Bestselling Novelist Calls Out Modern Obsession with Water Bottles

In a recent statement, acclaimed author Ian McEwan has criticized the widespread use of reusable water bottles, describing it as a "deranged" modern obsession. McEwan, who has addressed environmental issues in his novels, told the Cheltenham Literature Festival that the prevalence of plastic water bottles is a concerning trend.

"Thirty years ago, nobody had bottles of water. You had a drink from the tap when you got home," McEwan said. "And suddenly we were persuaded that you can't go 10 minutes without being thirsty. This is a derangement." He argued that being thirsty is not a "terrible affliction" and people can simply wait to have a cup of tea or other drink when they return home.

McEwan also recalled a sardonic comment made by his late friend and fellow author Martin Amis about the environmental impact of plastic. "I remember walking down the street with Martin and he was having a disgusting hamburger in a polystyrene shell. I said something about the hideousness not of the burger but of the thing it was sitting in. And he said, 'Well, future generations will look back on us and be very grateful that this piece of plastic kept my hamburger warm for an extra 30 seconds.'"

The author's comments come as reusable water bottles have become a must-have accessory for younger generations, while plastic bottles of mineral water remain ubiquitous in supermarkets and coffee shops. McEwan believes this shift in behavior has occurred without much scrutiny. "How did it come about that we accepted this?" he asked. "You see people walking down the street with a bottle. If this was 1950, someone would think, 'What is that person doing with a bottle of water?'"