2 thoughts on “J.B.Priestley: Jottings on Life, Death and Time”
Thank you for this.
Somehow I have avoided reading any Priestley. Evidently that is something I will have correct. Despite his having apparently been regarded by George Orwell as too far to the left, what I read in this series of excerpts does not have the characteristic (unpleasant) flavour of leftist writings. He appears to be in touch with reality, whatever he might make of it, and uses words to mean something – to point to realities shared with his readers. Most leftist writing uses them instead to evoke an emotional response, or to test tribal loyalty. The latter is more true of old-school left it’s (Stalinists and Trots) and the former almost the exclusive language of the current crop.
There again, perhaps it is simply wrong to regard JBP as a leftist? As I say, I haven’t read him, but a quick googling seems to point that way.
Paul Crook 
Thank you for this.
Somehow I have avoided reading any Priestley. Evidently that is something I will have correct. Despite his having apparently been regarded by George Orwell as too far to the left, what I read in this series of excerpts does not have the characteristic (unpleasant) flavour of leftist writings. He appears to be in touch with reality, whatever he might make of it, and uses words to mean something – to point to realities shared with his readers. Most leftist writing uses them instead to evoke an emotional response, or to test tribal loyalty. The latter is more true of old-school left it’s (Stalinists and Trots) and the former almost the exclusive language of the current crop.
There again, perhaps it is simply wrong to regard JBP as a leftist? As I say, I haven’t read him, but a quick googling seems to point that way.
Oh, dear. Evidently I need to proof-read my comments more carefully. I can blame the auto-correct for some of it, but not for all.