Böcker av G. K. Chesterton

" It will hardly be denied that there is one lingering doubt in many, who recognise unavoidable self-defence in the instant parry of the English sword, and who have no great love for the sweeping sabre of Sadowa and Sedan. That doubt is the doubt whether Russia, as compared with Prussia, is sufficiently decent and democratic to be the ally of liberal and civilised powers. I take first, therefore, this matter of civilisation.It is vital in a discussion like this, that we should make sure we are going by meanings and not by mere words. It is not necessary in any argument to settle what a word means or ought to mean. But it is necessary in every argument to settle what we propose to mean by the word. So long as our opponent understands what is the thing of which we are talking, it does not matter to the argument whether the word is or is not the one he would have chosen. A soldier does not say "We were ordered to go to Mechlin; but I would rather go to Malines." He may discuss the etymology and archæology of the difference on the march; but the point is that he knows where to go. So long as we know what a given word is to mean in a given discussion, it does not even matter if it means something else in some other and quite distinct discussion. We have a perfect right to say that the width of a window comes to four feet; even if we instantly and cheerfully change the subject to the larger mammals; and say that an elephant has four feet. The identity of the words does not matter, because there is no doubt at all about the meanings; because nobody is likely to think of an elephant as four foot long, or of a window as having tusks and a curly trunk."

""The Man Who Was Thursday"" is a philosophical and allegorical novel written by G. K. Chesterton, first published in 1908. It follows the story of Gabriel Syme, a poet who is recruited by a secret anti-anarchist organization. Syme becomes a member of a Central European council of anarchists, each named after a day of the week, including the enigmatic Sunday, who holds a significant position within the organization.As Syme delves deeper into the world of anarchists, he finds himself embroiled in a complex and surreal series of events. The story explores themes of truth, deception, individualism, and the nature of human identity. It combines elements of mystery, thriller, and satire, with Chesterton's characteristic wit and intellectual depth.

Todo libro de investigación social moderna tiene una estructura de algún modo muy definida. Empieza por regla general con un análisis, con estadísticas, tablas de población, la disminución de la delincuencia entre los congregacionistas, el crecimiento de la histeria entre los policías y otros hechos igualmente comprobados; acaba con un capítulo que normalmente se llama «La solución». Suele deberse casi enteramente a este cuidadoso, sólido y científico método el hecho de que «La solución» nunca se encuentre, pues este esquema de preguntas y respuestas médicas es un disparate; el primer gran disparate de la sociología. Siempre debe declararse la enfermedad antes de que encontremos la cura. Pero es la entera definición y dignidad del hombre lo que, en cuestiones sociales, nos impone encontrar la cura antes de encontrar la enfermedad.

In the aptly titled treatise What's Wrong With the World, one of the twentieth century's most memorable and prolific writers takes on education, government, big business, feminism, and a host of other topics. A steadfast champion of the working man, family, and faith, Chesterton eloquently opposed materialism, snobbery, hypocrisy, and any adversary of freedom and simplicity in modern society. Culled from the thousands of essays he contributed to newspapers and periodicals over his lifetime, the critical works collected for this edition pulse with the author's unique brand of clever commentary. As readable and rewarding today as when they were written over a century ago, these pieces offer Chesterton's unparalleled analysis of contemporary ideals, his incisive critique of modern efficiency, and his humorous but heartfelt defense of the common man against trendsetting social assaults.

Harold March, el nuevo y renombrado periodista político, paseaba con aire decidido por una meseta en la que, desde hacía tiempo, se iban sucediendo por igual páramos y planicies, y cuyo horizonte se hallaba orlado por los lejanos bosques de la conocida propiedad de Torwood Park. Era un joven bien parecido, de pelo rubio y rizado y ojos claros, vestido con un traje de tweed. Inmerso en su feliz deambular a lo largo y ancho de aquel embriagador paisaje de libertad, Harold March era aún lo bastante joven como para tener bien presentes sus convicciones políticas y no simplemente para intentar olvidarlas a la menor ocasión. No en vano, su presencia en Torwood Park tenía precisamente un motivo político. Era el lugar de encuentro propuesto nada menos que por el Ministro de Hacienda, Sir Howard Horne, quien por entonces intentaba dar a conocer su denominado Presupuesto Socialista, el cual tenía la intención de exponer a cronista tan prometedor durante el transcurso de cierta entrevista que ambos tenían concertada. Harold March, por su parte, pertenecía a esa clase de hombres que saben todo lo que hay que saber sobre política, pero nada acerca de los políticos, además de ser poseedor de unos notables conocimientos sobre arte, letras, filosofía y cultura general (acerca, en fin, de casi todo excepto del mundo en el que vivía).

El barrio de Saffron Park ¿Parque de Azafrán¿ se extendía al poniente de Londres, rojo y desgarrado como una nube del crepúsculo. Todo él era de un ladrillo brillante; se destacaba sobre el cielo fantásticamente, y aun su pavimento resultaba de lo más caprichoso: obra de un constructor especulativo y algo artista, que daba a aquella arquitectura unas veces el nombre de «estilo Isabel» y otras el de «estilo reina Ana», acaso por figurarse que ambas reinas eran una misma. No sin razón se hablaba de este barrio como de una colonia artística, aunque no se sabe qué tendría precisamente de artístico. Pero si sus pretensiones de centro intelectual parecían algo infundadas, sus pretensiones de lugar agradable eran justificadísimas. El extranjero que contemplaba por vez primera aquel curioso montón de casas, no podía menos de preguntarse qué clase de gente vivía allí. Y si tenía la suerte de encontrarse con uno de los vecinos del barrio, su curiosidad no quedaba defraudada. El sitio no sólo era agradable, sino perfecto, siempre que se le considerase como un sueño, y no como una superchería. Y si sus moradores no eran «artistas», no por eso dejaba de ser artístico el conjunto. Aquel joven ¿los cabellos largos y castaños, la cara insolente¿ si no era un poeta, era ya un poema. Aquel anciano, aquel venerable charlatán de la barba blanca y enmarañada, del sombrero blanco y desgarbado, no sería un filósofo ciertamente, pero era todo un asunto de filosofía. Aquel científico sujeto ¿calva de cascarón de huevo, y el pescuezo muy flaco y largö claro es que no tenía derecho a los muchos humos que gastaba: no había logrado, por ejemplo, ningún descubrimiento biológico; pero ¿qué hallazgo biológico más singular que el de su interesante persona?

In Heretics, the topics Chesterton debates are as universal to the "vague moderns" of the 21st century as they were to those of the 20th. Focusing on "heretics" - those who pride themselves on their superiority to Christian views - Chesterton appraises prominent figures who fall into that category from the literary and art worlds. Luminaries such as Rudyard Kipling, George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, and James McNeill Whistler come under the author's scrutiny, where they meet with equal measures of his characteristic wisdom and good humor.The topics he touches upon range from cosmology to anthropology to soteriology and he argues against French nihilism, German humanism, English utilitarianism, the syncretism of 'the vague modern', Social Darwinism, eugenics and the arrogance and misanthropy of the European intelligentsia. Together with Orthodoxy, this book is regarded as central to his corpus of moral theology.

"There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there. The other is to walk round the whole world till we come back to the same place." -G.K. ChestertonWhat, if anything, is it that makes the human uniquely human? This, in part, is the question that G.K. Chesterton starts with exploration of human history in this classic. Responding to the evolutionary materialism of his contemporary H.G. Wells, Chesterton in this work affirms human uniqueness and the unique message of the Christian faith.Writing at a time when social Darwinism was increasingly popular, Chesterton argued that the idea that society has been steadily progressing from a starting point of primitivism towards civilization, and of Jesus Christ as simply another charismatic figure, is completely inaccurate. Chesterton saw in Christianity a rare blending of philosophy and mythology, which he felt satisfies both the mind and the heart.Here, as so often in Chesterton, we sense a lived, awakened faith. All that he writes derives from a keen intellect guided by the heart's own knowledge.

Probably Chesterton's most popular book of essays. The thirty-nine short essays that make up Chesterton's delightful book. Among this collection: "A Piece of Chalk", where a drawing exercise turns into a lesson on the nature of truth, "Twelve Men", an explanation on why we have juries made of our peers and not professional jurors, "The Dragon's Grandmother", on why we should read fairy tales to our children along with many more endearing reflections.Chesterton looks at ordinary things and asks us to see how extraordinary they are-the contents of his pockets, the items in a railway station, pedestrians in the street. What appear to be trifles are actually tremendous, and he uses them as a springboard to expound on Christianity, the nuclear family, democracy, and the like with supreme clarity and wit.The essays gathered here are a testament to G.K. Chesterton's faith-not his faith in religion or a higher power, but in the ability to discover something wonderful in the objects, the experiences, and the people that cross our paths every single day. With his unique brand of humor and insight, he demonstrates how the commonplace adds enormous value to the landscape of daily life. Chesterton's commentaries first published nearly a century ago-remain fresh today.

The Ballad of the White Horse is one of the last great epic poems in the English language.In the dark times before a unified England, warring tribes roved and sparred for territory across the British Isles. The Ballad of the White Horse records the deeds and military accomplishments of Alfred the Great as he defeats the invading Danes at the Battle of Ethandun. The poem follows the battle-from the gathering of the chiefs to the last war cry-with a care to rhythm, sound, and language that makes it a magnificent work of art as well as a vital piece of English history. Chesterton incorporates brilliant imagination, atmosphere, moral concern, chronological continuity, wisdom and fancy. He makes his stanzas reverberate with sound, and hurries his readers into the heart of the battle.

In Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton gives a stirring defense of Christianity. Chesterton fought against the reductionist materialism with laughter, joy, and gratitude for the beauty of the world God has given us. We usually think of orthodoxy and the tenets of the Christian faith as dry, arbitrary, and perhaps even nonsensical. Chesterton shows that orthodoxy is beautiful and fits perfectly the strange, quirky world. For those of us who do not pay any attention to the strangeness of the world, this book is essential reading. The world may not have fairies, but it does have the sun, rivers, trees, and the sky, and they are as strange as anything we will find in a fairy tale. Read this book, then go outside and marvel.

Bertie Wooster's life is changed when the highly competent Jeeves arrives to replace Wooster's previous, thieving valet. In ten uproariously amusing tales, Jeeves quietly comes to the rescue as Wooster, his fiancé, his foppish friends, and airy aristocratic acquaintances land themselves in the soup again. Among other hullabaloo and adventure, Wodehouse's much-loved cast of characters navigate unintentional or broken engagements, orchestrate visits with ghastly friends of relatives, and scramble to avoid the consequences of not a few little white lies. This Warbler Classics edition includes an extensive biographical timeline.

G. K. Chesterton's celebrity priest-detective returns in The Secret of Father Brown, the fourth of five collections of short stories featuring Father Brown. Through his uncanny ability to anticipate the actions of others and his profound understanding of human nature, Father Brown uncovers the truth behind perplexing murders, elaborate robberies, and other acts of maleficence. Flambeau, once the most famous burglar in France and now a detective in England, makes a reappearance as Father Brown's reformed friend and colleague in the two stories that frame the eight detective mysteries in this volume. Father Brown's investigations involve such varied characters as the celebrated poet Osric Orm, the Robin Hood-like criminal Michael Moonshine, the goldfish-obsessed Peregrine Smart, the haggard theatre manager Mundon Mandeville, and the eccentric Lady Mounteagle. This collection includes "The Vanishing of Vaudrey," one of Chesterton's most memorable and startling stories, and "The Chief Mourner of Marne," a story that vies with "The Sign of the Broken Sword" for the position of Chesterton's masterpiece.

"It will be very reasonably asked why I should consent, though upon a sort of challenge, to write even a popular essay in English history, who make no pretence to particular scholarship and am merely a member of the public. The answer is that I know just enough to know one thing: that a history from the standpoint of a member of the public has not been written. What we call the popular histories should rather be called the anti-popular histories. They are all, nearly without exception, written against the people; and in them the populace is either ignored or elaborately proved to have been wrong."

Gilbert Keith Chesterton KC*SG (29 May 1874 - 14 June 1936) was an English writer, philosopher, Christian apologist, and literary and art critic. He has been referred to as the "prince of paradox". Of his writing style, Time observed: "Whenever possible, Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories-first carefully turning them inside out."Chesterton created the fictional priest-detective Father Brown, and wrote on apologetics. Even some of those who disagree with him have recognised the wide appeal of such works as Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man. Chesterton routinely referred to himself as an "orthodox" Christian, and came to identify this position more and more with Catholicism, eventually converting to Roman Catholicism from high church Anglicanism. Biographers have identified him as a successor to such Victorian authors as Matthew Arnold, Thomas Carlyle, John Henry Newman and John Ruskin.Chesterton wrote around 80 books, several hundred poems, some 200 short stories, 4,000 essays (mostly newspaper columns), and several plays. He was a literary and social critic, historian, playwright, novelist, Catholic theologian and apologist, debater, and mystery writer. He was a columnist for the Daily News, The Illustrated London News, and his own paper, G. K.'s Weekly; he also wrote articles for the Encyclopedia Britannica, including the entry on Charles Dickens and part of the entry on Humour in the 14th edition (1929). His best-known character is the priest-detective Father Brown, who appeared only in short stories, while The Man Who Was Thursday is arguably his best-known novel. He was a convinced Christian long before he was received into the Catholic Church, and Christian themes and symbolism appear in much of his writing. In the United States, his writings on distributism were popularised through The American Review, published by Seward Collins in New York.Of his nonfiction, Charles Dickens: A Critical Study (1906) has received some of the broadest-based praise. According to Ian Ker (The Catholic Revival in English Literature, 1845-1961, 2003), "In Chesterton's eyes Dickens belongs to Merry, not Puritan, England"; Ker treats Chesterton's thought in chapter 4 of that book as largely growing out of his true appreciation of Dickens, a somewhat shop-soiled property in the view of other literary opinions of the time. The biography was largely responsible for creating a popular revival for Dickens's work as well as a serious reconsideration of Dickens by scholars.Chesterton's writings consistently displayed wit and a sense of humour. He employed paradox, while making serious comments on the world, government, politics, economics, philosophy, theology and many other topics. ...(wikipedia.org)

" Rightly or wrongly, it is certain that a man both liberal and chivalric, can and very often does feel a dis-ease and distrust touching those political women we call Suffragettes. Like most other popular sentiments, it is generally wrongly stated even when it is rightly felt. One part of it can be put most shortly thus: that when a woman puts up her fists to a man she is putting herself in the only posture in which he is not afraid of her. He can be afraid of her speech and still more of her silence; but force reminds him of a rusted but very real weapon of which he has grown ashamed. But these crude summaries are never quite accurate in any matter of the instincts...."

" It will be very reasonably asked why I should consent, though upon a sort of challenge, to write even a popular essay in English history, who make no pretence to particular scholarship and am merely a member of the public. The answer is that I know just enough to know one thing: that a history from the standpoint of a member of the public has not been written. What we call the popular histories should rather be called the anti-popular histories. They areall, nearly without exception, written against the people; and in them the populace is either ignored or elaborately proved to have been wrong...."