The Club of Queer Trades [Large Print] [Hardcover]

G. K. Chesterton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2004

With all 32 original illustrations by the author

British writers have long enjoyed inventing preposterous clubs with eccentric members, unusual qualifications for membership, and zany rules of behavior; G. K. Chesterton was no exception. Here, six marvelously funny episodes with improbable plots revolving around just such an institution are made especially pleasing by Chesterton's vivid descriptions of late Victorian London, sly pokes at the legal system, and characteristic gift for delicious nonsense.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 275 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (April 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786264225
• ISBN-13: 978-0786264223
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,735,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A clever droll piece, June 7, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (santiago, chile) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Club of Queer Trades (Paperback)

These are six, separate, stand-alone little mysteries that together contain a larger book-length plot. The book is full of cunning though largely innocent deception, and each story backflips into a droll surprise ending. The characters -- the practioners of queer, and quaint, trades -- are likewise other than they seem. For all the philosphical and theological depth of Chesterton, these stories are light and deft and thoroughly entertaining. This is a small book expertly turned and burnished -- an exquisite Victorian miniature.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Diversion for Fans of Sherlock Holmes, February 7, 2002

By 

A. Wolverton (Crofton, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Club of Queer Trades (Paperback)

'The Club of Queer Trades' is a very clever collection of stories all dealing with an exclusive club. Anyone can join the club...that is, if you can invent a completely new and different form of employment...oh, and be able to sustain a living by it also. This is a very entertaining book that will be a nice diversion for mystery fans, especially those who enjoy Sherlock Holmes stories.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Victorian, Singularly Chestertonian, Whimsical Characters, November 13, 2003

By 

Michael Wischmeyer (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Club of Queer Trades (Paperback)

This early work (1905) by G. K. Chesterton defies classification. These six successive stories initially appear to be mysteries, possibly whimsical mysteries, except that the apparent crimes and misdeeds may not be criminal upon closer inspection. The highly eccentric, zany characters add a frenzied element that baffles any effort at a calm and reasoned deduction. We not only wonder who committed a crime, but we are unsure of the crime itself. The motivation for the misdeeds is as murky as the crime.

We have all encountered tales of eccentric Victorian English clubs. The Club of Queer Trades is a secretive and selective gathering of individuals that have each created an exceedingly original profession. Each one must practice and earn a satisfactory living from his unique profession. Most are preposterous undertakings.

The Club of Queer Trades was not well-received by some literary critics. Nonetheless, I would be rather surprised if the fans of G. K. Chesterton's better known works like the Father Brown mysteries, The Paradoxes of Mr. Pond, and The Napoleon of Notting Hill do not find this curious collection to be superbly enjoyable. This Dover edition is substantially enhanced by the addition of 32 rare, full-page, humorous drawings by G. K. Chesterton himself.