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From Arthurian feasts to awkward moments with Ian McEwan and mealtime at the Macbeths, these miniature dramas are literary staples. Tuck in
Life is full of stresses: death; divorce; disasters, natural and otherwise. But another stress under D in the dictionary of stresses is the Dinner Party. It’s a bit like opening a restaurant, it’s a bit like putting on a play, and it’s all for the benefit of people who are our friends or colleagues but also our audience, our guinea pigs, our judges.
There’s so much that can go wrong: the food can be undercooked or overcooked – or perfectly cooked but not very good. The conversation can stall or it can turn into a competition or an argument or a shouting match. Continue reading...