Key Takeaways
1. Reading is a surprisingly affordable pastime compared to common vices.
Twenty-five pounds a year sounds quite a lot until you begin to measure it against other kinds of expenditure.
Cost comparison. Orwell calculates his annual reading expenses, including books and periodicals, to be around £25. He contrasts this with the cost of smoking and drinking, which for him amounts to nearly £40 a year on tobacco alone, and potentially close to £20 a year on tobacco and beer before the war.
Public spending. Despite being nearly 100% literate, the British public's expenditure on books is low. Orwell estimates the average person buys only about three books a year, costing perhaps £1 or less.
Reading value. Even if buying every book read, reading as a recreation costs about two shillings an hour, comparable to expensive cinema seats. Buying second-hand reduces the cost significantly, and using public libraries makes it almost free, making reading one of the cheapest pastimes.
2. The reality of working in a bookshop reveals more about people than literature.
When I worked in a second-hand bookshop – so easily pictured, if you don’t work in one, as a kind of paradise where charming old gentlemen browse eternally among calf-bound folios – the thing that chiefly struck me was the rarity of really bookish people.
Customer types. Most customers weren't true book lovers but rather first edition snobs, students needing cheap texts, or people buying gifts. The shop was also frequented by peculiar individuals, including those trying to sell worthless books or ordering expensive ones with no intention of paying.
Bookshop downsides. The trade involves long hours, unhealthy conditions (dust, cold), and dealing with tiresome tasks like selling Christmas cards. Orwell notes that booksellers often lose their love for books due to constantly handling them and having to misrepresent them.
Reading habits observed. A lending library attached to the shop revealed actual reading tastes, showing the popularity of authors like Ethel M. Dell over classics like Dickens or Austen. Men tended to read either respected novels or detective stories, consuming vast quantities of the latter.
3. Professional book reviewing is often a soul-crushing exercise in dishonesty.
The reviewer, jaded though he may be, is professionally interested in books, and out of the thousands that appear annually, there are probably fifty or a hundred that he would enjoy writing about.
Drudgery and pressure. The job involves receiving ill-assorted books on unfamiliar subjects and being forced to invent reactions to them under tight deadlines. Reviewers often praise trash and constantly produce writing that feels like "humbug."
Lack of sincerity. The need to review almost every book published, combined with limited space, leads to inadequate and misleading accounts. The only truthful criticism for most books would be "This book is worthless," but this is not what the public wants or what editors allow.
Standards collapse. When reviewers must call both a classic play and a mediocre thriller "good," the word loses meaning. The ideal would be to review only significant books at length, but the system relies on "hacks" who produce formulaic snippets, destroying their creative faculties.
4. True intellectual liberty means the freedom to report reality, even if inconvenient.
What is really at issue is the right to report contemporary events truthfully, or as truthfully as is consistent with the ignorance, bias and self-deception from which every observer necessarily suffers.
Attack on liberty. Intellectual liberty is threatened by totalitarian apologists and practical forces like media monopolies and bureaucracy. Writers face pressure to conform, becoming minor officials who cannot tell the whole truth.
Rebels against integrity. Unlike past heretics who stood alone for conscience, many modern rebels against the status quo also reject individual integrity, viewing it as selfish. They argue that truth is relative or that lying is justified for a perceived greater cause.
Dodging the issue. Arguments against intellectual liberty often frame it as individualism versus discipline, avoiding the core issue of truth versus untruth. This allows for the justification of falsifying facts and feelings for political ends.
5. Totalitarianism demands the continuous falsification of history and objective truth.
From the totalitarian point of view history is something to be created rather than learned.
Systematic lying. Organized lying is integral to totalitarian states, not just a temporary tactic. Because the ruling caste must appear infallible, past events are constantly rewritten to match current doctrine and conceal mistakes.
Truth is fluid. Major policy changes require corresponding changes in historical narrative and the revaluation of figures. This leads to a disbelief in objective truth, where facts can be disregarded in politics and history, even while accepted in science.
Intellectual complicity. The "russophile" intelligentsia in England often condoned or participated in this falsification, suppressing known facts about the USSR. They prioritized political expediency over truth, arguing that honesty would be "inopportune."
6. Tyranny is inherently hostile to prose literature and sincere expression.
Freedom of the intellect means the freedom to report what one has seen, heard, and felt, and not to be obliged to fabricate imaginary facts and feelings.
Prose requires sincerity. Imaginative writers are unfree when forced to falsify their subjective feelings, which are their facts. This destroys their creative ability. Even non-political topics are affected, as any thought might lead to a forbidden one.
Poetry vs. Prose. Poetry, especially lyric or communal forms, might survive under tyranny because its meaning is less direct and individual feeling less central. Prose, however, is a product of rationalism and the autonomous individual.
Death of literature. Totalitarianism, with its unstable doctrines and enforced orthodoxy, is deadly to prose literature. Writers who adopt the totalitarian outlook destroy themselves, as literary creation requires spontaneity, which cannot exist in captivity.
7. Patriotism can be a deep, complex loyalty, even towards a changing nation.
Patriotism has nothing to do with conservatism. It is devotion to something that is changing but is felt to be mystically the same, like the devotion of the ex-White Bolshevik to Russia.
Personal shift. Orwell recounts his own shift from pacifism to supporting the war against Hitler, realizing his deep-seated patriotism through a dream. This loyalty was not to the current government but to an enduring, albeit changing, idea of England.
Middle-class training. He reflects on the moral training for war received by the middle class from childhood, which instilled a loyalty that made sabotage impossible in a crisis. This training, though sometimes mocked, prepared individuals for commitment.
Loyalty's power. The capacity for patriotism and military virtues is seen as essential, even for revolutionaries. Orwell suggests that those who lack this deep, emotional loyalty to their country might flinch from the demands of revolution.
8. Public hospitals can expose the poor to impersonal suffering and neglect.
During the past fifty years or so there has been a great change in the relationship between doctor and patient.
Nineteenth-century legacy. Hospitals historically served as places for the destitute to die or for students to practice on the poor. Orwell's experience in a Paris hospital (Hôpital X) revealed lingering aspects of this past, including squalor, neglect, and impersonal treatment.
Patients as specimens. In public wards, patients were often treated as interesting cases for students rather than as human beings. Orwell describes students examining him with intense interest but no personal interaction, and patients dying unnoticed or exposed.
Contrast with England. While acknowledging improvements, Orwell notes that the level of neglect and impersonal death seen in Hôpital X would be less likely in English hospitals, attributing this partly to better-trained nurses. However, he maintains a "sound instinct" to avoid hospitals if possible, especially public wards.
9. Early schooling can inflict lasting psychological damage through cruelty and snobbery.
Soon after I arrived at St Cyprian’s (not immediately, but after a week or two, just when I seemed to be settling into the routine of school life) I began wetting my bed.
Punishment and shame. Orwell's bed-wetting at age eight was treated as a crime punishable by beating, instilling deep shame and a sense of being inherently wicked. This experience taught him that sin could be something unavoidable that happened to you.
Harsh environment. The school, St Cyprian's, was a world of "force and fraud and secrecy," where boys were flung from a loving home into a hostile environment. Bullying was rampant, and there was no effective redress except sneaking, the ultimate sin.
Physical squalor. Beyond psychological cruelty, the school environment was physically disgusting, with poor hygiene, insufficient food, and uncomfortable conditions. Memories are filled with details of dirt, smells, and physical discomfort.
10. Children internalize societal hierarchies and a sense of inherent failure.
By the social standards that prevailed about me, I was no good, and could not be any good.
Class system. St Cyprian's had a clear hierarchy based on wealth and social status, with rich boys favored and poorer scholarship boys like Orwell constantly reminded of their dependent position and lack of privilege.
Snobbery and values. Boys internalized the prevailing snobbish values, believing that wealth, strength, beauty, and social dominance ("guts" or "character") were the true virtues. They were acutely aware of class distinctions and judged others accordingly.
Belief in worthlessness. Orwell absorbed the idea that he was inherently "no good" due to lacking these qualities (money, strength, popularity, etc.). This conviction of failure went deep, influencing his self-perception and plans for the future.
11. The instinct to survive persists despite internalizing feelings of worthlessness.
Even a creature that is weak, ugly, cowardly, smelly and in no way justifiable still wants to stay alive and be happy after its own fashion.
Acceptance of failure. Despite believing he was damned by the "armies of unalterable law" (the powerful and successful), Orwell developed an instinct to survive by accepting his perceived failure and making the best of it.
Criminal survival. Preserving any independence meant breaking the rules of the dominant code. Orwell recounts an incident where he struck a bully but then refused to fight, recognizing his cowardice by the school's standards but also the necessity of his action for self-preservation.
Emotional rebellion. While intellectually accepting the prevailing codes, Orwell's inner self maintained an emotional rebellion, recognizing the gap between expected feelings (gratitude to cruel benefactors) and actual feelings (hatred). This internal conflict was a key part of his experience.
Review Summary
Books v. Cigarettes by George Orwell is a collection of essays covering topics like reading habits, bookshops, literature, and social issues. Readers appreciate Orwell's clear writing style, wit, and ability to make insightful observations about society. The essays offer a mix of personal anecdotes and broader commentary on topics like censorship and education. While some readers found certain essays more engaging than others, many praised the book for its thought-provoking content and relevance to contemporary issues.
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FAQ
What is "Books vs. Cigarettes" by George Orwell about?
- Collection of Essays: "Books vs. Cigarettes" is a collection of seven essays by George Orwell, exploring themes of literature, culture, class, and personal experience.
- Central Essay Comparison: The title essay compares the cost and value of reading books to other common pastimes, such as smoking and drinking, challenging the notion that reading is an expensive or elitist hobby.
- Broader Social Critique: The essays collectively critique aspects of British society, including the literary world, education, censorship, patriotism, and the treatment of the poor.
- Personal and Political: Orwell blends personal anecdotes with broader political and cultural analysis, making the book both intimate and socially insightful.
Why should I read "Books vs. Cigarettes" by George Orwell?
- Insight into Orwell’s Mind: The essays provide a window into Orwell’s thoughts on literature, society, and his own life, revealing the origins of his later, more famous works.
- Relevance to Modern Readers: Issues like the accessibility of books, the value of reading, and the pressures on writers remain relevant today.
- Engaging Style: Orwell’s clear, direct prose and sharp wit make the essays enjoyable and thought-provoking.
- Historical Perspective: The book offers a snapshot of British life and attitudes in the early-to-mid 20th century, especially regarding class, education, and intellectual freedom.
What are the key takeaways from "Books vs. Cigarettes" by George Orwell?
- Reading is Affordable: Orwell demonstrates that, contrary to popular belief, reading is a relatively inexpensive pastime compared to smoking, drinking, or other entertainments.
- Literary Work Realities: Through essays like "Confessions of a Book Reviewer" and "Bookshop Memories," Orwell exposes the often unglamorous, exhausting, and commercial side of literary work.
- Dangers to Intellectual Freedom: "The Prevention of Literature" warns about the threats to free expression from totalitarianism, bureaucracy, and even intellectuals themselves.
- Class and Education: "Such, Such Were the Joys" and other essays reveal the class-based injustices and psychological impacts of the British educational system.
- Value of Honesty: Across the essays, Orwell champions intellectual honesty, personal integrity, and the importance of truth in literature and life.
How does George Orwell compare the cost of books to cigarettes in "Books vs. Cigarettes"?
- Detailed Cost Analysis: Orwell inventories his own book collection and calculates his annual expenditure on books, newspapers, and periodicals.
- Books vs. Smoking/Drinking: He finds that his spending on tobacco and alcohol far exceeds what he spends on reading materials.
- Reading as Cheap Recreation: Orwell argues that, hour for hour, reading is one of the cheapest forms of entertainment, especially when compared to cinema or smoking.
- Accessibility Myth Debunked: He concludes that the idea of books being prohibitively expensive is a myth, and that low book consumption is due to lack of interest, not cost.
What does George Orwell reveal about the book trade in "Bookshop Memories"?
- Few True Book Lovers: Orwell notes that most customers in second-hand bookshops are not genuine lovers of literature, but are motivated by other interests or eccentricities.
- Bookshop Life Realities: He describes the drudgery, long hours, and unhealthy conditions of working in a bookshop, which can erode one’s love for books.
- Lending Libraries and Theft: The essay discusses the prevalence of lending libraries, book theft, and the types of books most in demand (often popular fiction, not classics).
- Commercial vs. Literary Value: Orwell observes that bookselling is more about business than literary appreciation, and that commercial pressures shape what is sold and read.
What are the main arguments in "The Prevention of Literature" essay by George Orwell?
- Threats to Intellectual Freedom: Orwell argues that totalitarianism, bureaucracy, and even left-wing intellectuals threaten the freedom of thought and expression.
- Censorship and Self-Censorship: He discusses how political orthodoxy and fear of offending authorities lead to both overt censorship and internal self-censorship among writers.
- Literature and Truth: Orwell insists that literature depends on the ability to tell the truth, and that the destruction of intellectual liberty will ultimately destroy literature itself.
- Prose vs. Poetry: He suggests that prose is more vulnerable to totalitarian pressures than poetry, as prose relies more on individual honesty and truthful observation.
How does George Orwell describe the life of a book reviewer in "Confessions of a Book Reviewer"?
- Drudgery and Exhaustion: Orwell paints the life of a professional reviewer as monotonous, exhausting, and often thankless, involving the rapid reading and reviewing of uninteresting books.
- Lack of Honesty: Reviewers are often forced to praise mediocre or bad books, using formulaic language and suppressing their true opinions.
- Professional vs. Amateur: Orwell suggests that most reviews are written by "hacks," and that passionate amateurs might provide more honest and valuable criticism.
- Systemic Problems: The essay critiques the publishing industry’s expectation that every book deserves a review, leading to overproduction of insincere, low-quality criticism.
What insights does George Orwell provide about class and education in "Such, Such Were the Joys"?
- Class-Based Injustice: Orwell recounts his experiences at a snobbish preparatory school, highlighting the favoritism shown to wealthy students and the humiliation of poorer ones.
- Psychological Impact: The essay explores the lasting effects of fear, shame, and guilt instilled by the school’s harsh discipline and social hierarchy.
- Contradictory Values: Orwell describes the conflicting moral, religious, and social codes imposed on children, leading to confusion and a sense of inevitable failure.
- Enduring Relevance: He questions whether such psychological and social pressures persist in modern education, suggesting that the core issues may remain despite outward reforms.
What does George Orwell say about the relationship between literature and totalitarianism in "The Prevention of Literature"?
- Literature Requires Freedom: Orwell argues that literature, especially prose, cannot survive without intellectual liberty and the ability to report truthfully.
- Totalitarian Dangers: Totalitarian regimes demand conformity and the rewriting of history, making honest literary creation impossible.
- Intellectual Complicity: Orwell criticizes intellectuals who excuse or support censorship and repression, warning that this undermines the very foundation of literature.
- Survival of Poetry: He suggests that poetry might survive under totalitarianism due to its ambiguity and communal nature, but prose literature would likely perish.
How does George Orwell use personal experience to illustrate broader social issues in "Books vs. Cigarettes"?
- Autobiographical Approach: Orwell frequently draws on his own life—his reading habits, work in bookshops, experiences in hospitals and schools—to ground his arguments in lived reality.
- Social Critique Through Anecdote: Personal stories serve as entry points for broader critiques of class, education, health care, and the literary world.
- Empathy and Observation: Orwell’s firsthand accounts foster empathy and provide vivid, concrete examples of abstract social problems.
- Connecting Individual and Society: By linking his experiences to larger trends, Orwell demonstrates how personal and societal issues are intertwined.
What are the best quotes from "Books vs. Cigarettes" by George Orwell and what do they mean?
- "Reading is one of the cheaper recreations: after listening to the radio probably the cheapest." — Emphasizes that books are accessible and affordable, countering the myth of their exclusivity.
- "To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox." — Highlights the connection between intellectual honesty and literary quality, and the dangers of political conformity.
- "The imagination, like certain wild animals, will not breed in captivity." — Suggests that creativity and literary innovation require freedom, and cannot flourish under repression.
- "Virtue consisted in winning: it consisted in being bigger, stronger, handsomer, richer, more popular, more elegant, more unscrupulous than other people..." — A critique of the social values instilled by the British class system and elite education.
What is George Orwell’s overall message or philosophy in "Books vs. Cigarettes"?
- Value of Truth and Honesty: Orwell consistently advocates for intellectual honesty, both in literature and in life, as essential for personal integrity and social progress.
- Critique of Social Myths: He challenges widely held beliefs about books, class, education, and freedom, urging readers to question received wisdom.
- Importance of Accessibility: Orwell argues that literature and culture should be accessible to all, not reserved for elites, and that barriers are often psychological or social, not economic.
- Warning Against Complacency: He warns that freedoms—intellectual, political, and personal—are fragile and must be actively defended against both overt and subtle threats.
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