In 1949, Jacob published "Scenes from a Bourgeois Life", a semi-autobiographical novel and an apologia for the paradoxes and anomalies of his career. As an English traditionalist, he disapproved of "ribbon development" and the displacement of the old order by the "nouveaux riches". His writing showed contempt for the pursuit of wealth through industrial capitalism and his appreciation for the Soviet Union's achievements. His work detailed his amorous adventures and his marked contempt for Cyril Connolly, who wallowed in self-pity in "The Unquiet Grave", and for other "stay-at-home intellectuals with comfortable jobs in the BBC", while Soviet heroes fought the Battle of Stalingrad.