Bar Humbug

Bar Humbug
To the Albery Theatre last night to hear Patrick Stewart recite Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. A powerful and affecting performance. The house was full and Stewart received a standing ovation. Miki, who had spent recent evenings curled up with the book, said that rereading it in English, she had realised for the first time how Dickens had written it to be read aloud. (And of course, Dickens gave many public readings.)

Hearing the familiar story again was a shock. What (the Dickens) was he on about? For all the ghosties and the talk of Christmas (but see below), nothing about Christianity. The kernel of it, the pivot of the whole story, comes I think during Scrooge’s vision of the present Christmas of the Cratchet family. Dickens describes their feasting on a dinner barely “sufficient”, the family’s resolve to banish care. They were happy, they were ‘pleased with each other”.

Scrooge’s miserable isolation consists of his refusal to be happy or pleased with other people; and it is that — geniality — upon which Dickens insists.

I’m reminded of Stephen Fry, allegedly morose as so many comedians are, who considers geniality his duty to others.

Speaking of which, our representatives at the WTO talks in Hong Kong have allowed the talks to flounder. How long are we willing to take food from the mouths of the poor? Don’t they know it’s Christmas time at all?