Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G. K. Chesterton [Hardcover]

Joseph Pearce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1997

Joseph Pearce has avioded the factual errors and misjudgements made by most earlier biographers, and his research has been meticulous, with the result that ths study contains a great deal of important material never before published. This is the most important work on Chesterton since Maisie Ward's official biography of 1944.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In this spiritual biography of the English social commentator and author, most memorably, of the Father Brown mysteries, English author Pearce focuses primarily on Chesterton's conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1922. Pearce goes on to celebrate Chesterton's happy childhood and family life, successful marriage, and friendships with Hilaire Belloc, George Bernard Shaw, and other Victorian and 20th-century writers. Also detailed are Chesterton's social and political activism as well as his romanticism and childlike joie de vivre. Pearce draws copiously from Chesterton's published writings and correspondence and from previous biographies, notably those by Maisie Ward, Michael Coren, and Michael Ffinch. Indeed, 26 pages of endnotes demonstrate the heavy reliance of the author on these sources. The result is a marginal offering that may be considered for religion collections and for those specializing in minor English authors of the early 20th century.?Nancy M. Laskowski, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Wisdom And Innocence is the astonishing biography of an astonishing man -- G. K. Chesterton. Chesterton was a journalist, essayist, biographer, poet, novelist, and playwright. He debated with all the great names of his day, disdaining conventionality, championing the Liberal cause and prophesying the wars and catastrophes that the century would witness. A modern intellect, he strove for integrity, his religious faith and conversion to Catholicism affecting every area of his life and profoundly influencing others. Joseph Pearce has done his research thoroughly and well, bringing to the reading public a superb biography containing information and material heretofore unknown about one of the truly influential men of his time -- G. K. Chesterton. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 522 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press; 1st edition (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898706297
• ISBN-13: 978-0898706291
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,515,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable and comprehensive biography, June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G. K. Chesterton (Hardcover)

I'm not a big fan of biographies, but Pearce does a fine job here. Part of it obviously is due to the wonderful man he is dealing with, a splendidly witty writer who perfected the paradox and dared to insert common sense into politics. The material on the younger Chesterton isn't too interesting, but Pearce succesfully explains Chesterton's views, reviews all his major writings, covers his personal life well and gives fair space to Chesterton's critics as well as his friends (though the two were often one and the same, such as Shaw and Wells, as the book points out). A very good introduction into the life of Chesterton and recommended for anyone interested in him or anyone who doesn't know anything of this great man.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Unique Insight, April 3, 2000

By 

Georges Allaire (Quebec, Qc, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G. K. Chesterton (Hardcover)

For the first time in all the years I have learnt from G.K. Chesterton, I have found a biographer able to explain the Marconi scandal... Cecil, G.K.'s brother, was attacking insider trading before it became a fashion to do so. Joseph Pearce allows us to understand and value G.K. fidelity towards his brother's memory and social insights. Hat's off to the biographer.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Moving Tribute to GKC, May 1, 2006

By 

Arthem "arthem" (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wisdom & Innocence: A Life of G.K. Chesterton (Paperback)

This is an audacious book. Consider for a moment - you are an author writing a biography of an author, who had in turn already written an autobiography. And the author you are writing about is GK Chesteron. After all GKC said about himself, what more is there to say?

Fortunately, a lot. While this work is a biography, it comes close to being a deserved panegyric as well. Pearce is clearly taken with his subject, and the result is one that mimic's Chesterton's own habit of "conveying the truth, if not the facts."

That being said, Wisdom & Innocence is a hefty book, covering Chesterton's life in strangely selected detail. It serves as a nice "jumping off point" to Chesterton's other works, although I share some frustration with other reviewers that some detail is lacking (my personal gripe is that the intellectual battle between Chesterton, Wells and Shaw is overshadowed by descriptions of their genial personal relationship).

After all of Chesterton's nominal biographies of great literary figures, one can easily forgive Pearce for applying the same "impressionist" techniques to Chesterton himself. I, for one, think GK would be pleased.