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whole life？
You would arrive at more difficult problems。 And you would be able to
tell us why； as the natural result of cause and effect； the longest straight
street in London is about a yard and a half in length； while the longest
absolutely straight street in Paris extends for miles。 I think you will admit
that in an estate agent's clerk I have not chosen an example that specially
favours my theories。
You are a bank clerk； and you have not read that breathless romance
（disguised as a scientific study）； Walter Bagehot's 〃Lombard Street〃？ Ah；
my dear sir； if you had begun with that； and followed it up for ninety
minutes every other evening； how enthralling your business would be to
you； and how much more clearly you would understand human nature。
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You are 〃penned in town；〃 but you love excursions to the country and
the observation of wild life…certainly a heart…enlarging diversion。 Why
don't you walk out of your house door； in your slippers； to the nearest gas
lamp of a night with a butterfly net； and observe the wild life of common
and rare moths that is beating about it； and co…ordinate the knowledge thus
obtained and build a superstructure on it； and at last get to know
something about something？
You need not be devoted to the arts； not to literature； in order to live
fully。
The whole field of daily habit and scene is waiting to satisfy that
curiosity which means life； and the satisfaction of which means an
understanding heart。
I promised to deal with your case； O man who hates art and literature；
and I have dealt with it。 I now come to the case of the person； happily very
common； who does 〃like reading。〃
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
XI SERIOUS READING
Novels are excluded from 〃serious reading；〃 so that the man who；
bent on self…improvement； has been deciding to devote ninety minutes
three times a week to a complete study of the works of Charles Dickens
will be well advised to alter his plans。 The reason is not that novels are not
serious some of the great literature of the world is in the form of prose
fiction the reason is that bad novels ought not to be read； and that good
novels never demand any appreciable mental application on the part of the
reader。 It is only the bad parts of Meredith's novels that are difficult。 A
good novel rushes you forward like a skiff down a stream； and you arrive
at the end； perhaps breathless； but unexhausted。 The best novels involve
the least strain。 Now in the cultivation of the mind one of the most
important factors is precisely the feeling of strain； of difficulty； of a task
which one part of you is anxious to achieve and another part of you is
anxious to shirk； and that f eeling cannot be got in facing a novel。 You do
not set your teeth in order to read 〃Anna Karenina。〃 Therefore； though you
should read novels； you should not read them in those ninety minutes。
Imaginative poetry produces a far greater mental strain than novels。 It
produces probably the severest strain of any form of literature。 It is the
highest form of literature。 It yields the highest form of pleasure； and
teaches the highest form of wisdom。 In a word； there is nothing to
compare with it。 I say this with sad consciousness of the fact that the
majority of people do not read poetry。
I am persuaded that many excellent persons； if they were confronted
with the alternatives of reading 〃Paradise Lost〃 and going round Trafalgar
Square at noonday on their knees in sack…cloth； would choose the ordeal
of public ridicule。 Still； I will never cease advising my friends and enemies
to read poetry before anything。
If poetry is what is called 〃a sealed book〃 to you； begin by reading
Hazlitt's famous essay on the nature of 〃poetry in general。〃 It is the best
thing of its kind in English； and no one who has read it can possibly be
under the misapprehension that poetry is a mediaeval torture； or a mad
elephant； or a gun that will go off by itself and kill at forty paces。 Indeed；
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it is difficult to imagine the mental state of the man who； after reading
Hazlitt's essay； is not urgently desirous of reading some poetry before his
next meal。 If the essay so inspires you I would suggest that you make a
commencement with purely narrative poetry。
There is an infinitely finer English novel； written by a woman； than
anything by George Eliot or the Brontes； or even Jane Austen； which
perhaps you have not read。 Its title is 〃Aurora Leigh；〃 and its author E。B。
Browning。 It happens to be written in verse； and to contain a considerable
amount of genuinely fine poetry。 Decide to read that book through； even if
you die for it。 Forget that it is fine poetry。 Read it simply for the story and
the social ideas。 And when you have done； ask yourself honestly whether
you still dislike poetry。 I have known more than one person to whom
〃Aurora Leigh〃 has been the means of proving that in assuming they hated
poetry they were entirely mistaken。
Of course； if； after Hazlitt； and such an experiment made in the light of
Hazlitt； you are finally assured that there is something in you which is
antagonistic to poetry； you must be content with history or philosophy。 I
shall regret it； yet not inconsolably。 〃The Decline and Fall〃 is not to be
named in the same day with 〃Paradise Lost；〃 but it is a vastly pretty thing；
and Herbert Spencer's 〃First Principles〃 simply laughs at the claims of
poetry and refuses to be accepted as aught but the most majestic product
of any human mind。 I do not suggest that either of these works is suitable
for a tyro in mental strains。 But I see no reason why any man of average
intelligence should not； after a year of continuous reading； be fit to assault
the supreme masterpieces of history or philosophy。 The great convenience
of masterpieces is that they are so astonishingly lucid。
I suggest no particular work as a start。 The attempt would be futile in
the space of my command。 But I have two general suggestions of a certain
importance。 The first is to define the direction and scope of your efforts。
Choose a limited period； or a limited subject； or a single author。 Say to
yourself： 〃I will know something about the French Revolution； or the rise
of railways； or the works of John Keats。〃 And during a given period； to be
settled beforehand； confine yourself to your choice。 There is much
pleasure to be derived from being a specialist。
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The second suggestion is to think as well as to read。 I know people
who read and read； and for all the good it does them they might just as
well cut bread…and…butter。 They take to reading as better men take to drink。
They fly through the shires of literature on a motor…car； their sole object
being motion。 They will tell you how many books they have read in a year。
Unless you give at least forty…five minutes to careful； fatiguing
reflection （it is an awful bore at first） upon what you are reading； your
ninety minutes of a night are chiefly wasted。 This means that your pace
will be slow。
Never mind。
Forget the goal； think only of the surrounding country； and after a
period； perhaps when you least expect it； you will suddenly find yourself
in a lovely town on a hill。
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How to Live on Twenty…Four Hours a Day
XII DANGERS TO AVOID
I cannot terminate these hints； often； I fear； too didactic and abrupt；
upon the full use of one's time to the great end of living （as distinguished
from veg