The Book of Misers
Starting with Al-Jahiz's 9th century "Book of Misers", Mark Tully looks at one of our old vices and asks whether it can ever bring positive results.
Starting with Al-Jahiz's 9th century "Book of Misers", Mark Tully looks at one of our old vices and asks whether it can ever bring positive results.
Scrooge, Silas Marner, Ebenezer Balfour, dozens of proudly mean skinflints in Al-Jahiz's great satire, the archetype of the miser is familiar to all cultures and is as old as money itself. Mark Tully asks how we should view it - is it funny, sinful, harmless or a kind of madness - and can it, surprisingly, have benefits?
With readings from Moliere and William Cowper and music ranging from The Beatles to Gounod and Vaughan Williams to Zain Bhika, Mark examines all that is stingy and mean. The readers are Emily Raymond and Toby Jones.
Producer: Frank Stirling
A Unique production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4.
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Music Played
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The Beatles
Mean Mr. Mustard
Performer: The Beatles
- Abbey Road.
- EMI.
- B0025KVLUQ.
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Charles Gounod
Le veau d'or
Performer: Jose Van Dam and Marc Barrard
- Gounod Faust.
- EMI Classics.
- CDC 7 54358 2.
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Pink Floyd
Money
Performer: Pink Floyd
- The Dark Side of the Moon.
- EMI Catalogue.
- B004ZN9RWK.
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Zain Bhikha
Can't Take it with You
Performer: Zain Bhikha (feat. Dawud Wharnsby Ali & Abdul Malik Ahmad)
- Allah Knows.
- Zain Bhikha Studios.
- B003UIMM7I.
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Leslie Bricusse
I hate people
Performer: Dominik Hauser, Robert Picardo
- Scrooge.
- BSX Records.
- B006GD73FA.
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Ralph Vaughan Williams
Dives & Lazarus
Performer: London Philharmonic Orchestra
- Norfolk Rhapsody Etc..
- Chandos.
- ABRD 1212.
Broadcasts
- Sun 28 Oct 2012 06:05Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Sun 28 Oct 2012 23:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Sun 21 Nov 2021 06:05Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Sun 21 Nov 2021 23:30Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4