A cardinal virtue – the ability to govern and discipline oneself by the use of reason – turns out to be an inspiration for confronting one’s sins as well as clearing the house

One of the most talked-about books of the year, I need hardly say, is by Marie Kondo, author of the global bestseller, The Life- Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Her new book, Spark Joy, is subtitled An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up. It had rave reviews from assorted female feature writers, complete with little diagrams to illustrate her distinctive method of folding clothes.

The author has been obsessed with tidying since she was little and is employed as a tidying consultant in Japan, where they take this seriously. Spark Joy is the summary of her philosophy of tidying, which William Morris put rather more succinctly in his celebrated aphorism: “Have nothing in your house which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”

So, only have possessions that spark joy. By which she means that you should take up your things in your hands and feel whether they make you feel good or not. If you have a greying, frayed old vest, which you keep on the basis that you may need it for the decorating, you may find it lowers your spirits, whereas a nice old china jug may cheer you up whenever you look at it. So, you go through your possessions, discarding the non-joy-sparking items.