In this holiday season as in many others, Americans will renew their affection for Charles Dickens, whose iconic 1843 novel A Christmas Carol is a Yuletide favorite among readers and fans of its many film adaptations.

But if America seems to love Dickens, it’s perhaps useful to remember that Dickens really didn’t care that much for America. Or so England’s most celebrated novelist decided a year before A Christmas Carol appeared, when he took an 1842 journey to the United States. His critique of the country continues to resonate today, since some of his complaints seem as fresh as this week’s headlines.