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The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?

How Charles Dickens wrote and published A Christmas Carol in 1843, told as narrative history, and the book behind the 2017 film with Dan Stevens.

Read vs Listen·Verdict last reviewed 23 October 2026·5 min read
The Man Who Invented ChristmasLes Standiford

Short answer: for The Man Who Invented Christmas audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (65% confidence, leaning). Jonathan Davis reads the only recording we found, an unabridged 5 hour 50 minute edition on Audible US. The author tells it in a single voice, one narrator reads it, and nothing we could confirm points to print. Only one criterion could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65%. We found no Audible UK listing.

The verdict
The same thirteen checks for every bookSix checks point to listening, such as a full cast or produced audio, the author reading their own memoir, or one narrator for a single viewpoint. Seven point to reading, such as jumping timelines, three or more viewpoints, or a story that depends on images or layout. Each check has a weight, and the weighted total sets the verdict. Verdicts are never paid for. See how we decide in full →

Listen on Audible

One storyteller and one narrator, with too little confirmed for a stronger verdict.

Definitely readDefinitely listen
65%
Listen
Listen on AudibleOur pick · 5h 50m, read by Jonathan DavisKindle editionPrint and Kindle editions

Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.

Confidence 65%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.

The audiobook at a glance

RecordingUS edition, our verdict (Audible Studios)
NarratorJonathan Davis
Length5 hours 50 minutes (5h 50m), per Audible US
At 1.5xabout 3h 53m
At 2xabout 2h 55m
Abridged or unabridgedUnabridged
Audio publisher and yearAudible Studios, (P) 2017
Listener rating4.1 from 325 ratings on Audible US (23 October 2026)
Print lengthEditions are listed at 241, 256 and 352 pages

We found no Audible UK listing for this book on 23 October 2026, so the verdict uses the Audible US edition. A separate 54-minute Audible item credited to Dickens shares the title and is not this book.

Lengths checked 23 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.

Why this verdictWhat it isCase for readingCase for listeningThe audiobookWho should ignore itQuestions

The Man Who Invented Christmas

Les Standiford

Genre
Non-fiction; literary history
First published
2008 (Crown, US)
On audio
5 hrs 50 mins, Jonathan Davis (US)
On screen
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017), starring Dan Stevens

On this page

  1. Why we reached this verdict
  2. What this book actually is
  3. The case for reading it
  4. The case for listening to it
  5. The audiobook in detail
  6. Who should ignore this verdict
  7. Questions people ask

Why we reached this verdict

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.

One criterion points to listening
✓
Single point of view and narratorOne authorial voice tells the history, and Jonathan Davis reads all of it.
–
Full cast or produced audioJonathan Davis reads it alone, with no cast, music or sound design listed.
–
Read by the authorDavis is a narrator, not the author, so this does not apply.
–
Award-winning or praised narrationNo award or named critic review of Davis’s reading was found. Audible US listeners tag it “Expressive Narration”, which is listener opinion.
–
Long bookEditions are listed at between 241 and 352 pages, all under 400.
–
Unfamiliar names or dialectNot confirmed from a named source, so it does not count.
No criteria point to reading
–
Three or more points of view, one narratorThe author tells it in one voice, not through a set of viewpoints.
–
Story depends on images or layoutNo illustrations, documents or layout are reported as carrying the story.
–
Narration criticisedNo named critic criticises the narration, and no Audible Performance rating below 4.0 was found.
–
Maps, family trees or footnotesOnly a bibliography is sourced (2008 US hardcover). No maps, family trees or footnotes are reported.
–
Jumping timelinesNot confirmed from a named source, so it does not count.
–
Many similar-sounding namesNot confirmed from a named source, so it does not count.
–
Literary or dense proseNot confirmed from a named source, so it does not count.
How the score adds up
Listening 7 points, reading 0

Listening: single point of view and narrator (7), 7 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 65% confidence (leaning). Only 7 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65% until more evidence is found.

The recording in detail

One narratorMulti-voiceFull castDramatised
Scored
Jonathan Davis, Audible Studios, 2017, 5h 50m, unabridged
Critic review
None found
Alternatives
None found
What you miss
The bibliography

What this book actually is

The Man Who Invented Christmas is Les Standiford’s account of how Charles Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol and publish it himself in 1843, and how the story shaped the way Christmas is kept. It is narrative non-fiction, not a novel.

The 2017 film of the same name, starring Dan Stevens as Dickens, is based on it. If you came here for the ghost story itself, that is A Christmas Carol, which has its own verdict.

The case for reading it

Print suits readers who want to follow the sources: the 2008 US hardcover carries bibliographical references, and history is easier to check, reread and dip into in print. Nothing we could confirm makes the printed book essential, though.

The case for listening to it

The author tells one story in order of events, in a single voice. That kind of narrative history works well read aloud, and Jonathan Davis reads all of it.

At 5 hours 50 minutes, it is about 3 hours 53 minutes at 1.5x.

The audiobook in detail

Audible Studios publishes the unabridged recording, read by Jonathan Davis, at 5 hours 50 minutes on Audible US ((P) 2017). It had 4.1 stars from 325 ratings when we checked on 23 October 2026, and listeners tag it for expressive narration.

We found no Audible UK listing on the same day. If one appears with a different narrator, this verdict will be checked again.

Who should ignore this verdict

Lean towards print if you want the bibliography at hand, or plan to reread chapters while you watch the film or read Dickens alongside it.

Lean towards audio if you want the history told as a story in a single sitting or two.

Get The Man Who Invented Christmas
Both editions, so you can go with the verdict or ignore it entirely.
Our pick

Audiobook

  • Read by Jonathan Davis
  • 5h 50m, or about 3h 53m at 1.5x
  • Unabridged; Audible US edition
Listen on Audible

Kindle

  • Narrative history with a bibliography
  • Easy to dip back into
Get the Kindle edition
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Related verdicts

Same verdict

A Christmas Carol

The story whose history this book tells.

Same verdict

Sapiens

One narrator, one argument in time order and a long book point to audio, but the timeline, maps, photographs and diagrams are only in print.

Opposite verdict

Biological War

Three or more strands of story for one narrator point to reading, and a print edition over 400 pages points to audio.

Start here

How we decide

The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.

❄ See every Christmas book, read or listen →

Questions people ask

Who narrates The Man Who Invented Christmas audiobook?

Jonathan Davis, on the Audible US edition. We found no Audible UK listing on 23 October 2026.

How long is The Man Who Invented Christmas audiobook?

5 hours 50 minutes on Audible US; at 1.5x about 3 hours 53 minutes and at 2x about 2 hours 55 minutes (calculated).

Is The Man Who Invented Christmas a novel?

No. It is narrative non-fiction about how Dickens wrote and self-published A Christmas Carol in 1843. The 2017 film starring Dan Stevens is based on it.

Should I read or listen to The Man Who Invented Christmas?

Listen on our checks (65% confidence, leaning). The author tells it in one voice, one narrator reads it, and nothing confirmed points to print. Only one criterion could be confirmed, so confidence is capped at 65%.

Do you agree with this verdict?

We said listen on Audible. One tap, no sign-up.

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How this verdict was reached

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.

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The Man Who Invented ChristmasLes Standiford
The Man Who Invented ChristmasOur pick: listen · 65%
KindleListen on Audible