter Dickens's own words and style directly, rather than through a later description of his work.
Look closer
- What mood does the opening create, and how does Dickens use everyday objects like the kettle and the cricket to set the scene?
- What might this story tell us about what Victorian readers enjoyed at Christmas time?
- How does the narrator's voice shape how we understand the characters?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Charles Dickens on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
More Charles Dickens sources
Meet the AI Charles Dickens →
BookPrimary source
A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens · 1843
BookPrimary source
Great Expectations
Charles Dickens · 1860–1861
BookPrimary source
Oliver Twist
Charles Dickens · 1838 (serialised 1837–1839)
BookPrimary source
A Tale of Two Cities
Charles Dickens · 1859
BookPrimary source
Hard Times: For These Times
Charles Dickens · 1854
Ready when you are
Start chatting with Charles Dickens now.
20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.