This volume includes three classic G. K. Chesterton collections: All Things Considered, Tremendous Trifles, and Alarms and Discursions. These collections include both essays and short stories. A few gems among the stories include "The Perfect Game," "A Somewhat Improbable Story," "The Shop of Ghosts," and "How I Found the Superman."
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent essays from a master thinker in a good volume,
By expression (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Wit, Whimsy, and Wisdom of G. K. Chesterton, Volume 5: All Things Considered, Tremendous Trifles, Alarms and Discursions (Paperback)
I seldom write reviews, but I felt one is needed here.
I'll first speak of the volume (Coachwhip Publications) itself, as I believe most people interested in this are already familiar/in love with Chesterton's style. I am happy to report no complaints. It is printed in a clear, readable font on good paper. The binding is sturdy enough; it showed no signs of falling apart after 500 pages of reading and highlighting. I actually preferred this Coachwhip production over the Ignatius production: it has a larger font and the book size is less awkward for reading purposes. The cover design, with the cute, BIG Chesterton in one slipper, is bound to bring a smile. There are the occasional typos and punctuation omissions, but nothing insulting to the author or the reader. At least it does not read like a scanned production. All in all, a great value. Between this series and the mega-series published by Ignatius, one can garner a good collection of the prolific G.K.'s writings for many hours of enjoyment without breaking the bank. On to the writings. Why have I not heard of this wonderful writer before? I discovered Chesterton only through C.S. Lewis, who mentioned The Everlasting Man as his inspiration. I got a copy out of curiosity and, immediately smitten by the style, I craved more. The "wit, whimsy, and wisdom" (excellent title, by the way) of Chesterton is addictive. Unfortunately, people don't write like this anymore. More importantly, people don't think like this anymore... or maybe some do, but they can't write like him. The greatness of Chesterton - the "Prince of Paradox", lies in the way he can present heavy-weight truths in the most unexpected airy form. That means he is both a master in writing and in thinking, and we know it is rare to master either. Rarer still, G.K. is obviously a man with a big heart. No cynicism, no bitterness, no arrogance, no condescension: he points out ridiculousness with a generous laugh. Reading Chesterton makes one suddenly want to stand up and dance, because the world is really not so bad once one honestly comes face to face with what's wrong with it and its human inhabitants, including oneself. Chesterton being a journalist, the ~100 essays in this volume sometimes referred to then-current events and individuals, but his insights on humanity are universal and timeless. More often, the writings are general reflections on everyday life. That his observations on society, politics, and cultural trends still ring true after 100 years is evidence that humans will always be humans. This volume is a must-have for starters and fans alike because it includes the best of Chesterton: "The Fallacy of Success", "Patriotism and Sport", ""Science and Religion", "Humanitarianism and Strength", The Advantages of Having One Leg", "On Lying in Bed", "The Twelve Men", "The Wind and the Trees", "The Giant", "The Shop of Ghosts", "The Man and His Newspaper", "A Criminal Head", "How I found the Superman", "The New House", "The Three Kinds of Men", "The Wheel", "The Sentimentalist", "The High Plains"... but I fear I might list the whole book if I go on. The only danger with reading too much Chesterton is that it may be life-changing. A few quotations from this volume to give a taste of what you can expect from G.K.: "It is cheap to own a slave. And it is cheaper still to be a slave."- All Things Considered "Life is always worth living while men feel that they may die."- Alarms and Discursions "Brave men are vertebrates; they have their softness on the surface and their toughness in the middle. But these modern cowards are all crustaceans; their hardness is all on the cover and their softness is inside." - Tremendous Trifles "For fear of the newspapers politicians are dull, and at last they are too dull even for the newspapers." - All Things Considered "He is a (sane) man who can have tragedy in his heart and comedy in his head." - Tremendous Trifles "The whole curse of the last century has been what is called the Swing of the Pendulum; that is, the idea that Man must go alternately from one extreme to the other. It is a shameful and even shocking fancy; it is the denial of the whole dignity of the mankind. When Man is alive he stands still. It is only when he is dead that he swings" - Alarms and Discursions
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