G.K. Chesterton

Introduction

Photograph of author G.K. Chesterton
"How can it be a large career to tell other people's children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one's own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a woman's function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness." -- G.K. Chesterton in What's Wrong with the World

"The Shop of Ghosts"

Book cover: '"The Shop of Ghosts"'
Author(s): 
G.K. Chesterton
Copyright: 
1906
Review: 
Found on pages 82-86 of G.K. Chesterton Collected Works Volume XIV, 1993, Ignatius Press, 802 pages, softcover, Catholic perspective

This is a charming and humorous story about the spirit of Christmas through the ages. Good for a chuckle and a little perspective.

The volume in which this story can be found is available from Ignatius Press
You can also read this story online by clicking here

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
12-5-05

G.K. Chesterton's The Blue Cross, Study Edition

Book cover: 'G.K. Chesterton's The Blue Cross, Study Edition'
Author(s): 
Nancy Carpentier Brown
Number of pages: 
95 pages
Copyright: 
2006
Publisher: 
Hillside Education
Binding: 
Spiralbound
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
First, let me say that I'm a "study guide, unit study" kind of homeschooling mom. I love it when someone else has found all the links and critical vocabulary words within a book or subject to be studied. I do however almost always "tweak" the study guide to ensure that my kids are getting everything they can from the resource.

With this study guide I don't have to tweak much. Mrs. Brown has given her reader everything they need for a study of the short story "The Blue Cross" - even the story - in this 90-page study guide.

The study guide includes biographical information about Chesterton - a British Catholic convert well-known for his wit and deep, symbolic writings. Mrs. Brown is somewhat of a Chesterton scholar, so her write-up is not only accurate, it's extensive. She includes references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church to ensure the student understands the Church's teachings on reason; teachings that always play a big part in Chesterton's writings.

Mrs. Brown includes a suggested schedule which takes about 10 days to complete - you of course could make the study of this exceptional short story either longer or shorter. There are essay topics and short-answer questions to help the student delve into the meaning of the story. There are vocabulary words, literary terms (for example, alliterations and similes), understanding through contextual reading, and other activities to enliven the reader's experience of this first of the Father Brown stories. An answer key is included at the end of the study guide.

The study guide itself is a useful size - a 6"x 8" spiral bound volume with a great silhouetted graphic on the laminated cover. This study guide just begs to be opened and used -- always a bonus when spending money from usually quite limited homeschool budgets.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1-20-06

The Annotated Innocence of Father Brown

Book cover: 'The Annotated Innocence of Father Brown'
Author(s): 
G.K. Chesterton
Martin Gardner (notes)
Number of pages: 
320 pages
Copyright: 
1998
Publisher: 
Dover Publications
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
As an avid Chestertonian, I am frequently asked which G.K. Chesterton title I recommend for young people to read. The best and by far the most understandable "first" book of Chesterton's would be The Annotated Innocence of Father Brown.

In this book of the first twelve Father Brown mystery stories, editor Martin Gardner has looked up all the obscure references, which Chesterton frequently threw into his stories - mentions of people popular at the time whom we're no longer familiar with, use of obscure of obsolete English words from 100 years ago, slang expressions from 100 years ago - these are explained to the reader's satisfaction in the numerous footnotes by the helpful Mr. Gardner.

By reading the annotated version of the story, the Father Brown mysteries come alive for young people. And I must note that since several mysteries in the series refer to murders, even a decapitation, I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up.

The Father Brown mysteries are some of Chesterton's most enduring work. In general, people may not remember that Chesterton wrote such classics as Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man. However, they may recall him as the author of the Father Brown Mysteries, and so it is appropriate to start reading these mysteries first. These mysteries first appeared serialized in various magazines of the times in England. This in part explains the obscure references to people of that day. The other part of the explanation is that Chesterton considered himself a journalist, mainly writing words for newspapers, which would be thrown away shortly after reading. Never did Chesterton imagine that his work would be known and loved 100 years later.

If you are interested in introducing your teenager to the works of G.K. Chesterton; or if youare looking for some good fiction for your teen; or if you wanted to start reading Chesterton yourself and didn't know where to begin, I recommend this book.

Additional notes: 

originally appeared in Heart and Mind Magazine, Spring 2005 - used with permission

First reviewed: 
1999

The Father Brown Reader

Stories from Chesterton
Author(s): 
G.K. Chesterton
Nancy Brown (adapted by)
Illustrator(s): 
Ted Schluenderfritz
Number of pages: 
141 pages
Copyright: 
2007
Publisher: 
Hillside Education
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
11-6-2007

The Father Brown Reader II

More Stories from Chesterton
Author(s): 
G.K. Chesterton
adapted by Nancy Carpentier Brown
with Rose Decaen
Number of pages: 
165 pages
Copyright: 
2010
Publisher: 
Hillside Education
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
Nancy Brown and Hillside Education have teamed up for a second volume of kid-friendly mysteries adapted from G.K. Chesterton's Fr. Brown mysteries. It's a little difficult to say what age these are appropriate for since, unlike the first volume, these are all based on murder-mystery stories, and sensitivities vary from child-to-child. My rough-and-tumble seven year old son loved them as a read-aloud, but the general subject matter is off-putting for my very sensitive thirteen year old daughter. There are four stories in this volume: "The Invisible Man" is about a murderer who took advantage of the fact that many people are taken for granted because we see them all of the time. "The Mirror of the Magistrate" involves a murder with some mysterious clues that could easily be interpreted in the wrong direction. "The Eye of Apollo" tells of a prophet of a "new religion" who is up to no good. In "The Perishing of the Pendragons", a disgruntled murderer uses superstition to cover up his crimes. The stories emphasize the solving of each mystery and the thinking involved in the solution - which includes some very interesting insights into human nature and its foibles and limitations.
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
4-16-2011