Showing results by author "G. K. Chesterton" in All Categories

Subtitled by the author as a "Nightmare", this is a fantasy, comic thriller about a plot to end the world by a group of anarchists. Generally regarded as Chesterton's most impressive novel. - Summary by Anthony Ogus

The same pen that wrote the famous Father Brown stories here presents another volume of equally delightful mystery and murder stories with a central figure running through them all. For those who like to go a bit further than plot there is an additional mental exhilaration in store. (Ontario Library Review, 1929)

Saint Francis of Assisi grew up in a wealthy family and his early life was characterized by splendor, riches and a lavish lifestyle. During an illness, he supposedly had a vision, after which he became disillusioned with his lifestyle and began giving everything away to beggars. His conversion was gradual, but after a pilgrimage to Rome, he supposedly hid in a cave to avoid his father's anger and then began to live a life of poverty and contrition. He is forever associated with simplicity and nature. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

A short biography (1902) of a famous writer (Carlyle) by another famous writer (Chesterton). The first half exhibits Chesterton’s sly wit as he ruminates upon Carlyle’s work; the second half is straightforward biography. There are a great many pictures and portraits in the physical text. - Summary by David Wales

This short early twentieth century biography of Robert Louis Stevenson by polymath Chesterton and journalist Nicoll is also sometimes entitled ‘The Characteristics of Robert Louis Stevenson.’ Each author wrote a section of the whole. This recording is of the third edition which differs structurally from the first edition and has some additional material. - Summary by David Wales

For Chesterton, Francis of Assisi is a great paradoxical figure, a man who loved women but vowed himself to chastity; an artist who loved the pleasures of the natural world as few have loved them, but vowed himself to the most austere poverty, stripping himself naked in the public square so all could see that he had renounced his worldly goods; a clown who stood on his head in order to see the world aright. Chesterton gives us Francis in his world-the riotously colorful world of the High Middle Ages, a world with more pageantry and romance than we have seen before or since. Here is the Francis...

This mystery of the unconscious man, far deeper than any mystery of the conscious one, existing as it does in all men, existed peculiarly in Browning, because he was a very ordinary and spontaneous man. The same thing exists to some extent in all history and all affairs. Anything that is deliberate, twisted, created as a trap and a mystery, must be discovered at last; everything that is done naturally remains mysterious. ... [T]here is between making a map of a labyrinth and making a map of a mist. The life of Robert Browning, who combines the greatest brain with the most simple temperament ...

Examining several social and political trends of the time, Chesterton discusses contemporary discourse around family, gender roles, education, politics and more. In good humour, he defends the traditional family unit, praises women's unique role in society and promotes an education that can be both creative and moral in its teachings. He scrutinises the forces of modernity, bureaucracy and ideological reform, spiritedly arguing that the problem is not the structural powers at play in society, but the individual's failure to act rightly.

'Madmen do not rebel against logic – they merely use it where it is not applicable.' A brilliantly unique collection of short stories, The Poet and the Lunatics was originally published in Nash's Magazine in 1921. Today, it remains a masterpiece of detective fiction. Gabriel Gale, an eccentric poet, often finds himself acting as detective when he becomes entangled in a series of bizarre and psychologically challenging events.

The humble yet shrewd Father Brown returns in a series of epic mysteries that see him use his gift of human understanding to solve the crimes at play. After all, it is not just logic and rational thinking that can get to the root of these crimes – but moral reasoning too. In these twelve tales, we see a man seemingly disappear from a locked room, a staged robbery, a fatal love triangle and much more. Rather than mere criminal tricks, these stories offer profound psychological and spiritual truths.

This epic poem is about Alfred the Great's defense of Christian England against the pagan Viking invaders. The decisive battle is fought in sight of a white horse mark made on a hill, after which the poem is named. As the white horse mark must be continually maintained by weeding to be clearly seen, Chesterton sees it as a symbol of the continual struggle to maintain the Christian culture and values for which Alfred the Great fought. - Summary by Robin Lamb

This is the fourth collection of mysteries featuring the very smart and even more devout catholic priest, Father Brown. (It follows The Innocence of Father Brown, The Wisdom of Father Brown and The Incredulity of Father Brown.) Father Brown is probably the most unconventional detective of fiction: short and dumpy, extremely shy, unvaryingly kind, and utterly unselfconscious. His secret? As a priest he has developed a far-reaching understanding of how we all feel and think. Being profoundly humble, he is able to imagine how he, personally, could be led to commit a given theft, murder or other ...

In this brief but lively biography, G.K. Chesterton brings all his typical wit and insight into discussing Francis of Assisi. Francis is arguably the most significant canonised Christian outside of the New Testament. His passionate life included so many elements of the Christian walk: a deep appreciation for evangelism, social justice, the environment, mysticism, and pacifism. Chesterton reveals all of these elements, for all their vibrancy and beauty, in Francis. - Summary by Matthew James Gray

A satirical adventure novel, The Flying Inn is set in a quirky, dystopian England in which a new puritanical government has outlawed alcohol and other traditional English customs. Enter Humphrey Pump and his spirited friend Captain Patrick Dalroy, who take it upon themselves to supply what the government refuses.

"And the young woman of the house," asked Dr. Hood, with huge and silent amusement, "what does she want?" "Why, she wants to marry him," cried Father Brown, sitting up eagerly. "That is just the awful complication." "It is indeed a hideous enigma," said Dr. Hood. "This young James Todhunter," continued the cleric, "is a very decent man so far as I know; but then nobody knows very much. He is a bright, brownish little fellow, agile like a monkey, clean-shaven like an actor, and obliging like a born courtier. He seems to have quite a pocketful of money, but nobody knows what his trade is. Mrs.

Written in his signature style – full of paradox, wit and poetic insight – Chesterton outlines an intellectually rigorous defence of the Christian faith. Part autobiography, part theology, Orthodoxy traces Chesterton's personal journey from a crisis of doubt to belief, arguing that Christianity uniquely satisfies the long-established human need for truth, imagination and joy. Rather than religious doctrine being dry or dogmatic in any way, Chesterton relays it as adventurous and romantic – and the only worldview that allows enough room to make sense of the world's wonders and contradictions.

Step into the vivid, paradoxical world of G. K. Chesterton—where saints dance with skeptics, riddles reveal truth, and the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Best known for his wit and philosophical insight, Chesterton’s poetry is a rich blend of humor, faith, social commentary, and fierce imagination. From the rousing rhythms of “Lepanto” to the introspective depth of “The Ballad of the White Horse”, this curated selection showcases Chesterton’s signature style: playful yet profound, grounded yet soaring.

A gripping collection of the very best classic mystery and adventure stories. 1. "Rose Rose" by Barry Pain 2. "The Perfect Crime" by Seamark 3. "The Well" by W. W. Jacobs 4. "The Tea-Leaf" by Edgar Jepson and Robert Eustace 5. "The Step" by E. F. Benson 6. "The Queer Feet" by G. K. Chesterton 7. "The Beast with Five Fingers" by W. F. Harvey 8. "The Enemy" by Hugh Walpole 9. "An Impromptu Dance" by A. J. Alan 10. "The Red-Headed League" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 11. "The Wedding Guest" by Guy Boothby

In this stirring epic poem, delve into the tale of Alfred the Great as he valiantly defends Christian England against the fierce Viking invaders. The pivotal battle unfolds near a white horse mark etched into a hill, giving the poem its evocative name. G.K. Chesterton interprets this mark not just as a landmark, but as a powerful symbol of the ongoing struggle to preserve the Christian culture and values that Alfred fought so hard to defend. - Summary by Robin Lamb

Dive into the heart of an English epic poem that chronicles the valiant journey of Alfred the Great as he defends the essence of Christian civilization against the encroaching darkness of Northern nihilism. After suffering a series of defeats at the hands of the fierce Danes, a divine vision on the river island of Athelney ignites a spark of hope in Alfred. Though it offers no guarantees of triumph in the battles ahead, it inspires him to unite his chieftains for a heroic last stand. Join Alfred as he traverses the land, gathering his loyal men and even infiltrating enemy camps under the guise...