I came across this British guy named G.K. Chesterton who seems to be a prolific writer who wrote many good books, essays and poems, but is strangely forgotten in our generation. (Neil Gaiman is one of his great admirers.....if any of you have read the sandman, Gaiman patterned the character of Fiddler's Green from him.)
From what I have heard of him, he gained prominence during the early part of the century 20th century. His contemporaries were people like George Orwell and George Bernard Shaw. According to reports he frequently debated with these persons (who also happened to be his friends) and almost always emerged as the winner. His book "The Eternal Man" is credited for the direct cause of C.S. Lewis' conversion to Christianity. A magazine article he wrote for a London Weekly inspired Gandhi to undertake the passive resistance to the British leading to India's independence. His novel "The Napoleon of Notting Hill reputedly inspired the beginnings of the Irish Independence movement.
With these credentials, I'm puzzled as to why he is largely unknown or unspoken of in the academe. I've read some of his works on the net and I really thing some of them should have been included in our english anthologies back in college.
My question is....has anyone of you heard of him? Where can I buy his published works? Thanks.
Full Version: G.K. Chesterton...heard of him?
G.K. Chesterton
I actually heard of his name years ago. Nabanggit kasi sya sakin nung writer friend ko. I'm not sure about the credentials you've just mentioned pero I also read through his books. Maganda sya actually
Sa mga booksale, since di nga masyadong kilala yung pangalan nya, marami akong nabibili na galing don. Mga nasa 180 yung price nung book na nabili ko before( weird... doesn't justify the worth of his books) Basta ayun... Hope that does help you a lot.
I actually heard of his name years ago. Nabanggit kasi sya sakin nung writer friend ko. I'm not sure about the credentials you've just mentioned pero I also read through his books. Maganda sya actually
Sa mga booksale, since di nga masyadong kilala yung pangalan nya, marami akong nabibili na galing don. Mga nasa 180 yung price nung book na nabili ko before( weird... doesn't justify the worth of his books) Basta ayun... Hope that does help you a lot.
Thaks dude!
christian LITERATURE
Introduction to
G.K. Chesterton
by Edward Peters, JD/JCD
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) was the brightest star in a constellation of great men who illuminated English and Catholic letters during the first half of the twentieth century. Forever linked with such giants as Hilaire Belloc, Msgr. Ronald Knox, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Evelyn Waugh, writers who excelled in two or three forms of writing, Chesterton worked in a half-dozen genres, and mastered nearly all of them. Moreover, his gentle personality and friendly manner of persuasion preserve him as the most readable of the great apologists who fought for Christian truth at the beginning of the bloody 20th century.
Chesterton is often called the most quoted man in English; he was certainly one of the most prolific. Beyond his vast literary output, his exhaustive public speaking and debating work did much to advance the cause of common sense in general, and of Christian spiritual wisdom in particular. Indeed, Chesterton's conversion to the Catholic Church in 1922 was (second only to the disruption of the First Vatican Council during the Italian Revolution) the most talked-about religious event in Europe since the conversion of fellow Englishman John Henry Newman some 75 years earlier.
Upon his death, Chesterton was named by Pope Pius XI a "Defender of the Catholic Faith" thereby redeeming somewhat a similar title bestowed on but squandered by another Englishman 400 years earlier. His devoted wife of 35 years, Frances Blogg, who helped bring the younger Chesterton out of a confused mishmash of world-views into a more critical Christianity, eventually followed her husband into the Church and died just two years after him.
Fr. John Hardon has said that "the best word to describe Chesterton's writings is brilliant" and no serious Catholic American leader today is unfamiliar with his works. Because Chesterton's writings fill such a wide scope of topics and styles, one can begin studying him almost anywhere. But the following suggestions might help to get one started.
Poetry
Almost all of Chesterton's poetry rhymes. Moreover, for all its beauty and brilliance, it makes immediate sense to the average reader. It easily lends itself to either silent study or oral recitation. Although much of Chesterton's poetry is humorous (e.g., satires on British politics) some of it is bardic and historical and, because Chesterton always saw the finger of God in history, it is deeply inspirational without becoming pietistic.
By any measure Chesterton's epic "Ballad of the White Horse" is his poetic masterpiece. Its narration of the fierce struggle between the Christian princes of England and the pagan Nordic chiefs was so poignant that the British press freely and frequently quoted from it during the Second World War when England stood alone against neo-pagan Nazism.
A much shorter, but still wonderful, poem in the manner of White Horse is "Lepanto", the story of the naval battle in 1571 which saved Europe from Moslem invasion and which gave the Church the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7). Almost all of Chesterton's poetry is found conveniently and affordably in The Collected Poems of G. K. Chesterton (Dodd & Mead, 1980).
Fiction
Chesterton's fiction falls into two types: short novels and even shorter short-stories. Despite their relative brevity, at least two of Chesterton's novels rank among the best fiction works produced this century. The Napoleon of Notting Hill, released in 1904, is proposed by many as the best first novel ever written by any of England's many great fiction writers. Just four years later, though, The Man Who Was Thursday proved forever Chesterton's skill for serious literature in a book that was then, and remains now, renowned for both its secular appeal and its Christian perception.
Throughout his career, Chesterton worked on and published the short detective thrillers thanks to which, more than any other of his writings, he is most widely known. The "Father Brown" series are not just entertainment, for Fr. Brown's unique ability to solve crimes is based on his priestly knowledge of human nature and foreshadows what Pope Paul VI would say many decades later: the Church is an expert in humanity. Complete sets are widely available - but if you acquire the Father Brown series in parts, start with the stories in The Innocence of Father Brown. You will have the main characters more clearly in mind that way. Also available is the new series from Ignatius Press: Father Brown and the Church of Rome, which includes stories in which Father Brown's Catholic Faith plays a central role in solving crimes.
Non-Fiction
Even if one discounts the mass of material written by Chesterton the journalist, the non-fiction works of Chesterton as social commentator, philosopher, theologian, biographer, and literary critic are daunting. One's own tastes and interests are the best guide here, but at least two works stand out no matter what one's other reasons for reading Chesterton: St. Francis of Assisi (1923) and The Everlasting Man (1925).
The first is a short biography of, second only to Our Lady, the most popular Catholic saint. Not a collection of dates and places, Chesterton's superb picture of St. Francis will forever keep the founder of the world's largest religious family from being relegated like a curio to a collection of eccentric bird lovers. The second book, a somewhat longer but still very approachable work, was originally written as a corrective to H. G. Well's biased and naive Outline of History, but Chesterton went far beyond that immediate goal and penned his own interpretation of human history, a history which Chesterton showed can make sense only if it is seen in the light of Christ.
Finally, if one is already a fan of other authors like Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Browning, or especially Charles Dickens, Chesterton's remarkable studies of the works of these leading authors must be consulted. George Bernard Shaw, for example, one of Chesterton's steadiest opponents and most devoted admirers, once called Chesterton's book on his writings "the best piece of literary criticism I have ever inspired."
Biographies
It is not surprising that Chesterton's life has spawned so many biographies, each with their strengths and weaknesses. All of them agree, however, on their debt to the first biography of G. K. Chesterton, Maisie Ward's Gilbert Keith Chesterton (Sheed & Ward, 1944). Read this life first (even before Chesterton's own Autobiography) and then you can better select among the many others.
Interest in, and appreciation for, Chesterton's work has always remained strong, but recently it seems to be spreading with renewed vigor. Ignatius Press, mentioned earlier, is well along in its project of publishing the complete works of Chesterton. Another important contributor to that growth is due to the quarterly journal, The Chesterton Review, edited by Fr. Ian Boyd, C.S.B., and published by the G. K. Chesterton Society out of St. Thomas More College in Saskatoon, Canada. Regional meetings, notably the periodic Lewis/Chesterton Conference held in Seattle, are another source of continuing study of the life and work of this great man. Many communities also have Chesterton reading and discussion groups, some of them sponsored by the Chesterton Society.
Dr. Edward Peters is a canon and civil lawyer from San Diego. He is co-founder of the San Diego Chesterton Society.
Introduction to
G.K. Chesterton
by Edward Peters, JD/JCD
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) was the brightest star in a constellation of great men who illuminated English and Catholic letters during the first half of the twentieth century. Forever linked with such giants as Hilaire Belloc, Msgr. Ronald Knox, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Evelyn Waugh, writers who excelled in two or three forms of writing, Chesterton worked in a half-dozen genres, and mastered nearly all of them. Moreover, his gentle personality and friendly manner of persuasion preserve him as the most readable of the great apologists who fought for Christian truth at the beginning of the bloody 20th century.
Chesterton is often called the most quoted man in English; he was certainly one of the most prolific. Beyond his vast literary output, his exhaustive public speaking and debating work did much to advance the cause of common sense in general, and of Christian spiritual wisdom in particular. Indeed, Chesterton's conversion to the Catholic Church in 1922 was (second only to the disruption of the First Vatican Council during the Italian Revolution) the most talked-about religious event in Europe since the conversion of fellow Englishman John Henry Newman some 75 years earlier.
Upon his death, Chesterton was named by Pope Pius XI a "Defender of the Catholic Faith" thereby redeeming somewhat a similar title bestowed on but squandered by another Englishman 400 years earlier. His devoted wife of 35 years, Frances Blogg, who helped bring the younger Chesterton out of a confused mishmash of world-views into a more critical Christianity, eventually followed her husband into the Church and died just two years after him.
Fr. John Hardon has said that "the best word to describe Chesterton's writings is brilliant" and no serious Catholic American leader today is unfamiliar with his works. Because Chesterton's writings fill such a wide scope of topics and styles, one can begin studying him almost anywhere. But the following suggestions might help to get one started.
Poetry
Almost all of Chesterton's poetry rhymes. Moreover, for all its beauty and brilliance, it makes immediate sense to the average reader. It easily lends itself to either silent study or oral recitation. Although much of Chesterton's poetry is humorous (e.g., satires on British politics) some of it is bardic and historical and, because Chesterton always saw the finger of God in history, it is deeply inspirational without becoming pietistic.
By any measure Chesterton's epic "Ballad of the White Horse" is his poetic masterpiece. Its narration of the fierce struggle between the Christian princes of England and the pagan Nordic chiefs was so poignant that the British press freely and frequently quoted from it during the Second World War when England stood alone against neo-pagan Nazism.
A much shorter, but still wonderful, poem in the manner of White Horse is "Lepanto", the story of the naval battle in 1571 which saved Europe from Moslem invasion and which gave the Church the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7). Almost all of Chesterton's poetry is found conveniently and affordably in The Collected Poems of G. K. Chesterton (Dodd & Mead, 1980).
Fiction
Chesterton's fiction falls into two types: short novels and even shorter short-stories. Despite their relative brevity, at least two of Chesterton's novels rank among the best fiction works produced this century. The Napoleon of Notting Hill, released in 1904, is proposed by many as the best first novel ever written by any of England's many great fiction writers. Just four years later, though, The Man Who Was Thursday proved forever Chesterton's skill for serious literature in a book that was then, and remains now, renowned for both its secular appeal and its Christian perception.
Throughout his career, Chesterton worked on and published the short detective thrillers thanks to which, more than any other of his writings, he is most widely known. The "Father Brown" series are not just entertainment, for Fr. Brown's unique ability to solve crimes is based on his priestly knowledge of human nature and foreshadows what Pope Paul VI would say many decades later: the Church is an expert in humanity. Complete sets are widely available - but if you acquire the Father Brown series in parts, start with the stories in The Innocence of Father Brown. You will have the main characters more clearly in mind that way. Also available is the new series from Ignatius Press: Father Brown and the Church of Rome, which includes stories in which Father Brown's Catholic Faith plays a central role in solving crimes.
Non-Fiction
Even if one discounts the mass of material written by Chesterton the journalist, the non-fiction works of Chesterton as social commentator, philosopher, theologian, biographer, and literary critic are daunting. One's own tastes and interests are the best guide here, but at least two works stand out no matter what one's other reasons for reading Chesterton: St. Francis of Assisi (1923) and The Everlasting Man (1925).
The first is a short biography of, second only to Our Lady, the most popular Catholic saint. Not a collection of dates and places, Chesterton's superb picture of St. Francis will forever keep the founder of the world's largest religious family from being relegated like a curio to a collection of eccentric bird lovers. The second book, a somewhat longer but still very approachable work, was originally written as a corrective to H. G. Well's biased and naive Outline of History, but Chesterton went far beyond that immediate goal and penned his own interpretation of human history, a history which Chesterton showed can make sense only if it is seen in the light of Christ.
Finally, if one is already a fan of other authors like Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Browning, or especially Charles Dickens, Chesterton's remarkable studies of the works of these leading authors must be consulted. George Bernard Shaw, for example, one of Chesterton's steadiest opponents and most devoted admirers, once called Chesterton's book on his writings "the best piece of literary criticism I have ever inspired."
Biographies
It is not surprising that Chesterton's life has spawned so many biographies, each with their strengths and weaknesses. All of them agree, however, on their debt to the first biography of G. K. Chesterton, Maisie Ward's Gilbert Keith Chesterton (Sheed & Ward, 1944). Read this life first (even before Chesterton's own Autobiography) and then you can better select among the many others.
Interest in, and appreciation for, Chesterton's work has always remained strong, but recently it seems to be spreading with renewed vigor. Ignatius Press, mentioned earlier, is well along in its project of publishing the complete works of Chesterton. Another important contributor to that growth is due to the quarterly journal, The Chesterton Review, edited by Fr. Ian Boyd, C.S.B., and published by the G. K. Chesterton Society out of St. Thomas More College in Saskatoon, Canada. Regional meetings, notably the periodic Lewis/Chesterton Conference held in Seattle, are another source of continuing study of the life and work of this great man. Many communities also have Chesterton reading and discussion groups, some of them sponsored by the Chesterton Society.
Dr. Edward Peters is a canon and civil lawyer from San Diego. He is co-founder of the San Diego Chesterton Society.
Take Ediboy Calasanz's PH103 class if you are still a College student. If you take the readings seriously you'll come across G.K. Chesterton and many of his other contemporaries.
At first, I was puzzled why it was mentioned that G.K. Chesterton's not often mentioned or discussed.
Personally, I've encountered the works of Chesterton in school often enough. Certainly not as often as, say, Shakespeare. But he was there. In fact, I encountered his works in class more often than those of C.S. Lewis or T.S. Eliot.
What is it about having two initials? But I digress...
I first encountered Chesterton in Grade 5, I think. We read one of his Fr. Brown Stories. Then, a year or two later, we read "The Invisible Man" or something like that.
In high school, we read some of his Christmas poems and even part of "The Eternal Man".
In college, more short stories. And he was very often mentioned in both Philosophy and Theology.
Anyway, I like Chesterton. A lot. At nabanggit ni Fr. Ferriols dati, na parang si Chesterton daw ako. Sa katawan.
Personally, I've encountered the works of Chesterton in school often enough. Certainly not as often as, say, Shakespeare. But he was there. In fact, I encountered his works in class more often than those of C.S. Lewis or T.S. Eliot.
What is it about having two initials? But I digress...
I first encountered Chesterton in Grade 5, I think. We read one of his Fr. Brown Stories. Then, a year or two later, we read "The Invisible Man" or something like that.
In high school, we read some of his Christmas poems and even part of "The Eternal Man".
In college, more short stories. And he was very often mentioned in both Philosophy and Theology.
Anyway, I like Chesterton. A lot. At nabanggit ni Fr. Ferriols dati, na parang si Chesterton daw ako. Sa katawan.
Ediboy will also introduce you to the inkling writers--the group of Oxford writers from the 30s and 40s that included Lewis and Tolkien.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Sir, I probably have not been under the same philo or theo teachers that you have. I will stand by what I said about G.K. Chesterton not often being mentioned. You probably just had the fortune of being under teachers that knew him. And I would suppose that you were a product of a big-name high school and grade school that values good literature. I'm not...and so do 80% of all college graduates.
Anyway, if you want another example, Chesterton's titles are ridiculously absent in the shelves of Powerbooks and National.
PS: Off-topic - I'm thinking that we might have once shared a tambayan at the ACMG-Kaingin-Musmos-LiKaS room in Colayco. Would that be correct?
Anyway, if you want another example, Chesterton's titles are ridiculously absent in the shelves of Powerbooks and National.
PS: Off-topic - I'm thinking that we might have once shared a tambayan at the ACMG-Kaingin-Musmos-LiKaS room in Colayco. Would that be correct?
QUOTE
Originally posted by Ali:
At first, I was puzzled why it was mentioned that G.K. Chesterton's not often mentioned or discussed.
Personally, I've encountered the works of Chesterton in school often enough. Certainly not as often as, say, Shakespeare. But he was there. In fact, I encountered his works in class more often than those of C.S. Lewis or T.S. Eliot.
What is it about having two initials? But I digress...
I first encountered Chesterton in Grade 5, I think. We read one of his Fr. Brown Stories. Then, a year or two later, we read "The Invisible Man" or something like that.
In high school, we read some of his Christmas poems and even part of "The Eternal Man".
In college, more short stories. And he was very often mentioned in both Philosophy and Theology.
Anyway, I like Chesterton. A lot. At nabanggit ni Fr. Ferriols dati, na parang si Chesterton daw ako. Sa katawan.
At first, I was puzzled why it was mentioned that G.K. Chesterton's not often mentioned or discussed.
Personally, I've encountered the works of Chesterton in school often enough. Certainly not as often as, say, Shakespeare. But he was there. In fact, I encountered his works in class more often than those of C.S. Lewis or T.S. Eliot.
What is it about having two initials? But I digress...
I first encountered Chesterton in Grade 5, I think. We read one of his Fr. Brown Stories. Then, a year or two later, we read "The Invisible Man" or something like that.
In high school, we read some of his Christmas poems and even part of "The Eternal Man".
In college, more short stories. And he was very often mentioned in both Philosophy and Theology.
Anyway, I like Chesterton. A lot. At nabanggit ni Fr. Ferriols dati, na parang si Chesterton daw ako. Sa katawan.
I borrowed his collection of poetry book basta maraming pages. Just enhancing my poetry skills.
he's on my to-read list. aaah. so many books, so little time!
Peeps! Check this out on EWTN (Ch. 63 Skycable)
THE JOURNEY HOME
Monday February 16, 2004
at 8:00PM ET
Eastern Time (ET) + 13 hours = Time in Manila, Philippines
Join Host Marcus Grodi - author G.K. Chesterton, portrayed by Chuck Chalberg
THE JOURNEY HOME
Monday February 16, 2004
at 8:00PM ET
Eastern Time (ET) + 13 hours = Time in Manila, Philippines
Join Host Marcus Grodi - author G.K. Chesterton, portrayed by Chuck Chalberg
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