On Destroying Books

On Destroying Books by J. C. Squire (1884-1958)
Notes by Sheikh Tahir

Sir John Collings Squire (1884-1958) was a British poet, writer, historian, and influential literary editor of the post-World War I period.

What sorts of books were presented to the troops by the public?
Out of two million books, most were quite ordinary and suitable ones but according to the statement given by the troops, some people were sending them the oddments they did not want which included magazines dating twenty years back, guides to the Lake District and back numbers of Whitaker Almanac.

Was it interest in soldiers that prompted people’s action or was it the wish to get rid of useless books?
According to J C Squire, the indigestible books presented to the troops were implying that the senders had jumped at the opportunity of getting rid of the books they did not want. We can not deny the interest of the majority of the people in troops because most of books were quite suitable and ordinary.

Why should the bad books be destroyed?
Squire puts that it is absurd to keep rubbish merely because it is printed. He considers the destruction of useless books a public duty and thinks that the destruction of useless books not only leaves space for new books but also releases one’s inheritors from the trouble of sorting and storing that rubbish.

Why it is difficult to destroy books?
It is difficult to find the way to destroy useless books as bundles of books are not easy to transfer anywhere. Leaving books in the rented room and finding residence elsewhere is also not easy. Burning them in fire is also a troublesome task. Books die hard according to the author.

Why couldn’t the author burn the unwanted books?
He had a big number of books at his apartment. Having no kitchen range hindered in a sudden destruction of the books. He could not burn the scores of books on his gas cooker. His study fire allowed the burning of the books only leaf after leaf which was even more...