The Christmas Books of Mr. M. A. Titmarsh

Christmas Books is a compilation of five short stories including Mrs. Perkinss Ball Our Street Doctor Birch and His Young Friends The Kickleburys on the Rhine and The Rose and the Ring. These stories are satirical in nature and provide a humorous take on the festive season. In Mrs. Perkinss Ball Thackeray offers a comical portrayal of the middle-class society attending a Christmas ball. Our Street presents a series of humorous vignettes depicting the eccentricities and idiosyncrasies of various characters in a neighborhood during the Christmas season. Doctor Birch and His Young Friends satirizes the educational system and social customs through the eyes of young students. The Kickleburys on the Rhine narrates the misadventures of a group of travelers on a tour of Germany highlighting their pretensions and follies. Lastly The Rose and the Ring is a fairy tale that satirizes the notion of monarchy with elements of romance and adventure. Thackerays Christmas Books reflects his wit keen observation of society and his ability to entertain readers through humor and satire. These stories were originally published as separate volumes but were later compiled together as a collection.