The Scandal of Father Brown [Paperback]

G. K. Chesterton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 2007

Another collection of G.K. Chesterton's ingenious, thoughtful, and lyrically written mystery stories featuring the unassuming little priest who solves crimes by imagining himself inside the mind and soul of criminals, thus understanding their motives. The stories are full of paradox, spiritual insight, and "Chestertonian fantasy," or seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary. In the title story, a beautiful (and married) rich woman has taken up with a distinguished poet--and Father Brown, rather than reacting as expected, appears to be providing assistance. Also includes The Quick One, The Blast of the Book, The Green Man, The Pursuit of Mr Blue, The Crime of the Communist, The Point of a Pin, The Insoluble Problem, and The Vampire of the Village. Newly designed and typeset in a modern 6-by-9-inch format by Waking Lion Press.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

6 1-hour cassettes --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

About the Author

GK Chesterton was born in London in 1874 and educated at St Paul's School, before studying art at the Slade School. In 1896, he began working for the London publisher, Redway, and also T. Fisher Unwin as a reader where he remained until 1902. During this time he undertook his first freelance journalistic assignments writing art and literary reviews. He also contributed regular columns to two newspapers: the Speaker (along with his friend Hilaire Belloc) and the Daily News. Throughout his life he contibuted further articles to journals, particularly The Bookman and The Illustrated London News. His first two books were published; two poetry collections, in 1900. These were followed by collections of essays and in 1903 by his most substantial work to that point; a study of Robert Browning. Chesterton's first novel, 'The Napoleon of Notting Hill' was published in 1904. In this book he developed his political attitudes in which he attacked socialism, big business and technology and showed how they become the enemies of freedom and justice. These were themes which were to run throughout his other works. 'The Man who was Thursday' was published in 1908 and is perhaps the novel most difficult to understand, although it is also his most popular. 'The Ball and the Cross' followed in 1910 and 'Manalive' in 1912. Chesterton's best-known fictional character appears in the Father Brown stories, the first of the collection, 'The Innocence of Father Brown', being published in 1911. Brown is a modest Catholic priest who uses careful psychology to put himself in the place of the criminal in order to solve the crime. His output was prolific, with a great variety of books from brilliant studies of Dickens, Shaw, and RL Stevenson to literary criticism. He also produced more poetry and many volumes of political, social and religious essays. Tremendous zest and energy, with a mastery of paradox, puns, a robust humour and forthright devotion along with great intelligence characterise his entire output. In the years prior to 1914 his fame was at its height, being something of a celebrity and seen as a latter day Dr Johnson as he frequented the pubs and offices of Fleet Street. His huge figure was encased in a cloak and wide brimmed hat, with pockets full of papers and proofs. Chesterton came from a nominlly Anglican family and had been baptized into the Church of England. However, he had no particular Christian belief and was in fact agnostic for a time. Nevertheless, in his late --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Classic Books Library (February 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600968309
• ISBN-13: 978-1600968303
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,234,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous and Magnetic, April 30, 2006

By 

Jean E. Pouliot (Newburyport, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scandal of Father Brown (Audio Cassette)

Chesterton again allows us to accompany Father Brown, preternaturally-unbiased master of human nature, as he stumbles across another series of murders and mysteries. These stories in this series are not as compact as those in other books, notably "The Innocence of Father Brown," but they have the same magnetic power to draw the reader in.

As ever, Chesterton is interested not only in delivering first rate detective stories, but of describing human nature. His characters are flawed and biased, all blind in their own way, which is what makes it so difficult to see the truth that lies before them. Father Brown, ever kind and imperturbable, nearly always sees right through to the heart of the matter. Posing as a humble parish priest, which he is, he somehow sees beyond the class boundaries which it is Chesterton's special gift to point out and puncture.

Not all the stories are murder mysteries. "The Scandal of Father Brown" is about a man in pursuit of an errant wife; and "The Insoluble Problem" is about crime, but not the one Brown is called to investigate. In all of his stories, would-be detectives, constables, lovers, actors, academics and men of means cross paths in ways that are befuddling to all but the dumpy little priest in the round spectacles.

Listening to this collection was a wonderful way to pass several long commutes.

In the version I heard, BTW, reader Tom Whitworth did a great job with one exception. He evidently did not realize that Flambeau is a Frenchman!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for mystery lovers!, June 4, 2006

By 

Kimberly Taylor "Mad Scientist" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Scandal Of Father Brown (Paperback)

I've been a mystery addict since I was 13, when I encountered "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", but for some reason I had never read any of G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown stories. I recently found "The Scandal of Father Brown" in my local library. I've been eagerly devouring these stories, although paradoxically I don't want the book to end!

Father Brown is a small, unassuming figure, who peers at the world through "moonlike spectables". His appearance belies his intellect: as one character states, he could have been a detective instead of a priest. His observational skills and keen insight into human behavior allow him to solve even the most intractable problems.

Father Brown may draw comparison to other Golden Sleuths, such as Hercule Poirot, but there is one major difference: G.K. Chesterton's rich sense of humor pervades every tale. The stories aren't "funny" in the Wodehouse sense, but they display a definite appreciation of life and sense of the absurb.

Read this book! You'll be very happy you did.