In modern literary history, both budding and well-established authors

Question

In modern literary history, both budding and well-established authors have used secondary careers as book reviewers to hone their craft. George Orwell stands out as perhaps the most notable example with his prolific career as both a book reviewer and author. Analysis of his critiques of contemporaneous works offers insight into his belief that his personal world view should be reflected in the writings of his peers. Unrivaled in his keen insight into the core arguments of the seminal works of his time, Orwell was adept at pointing out fatal flaws in logic and never hesitated to enumerate what was wanting, even at the cost of infuriating other authors, both foes and friends. Indeed, Orwell’s review of H. G. Wells’ Mind at the End of Its Tether led to the end of their friendship, a fact in which there is a tinge of irony. While Orwell casts Wells’ work as a disjointed and pessimistic diatribe about a bleak future, the description rings eerily similar to some reviews of Orwell’s own masterpiece, 1984.    1 
 1. The author of the passage would likely agree with each of the following statements about George Orwell EXCEPT:

A. Orwell critiqued the works of many of his contemporaries.
B. Orwell valued journalistic integrity over personal relationships.
C. In 1984, Orwell delved into some of the same bleak themes that Wells did in Mind at the End of Its Tether.
D. Orwell’s reviews had greater literary value than his novels.
E. Orwell was skilled at dissecting the key ideas presented in other authors’ works.

2 
 Consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply. 
 2. Which of the following statements accurately describes Orwell’s approach to reviewing books?

I. Objective criticism tempered by mutual admiration
II. Invective-laden diatribe prompted by a competitive nature
III. Insightful analysis unswayed by personal attachment

3 
 3. According to the passage, Orwell’s review of Mind at the End of Its Tether

A. ironically led to record sales of Mind at the End of Its Tether
B. cast in a negative light themes that he addressed in his novel 1984
C. was irrelevant because it lacked a clear understanding of Wells’ core argument
D. is a testament to his singular focus on pointing out flaws in the works of his contemporaries
E. marked the pinnacle of his prolific career as a book reviewer

carcass · Answer

Official Explanation #1

For this Inference EXCEPT question, examine each answer choice in light of the passage. The fourth sentence points out that Orwell reviewed “the seminal works of his time,” which would be the books written by his contemporaries. The author would thus agree with the statement in (A), so it can be eliminated. The last two sentences show that Orwell’s negative review of Wells’ final work led to the end of their friendship, so  ( B) is out. The final sentence shows that the pessimistic view of the future in Wells’ work is similar to that presented in Orwell’s 1984. The author would also agree with the statement in  ( C), so eliminate it as well.   While the passage highlights Orwell’s work as a reviewer, it states that he had a “prolific career as both a book reviewer and author.” There is no evidence in the passage to support the idea that Orwell’s work as a reviewer outweighed his work as an author. The author of the passage would not agree with this statement, so  ( D) is correct.   The fourth sentence eliminates (E). The phrase “unrivaled in his keen insight into the core arguments of the seminal works of his time” is another way to say that Orwell was skilled at dissecting the key ideas presented in the work of other authors.

carcass · Answer

Official Explanation #2

All-that-apply questions require consideration of each of the answer choices separately. In (A), objective criticism does describe Orwell’s approach, but the second part of the statement— that the criticism was tempered by mutual admiration— is proved false by Orwell’s negative review of his friend Wells’ work and the subsequent end of their friendship. Eliminate  ( A). The “invective-laden diatribe” in (B) is an unnecessarily extreme reference to Orwell’s review of Wells’ book. While it may be true that Orwell felt some competitive rivalry with his contemporaries, there is no evidence for this idea in the passage. Eliminate  ( B). The passage mentions both Orwell’s “unrivaled keen insight” and the fact that he did not allow his friendship with Wells to affect the review that he wrote. Therefore, there is support in the passage for both parts of statement  ( C), making this choice the only correct answer.

carcass · Answer

Official Explanation #3

This question asks for an accurate description of the effects of Orwell’s review of Mind at the End of Its Tether. The last two sentences of the passage talk about how the review ended Orwell and Wells’ friendship and the irony of Orwell’s negative review of the book given its similarities to his own novel, 1984. (B) is correct because it picks up on the fact that Orwell’s negative review of Mind at the End of Its Tether addressed themes also   found   in   1984.  ( A) is incorrect because sales of Mind at the End of Its Tether are not mentioned in the passage. (C), (D), and (E) all use extreme language—“ irrelevant,” “singular,” and “pinnacle”— that is not supported in the passage.

In modern literary history, both budding and well-established authors

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