Do you know who would have underÂstood our curÂrent politÂiÂcal moment? Who would have known how to make sense of the naked avarice, wideÂspread bulÂlyÂing, demÂaÂgoguery, and predaÂtoÂry polÂiÂtickÂing? Charles DickÂens, that’s who.
The vilÂlainy in OlivÂer Twist alone sufÂfices to show just how well DickÂens underÂstood misogÂyÂny, crimÂiÂnal exploitaÂtion, and the ways seducÂtive insinÂcerÂiÂty works to ensnare the vulÂnerÂaÂble.
As we approach the interÂminable holÂiÂday seaÂson, many of us will reflect on DickÂens’ scathing indictÂment of greed in A ChristÂmas CarÂol. NearÂly everyÂone wants a piece of DickÂens’ preÂsumed politÂiÂcal views. The SocialÂist Review proÂclaims “he would have been only too familÂiar with the shameÂless pilÂing up of wealth, the poor strugÂgling to surÂvive, the penÂny pinchÂing of welÂfare, and the lofty conÂtempt of our rulers” in the 21st cenÂtuÂry.
But DickÂens was no revÂoÂluÂtionÂary. His forÂeign polÂiÂcy ideas “anticÂiÂpate Kipling’s proÂleÂtarÂiÂan defendÂers of empire,” and he might have fit right in with the most starÂry-eyed of neoÂconÂserÂvÂaÂtives.
Was he a defendÂer of free marÂket ideals, as some allege? The idea seems implauÂsiÂble. CharÂacÂters like pre-redempÂtion Scrooge and Ralph Nickleby—who in, say, Ayn Rand’s hands might be chamÂpiÂons of indiÂvidÂuÂalÂism and selfÂishÂness as a virtue—become in DickÂens’ novÂels examÂples of frightÂenÂingÂly trunÂcatÂed humanÂiÂty. Take this descripÂtion of NickÂleÂby, uncle of the orphaned Nicholas:
He wore a sprinÂkling of powÂder upon his head, as if to make himÂself look benevÂoÂlent; but if that were his purÂpose, he would perÂhaps have done betÂter to powÂder his counÂteÂnance also, for there was someÂthing in its very wrinÂkles, and in his cold restÂless eye, which seemed to tell of cunÂning that would announce itself in spite of him.
This is the look of the deceitÂful, schemÂing busiÂnessÂman in DickÂens: the cold eyes, the bareÂly-conÂcealed malÂice. In novÂels like OlivÂer Twist and Hard Times, DickÂens “proÂvides a damnÂing criÂtique of indusÂtriÂal EngÂland of the nineÂteenth cenÂtuÂry” and “an indictÂment of globÂal laisÂsez faire capÂiÂtalÂism of the twenÂty-first cenÂtuÂry.” So argues The CopÂperÂfield Review, in any case.
But when we read DickÂens, we don’t do so foreÂmost to have our politÂiÂcal views bolÂstered or chalÂlenged, but to expeÂriÂence the immenseÂly movÂing and enterÂtainÂing plots, with their vividÂly delinÂeatÂed charÂacÂters like Ralph NickÂleÂby above. These qualÂiÂties have always made DickÂens’ work transÂlate beauÂtiÂfulÂly to the stage and screen, and also to the radio waves, where DickÂens appeared in draÂmatÂic adapÂtaÂtions durÂing the medium’s goldÂen age and beyond, often in star-studÂded proÂducÂtions.
For examÂple, at the top of the post, you can hear a 1950 radio play of David CopÂperÂfield with Richard BurÂton in the title role and Boris Karloff as “the smarmiÂest creep in DickÂens,” UriÂah Heep. The latÂter charÂacÂter may be one of the most obsesÂsiveÂly described in all of the author’s works, to the point of carÂiÂcaÂture. And yet, writes Sam JordiÂson at The Guardian, “just as Satan gets the best lines in ParÂadise Lost, Heep gets some of the best moments in David CopÂperÂfield.”
FurÂther up, you can hear Orson Welles star in a 1938 proÂducÂtion of A Tale of Two Cities. This play is the third in Welles and John Houseman’s series The MerÂcury TheÂatre on the Air, which feaÂtured Welles’ handÂpicked comÂpaÂny of actors. Soon sponÂsored by Campbell’s Soup, the proÂgram was renamed The CampÂbell PlayÂhouse by the time Welles proÂduced an adapÂtaÂtion of A ChristÂmas CarÂol with Lionel BarÂryÂmore as Scrooge.
In the SpoÂtiÂfy playlist above, hear that proÂducÂtion as well as a secÂond Welles-starÂring verÂsion of A Tale of Two Cities recordÂed in 1945 for the legÂendary Lux Radio TheÂater. You’ll also find Richard Burton’s David CopÂperÂfield and clasÂsic proÂducÂtions of Great ExpecÂtaÂtions, OlivÂer Twist, The PickÂwick Papers, The MysÂtery of Edwin Drood, and short stoÂries like “The Queer Client,” “The SigÂnalÂman,” and “The TriÂal for MurÂder.” If you need SpoÂtiÂfy’s free softÂware, downÂload it here.
VisÂitÂing, or revisÂitÂing, the DickÂenÂsian world through radio plays fits in perÂfectÂly with the author’s own mode of disÂsemÂiÂnatÂing his ficÂtion: he was a showÂman who loved to give readÂings of his work “with full histriÂonÂic brilÂliance,” writes Simon CalÂlow, “and stage-manÂaged to a point of high theÂatriÂcalÂiÂty.” And through such enterÂtainÂment, he believed, he might move readÂers and audiÂences with his criÂtiques of the exploitaÂtive sysÂtems of his day.
The playlist above will be added to our colÂlecÂtion, 1,000 Free Audio Books: DownÂload Great Books for Free. Copies of DickÂens’ works can be found in our colÂlecÂtion, 800 Free eBooks for iPad, KinÂdle & OthÂer Devices.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
An AniÂmatÂed IntroÂducÂtion to the Life & LitÂerÂary Works of Charles DickÂens
Charles DickÂens’ Hand-EditÂed Copy of His ClasÂsic HolÂiÂday Tale, A ChristÂmas CarÂol
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
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