The art of arguing: why we all should read and hear Christopher Hitchens

I was reminded of the Nobel Committee's words about Saul Bellow's 'human understanding' when granting him the 1976 Nobel prize for literature when I read in Hitchens' insightful essay on one of the greats of 20^th century American literature (Augie is Augie March, main character in The Adventures of Augie March, 1953): "Against pointlessness and futility, Bellow strove to counterpoint what Augie calls "the universal eligibility to be noble" – the battle to overcome not just ghetto conditions but also ghetto psychoses. Such yearning ambition, as Bellow knew, can be a torment to those who are not innately noble to begin with." In one sentence of linguistic beauty and effectiveness, Hitchens points out what it's all about, not just in Bellow's work but in life itself.

A harsh piece on the lousy writing in John Updike's late novel Terrorist is followed by praise for Updike's essays, with a special mention of his piece on Philip Larkin, which he calls 'one of the best long treatments of Larkin's poetry I have ever read.' I can say the same about Hitchens' own piece on the famous British poet. With his sharp observation that the contradictions within the personality of the genius can be exactly the source of that genius. "Larkin, who once told an interviewer that 'deprivation is for me what daffodils were to Wordsworth,' found his poetic promptings in the overcrowded, overworked, underfed society that he so much purported to resent." A similar contradiction can be found in the essay on Evelyn Waugh, in which Hitchens quotes Orwell, who rightfully hinted at Waugh's 'incompatibility of faith with maturity'.

Gore Vidal is the subject of another very insightful piece. Their friendship of yesteryear turned sour after 9/11, especially as Vidal dived into a series of conspiracy theories. When he even dares to doubt if Osama bin Laden was the mastermind behind this all, Hitchens labels this idea a 'Grassy Knoll enterprise'. I suggest this label be nominated for 'Webster's word of the year' – very applicable to all conspiracy-lovers that are convinced that either the CIA and/or the Mossad were behind the attacks on 9/11.

In 'The Swastika and the Cedar', a piece on the fourth anniversary of the murder of Lebanon's ex-Premier Rafik Hariri, Hitchens gives a clear portrayal of the schism in Lebanese society. Of the commemoration he says: "Women with head covering were few; women with face covering were nowhere to be seen. Designer jeans were the predominant fashion theme." Compare this to a rally where the 'party of god', was commemorating its own martyrs: "Try picturing a Shiite-Muslim mega church in a huge downtown tent, with separate entrances for men and women and separate seating (with the women all covered in black). A huge poster of a nuclear mushroom cloud surmounts the scene, with the inscription OH ZIONISTS, IF YOU WANT THIS TYPE OF WAR THEN SO BE IT!" I hope this is enough to make those with liberal, modern views think twice before praising Hezbollah.

There is also a scathing short piece on the corruption during the most recent elections in Afghanistan, 'First, silence the Whistle-Blower', where – surprise surprise – the person who tried to point out that these elections had been rigged – with all evidence in his favour – got dismissed immediately. It is for articles like these that we can't miss a writer of the caliber of Christopher Hitchens, who deserves the adjective 'great' indeed.

The essays in Arguably were first published in a range of publications, but most pieces are from Slate, Vanity Fair and The Atlantic, and they range from 1999 till this year. This could be a problem regarding the older pieces, but Hitchens' argumentation is always strong and full of interesting facts, also for those who don't – always or fully – agree with him. This is a book for those who, like myself, enjoy good polemics, have a hunger for knowledge and indulge in the beauty, wit and inventiveness of the English language, which Christopher Hitchens exerts to great effect. Let's hope this book won't be his last.