On Destroying Books

 

ON DESTROYING BOOKS

Composed by Shahzada Nazar Abbas

Introduction to the Lesson:

On Destroying Books is an interesting essay written by Jerome K Jerome. In this essay, he tells us why we should destroy useless books. At the beginning of the lesson, he talks about the so-called charity of the British public that they had presented lots of books to the soldiers but when it was inspected it was dawned that they had given all the useless books. The writer talks about his problem how once unnecessary books of poetry had gathered in his small room and how he managed to get rid of them. This interesting essay is full of awe and suspense.

EXERCISE QUESTIONS    

Q.NO.1:  What sorts of books were presented by the British public to soldiers?

Answer:  The public presented them with worthless and ordinary books such as old magazines, Guide to Lake District, and budget copies.

QNO.2: Was it interest of soldiers that prompted their action or was it the wish to get rid of useless books? Why did the people send useless books to the troops?

Answer:  It was not in the interest of the soldiers that prompted their action. The people wanted to get rid of their useless books. So, they sent them to the troops as a gift.

QNO.3: Why should bad books be destroyed? “It is positively a public duty to destroy useless book”. Why?

Answer: Bad books should be destroyed to make room for new and good books. It also saves one’s heirs from the trouble of sorting them out or storing them.

QNO. 4: Why is it difficult to destroy books?

Answer: It is very difficult to destroy books. One may be arrested as a baby killer or a thief.

QNO. 5: Why could the writer not burn the unwanted books?

Answer: The writer could not burn the unwanted books because he had a small kitchen range. Furthermore, he could not toast them leaf by leaf on a gas cooker as it was a hopeless thing.

 

 

Q.NO.6:  How did he decide to get rid of them? Why did the writer decide to destroy the useless books?

Answer:  A lot of unwanted books had been gathered in the writer’s room. His room was narrow and small. So, he decided to get rid of them. He decided to throw them into the river.

 Q.NO.7:  Describe the author’s midnight venture to throw the books in the river and the suspicions which his action were likely to arouse?

Answer: The author carried the books on his shoulders and walked towards the river. It was midnight. Very few people were about. The writer thought that it was very difficult to destroy books. He could be arrested as a baby killer or a thief.

Q.NO.8:  How did muster up courage, at last, to fling them into the river?

Answer:  The writer thought that he could be caught as a baby killer or a thief. If the write was arrested in these cases, no one would believe him. But in the end, he mustered up the courage and threw books into the river.

Q.NO.9:  Did he come to have feelings for those books once he had got rid of them?

Answer:  He felt sorry for the poor fate of the books but he thought that those books deserved worse punishment than he had given to them.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Q.NO.2:  Who are non-bookish people?     

Answer:  Non-bookish people do not take interest in reading books. They collect a lot of books in their rooms to show themselves learned and educated.

Q.NO.3:  What is the advantage of destroying books?

Answer:  There are many advantages of destroying books. It makes more room for new and good books. It saves heirs from the trouble of sorting them out and storing them.

Q.NO.4:  Where was the writer living?

Answer:  The writer was living in a small and heaven-kissing flat in Chelsea. It was a narrow and small flat.

Q.NO.5:  Why could the writer not burn his books in his kitchen?

Answer:  The writer could not burn the unwanted books because he had a small kitchen range. Furthermore, he could not toast them leaf by leaf on a gas cooker as it was a hopeless thing.

Q.NO.6:  Why could he not burn the books in his study fire?

Answer:  He could not burn them leaf by leaf in his study fire because burning a leaf of a book without reading it is a hopeless thing.

Q.NO.7:  What did he finally decide about the books?  

Answer:  He finally decided to do with the books as many people do to the kittens. He decided to stuff the books into a sack and throw them into the river.

Q.NO.8:  Name the books the writer threw into the river?

Answer:  The names of the books were Odes to Diana, Sonnets to Ethel, and Dramas on the love of Lancelot, stanzas on A First Glimpse of Venice.