More stories and other works by G K Chesterton
The Wisdom of Father Brown: The second collection of mysteries featuring the beloved priest-detective. The twelve stories include "The Absence of Mr. Glass" and "The Head of Caesar."
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/223
The Incredulity of Father Brown: The third collection of Father Brown mysteries. Eight stories, including "The Oracle of the Dog," "The Miracle of Moon Crescent" and "The Resurrection of Father Brown."
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0201021.txt
The Secret of Father Brown: The fourth collection of Father Brown mysteries. In addition to a prologue and epilogue, the eight stories include "The Man with Two Beards," "The Red Moon of Meru," and what some fans think is the best Father Brown mystery, "The Chief Mourner of Marne."
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0201041.txt
The Scandal of Father Brown: The fifth and final set in the series of Father Brown mysteries. Eight stories, including "The Blast of the Book" and "The Insoluble Problem."
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0201031.txt
The Napoleon of Notting Hill: Chesterton's first novel, a story about the residents of a London suburb who take up arms and declare their independence from England.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/20058
The Club of Queer Trades: Six adventures of Basil and Rupert Grant, who encounter what seem to be strange, unexplainable crimes, all of which turn out to have even stranger explanations. With illustrations by Chesterton.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1696
The Man Who Was Thursday: Chesterton's most famous novel, about a policeman who infiltrates a secret organization of anarchists.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1695
Manalive: A novel about Innocent Smith, a man who picnics on rooftops, breaks into his own house, has an affair with his own wife.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1718
The Flying Inn: A novel which Chesterton said was one of the books he most enjoyed writing. Imagining what England would be like under Prohibition, Chesterton follows the adventures of two men who travel through the country with a barrel of rum and a temporary inn sign which they hang up at every occasion. It is a romp, filled with amusing characters and wonderful drinking songs, such as "The Song of the Vegetarian," "The Song of Right and Wrong," and "The Song of Quoodle."
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Flying_Inn
The Man Who Knew Too Much: A collection of mysteries featuring another amateur detective, the rather languid Horne Fisher. No connection to the Alfred Hitchcock film(s) of the same name.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1720
Tales of the Long Bow: "These tales concern the doing of things recognised as impossible to do; impossible to believe; and, as the weary reader may well cry aloud, impossible to read about." So begins a series of what seem to be unconnected stories, which end up being connected, in which pigs fly, sows ears are sown into silk purses, and a gentleman eats his hat.
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100321.txt
The Return of Don Quixote: A novel which, in one sense, is the sequel to Tales of the Long Bow (it even has a recurring character); in another sense, it is the sequel to all his novels: softly whimsical and sharply pointed. Some consider it Chesterton's most finely crafted novel. Michael Herne, a mild librarian, playing the role of a medieval king in play, decides at the end of the performance to keep wearing his costume and head off into the real world as the champion of trade unions to do battle against the modern industrial state.
http://wikilivres.info/wiki/The_Return_of_Don_Quixote
The Poet and the Lunatics: Eight mysteries featuring the poet-detective, Gabriel Gale, who solves (or prevents) crimes committed by madmen. The lunatics all represent the modern breakdown of reason.
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/Poet_and_Lunatics.html
Four Faultless Felons: Four mysteries about men who are, respectively, a murderer, a fraud, a thief, and a traitor. All quite guilty. . . except for the fact that they're completely innocent, proving that "through the worst one could imagine comes the best one could not imagine."
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/0300781h.html
The Paradoxes of Mr. Pond: A collection of eight mysteries, featuring Mr. Pond (whose first name we never learn), an obscure bureaucrat who, wouldn't you know it, has a surprising way of solving crimes. Includes the remarkable story, "The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse."
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/0500421.txt
Basil Howe: Chesterton's first novel, never published during his lifetime. Discovered by Chesterton scholars Denis Conlon and Aidan Mackey. This was written in the 1890's and provides a fascinating glimpse of Chesterton's developing powers as a writer. Evoking Jane Austen in its witty, restrained dialogue, Chesterton's hero is a young man who has befriended three colorful sisters and is falling in love with one of them. Google Limited Preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=52eW6bDPq_wC&pg=PA444&dq=Chesterton+Basil+Howe#v=onepage&q=&f=false
The Sword of Wood (1928) is a neat, almost science-fictional squib about an "enchanted" sword which bears all comers until at last defeated by the hero's walking stick. The sword was magnetized, you see....
http://wikilivres.info/wiki/The_Sword_of_Wood
The Trees of Pride: A mystery tale involving strange transplanted trees and the superstition accompanying them.
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/1721-h.htm
The Disadvantage of Having Two heads: To Beryl Blanche DelaForce. Hoping that,
should she ever be tempted to accept the offer of TWO HEADS, this brief narrative
may suffice to dissuade her from so mistaken a course.
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/TheDisadvantageofhavingtwoheads.pdf
Plays
Magic: Chesterton's most successful play, which served as the basis for Ingmar Bergman's film, The Magician (though the two shouldn't be compared too closely). The question: is the magic real or not?
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/19094
The Judgment of Dr. Johnson: Chesterton's play about Samuel Johnson, the great 18th century man of letters. Chesterton was often compared with Dr. Johnson, and for good reason. Both were poets, critics, journalists, essayists, and conversationalists of great wit. The dialogue Chesterton gives Dr. Johnson in this play blends Johnson's aphorisms seamlessly with his own. Google Limited preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=mIsAHxtXyEcC&pg=PA233&dq=Judgment+of+Dr.+Johnson&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=&f=false
The Turkey and the Turk: A simple Christmas "Mummer's Play," in verse, where Chesterton uses the confrontation of St. George and the Turkish Knight to represent Christianity and Islam. Google limited preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=mIsAHxtXyEcC&pg=PA215&dq=The+Turkey+and+the+Turk#v=onepage&q=&f=false
The Surprise: Written in 1932, but never produced in Chesterton's lifetime. A play within a play, the Author of the play finally has to intervene because the actors make a mess of it. (The 1952 edition includes an introduction by Dorothy L. Sayers.) Google limited preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=mIsAHxtXyEcC&pg=PA297&dq=Surprise+chesterton#v=onepage&q=Surprise%20chesterton&f=false
Poetry
Greybeards at Play: Chesterton's first book, a slim volume of light verse with his own illustrations.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14706
The Wild Knight and Other Poems: Includes such favorites as "The Donkey" and "By the Babe Unborn."
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12037
The Ballad of the White Horse: Chesterton's epic poem about King Alfred's defeat of the Danes in 878. A neglected masterpiece about a neglected historical event.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1719
The Ballad of St. Barbara: Includes "Elegy in Country Churchyard" and "The Convert."
http://books.google.com/books?id=lEhAAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=The+Ballad+of+St.+Barbara#v=onepage&q=&f=false
More Poems by G K Chesterton here
http://www.poemhunter.com/gilbert-keith-chesterton/
Literary criticism/biographies:
The Defendant: Essays reprinted from Chesterton's literary reviews in The Speaker, includes A Defence of Ugly Things, of Nonsense, of Patriotism, of Detective Fiction, of Baby Worship, and even of Skeletons. The second edition includes A Defence of a Second Edition.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12245
Twelve Types: Essays from the Daily News and The Speaker, on figures such as Charlotte Bronte, Leo Tolstoy, Robert Louis Stevenson, and St. Francis.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12491
Robert Browning: Chesterton's first real book, which established his unique approach to both literary criticism and biography. He uses his subject merely as a device to expound on his own philosophy.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/13342
Varied Types: Twelve Types plus a few more, including essays on Bret Harte, Queen Victoria, and Tennyson.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14203
George Bernard Shaw: Chesterton and Shaw were friends but disagreed on most everything. This critique of Shaw's philosophy, politics and plays is, in effect, a critique of the prevailing ideas of the 20th century.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/19535
Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens: Also known as Chesterton on Dickens. A collection of Introductions to each of Dickens' works. Reveals the breadth and depth of Chesterton's acquaintance with Dickens but also an insider's view of the creative process and the art of the written word.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/22362
The Victorian Age in Literature: A sweeping yet succinct volume of literary criticism, packed with Chestertonian surprises, such as the point that one of the principal literary influences on the Victorian poets and novelists was a writer named Darwin.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/18639
Robert Louis Stevenson: The author of popular works from A Child's Garden of Verses to Treasure Island and Kidnapped, Stevenson was treated harshly by the "higher" critics, and Chesterton's criticism of the critics is as extensive - and as enjoyable - as his defense of Stevenson and his lively, romantic and adventurous view of life. Chesterton's description of childhood is exquisite.
http://www.archive.org/details/robertlouissteve00chesrich
Other Essays
All Things Considered: A book of essays reprinted from Chesterton's weekly column in the Illustrated London News. Includes "On Running After One's Hat," "Cockneys and their Jokes," "Wine When It is Red."
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11505
Tremendous Trifles: Essays reprinted from Chesterton's weekly column in the Daily News. Includes "A Piece of Chalk," "On Lying in Bed," "The Twelve Men," "What I Found in My Pocket." A great introduction to Chesterton.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/8092
Alarms and Discursions: Essays reprinted from the Daily News. Includes "On Gargoyles," "The Futurists," "How I Found the Superman," and "Cheese" (a subject about which poets are mysteriously silent.)
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/9656
A Miscellany of Men: A collection of essays reprinted from the Daily News. Includes "The Miser," "The Mystagogue," and "The Romantic in the Rain."
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2015
The Barbarism of Berlin: A critique of war.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11560
The Appetite of Tyranny: Reprinted articles from the London Daily Mail, written at the outset of World War I, this book attacks German philosophy and politics, and is surprisingly prophetic about World War II and the reasons for defending against German aggression. Includes the previously published The Barbarism of Berlin. and "Letters to an Old Garibaldian."
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11605
The Crimes of England: Another wartime book, in which Chesterton responds to the typical German attacks on England by explaining what the real weaknesses, the real "crimes" of England have been in its history.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11554
Lord Kitchener: Kitchener, a former field marshall in Africa, was British Secretary of State at the beginning of World War I and was responsible for recruiting soldiers. Adored by the general public, but disliked by the Cabinet ministers, he died a hero when, on a mission to Russia, his ship was sunk by a German mine. This commemoration, written just after Kitchener's death, contains an interesting discussion of Islam, since Kitchener spent so much time in Sudan.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/25795
Utopia of Usurers: A collection of essays reprinted from the Daily Herald. A critique of the "strange poetry of plutocracy" and other modern developments which still afflict the common man, robbing him of his dignity, his autonomy, and his simple pleasures.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/2134
A Short History of England: Known as the history book with no dates in it (but see if you can find some), Chesterton at once paints the big picture but also includes the most overlooked details of English history: the landscape, the buildings, the ruins, the little things, and "The meaning of Merry England."
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/20897
Irish Impressions: Chesterton's portrait of Ireland's distinct culture is sympathetic and perceptive. Written in the midst of the events surrounding Ireland's fight for Home Rule.
http://www.archive.org/details/irishimp00chesuoft
The Uses of Diversity: A collection of essays reprinted from The Illustrated London News and New Witness on subjects ranging from the Japanese, the Mormons, the Christian Scientists, and the Futurists to Shakespeare, Shaw, and Jane Austen.
http://books.google.com/books?id=wKopAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Uses+of+Diversity#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Eugenics and other Evils: A powerful and prophetic book that gets at the root of the evils which would give rise to Nazi Germany and which still plague modern society. Chesterton shows how evil wins through ambiguity and "through the strength of its splendid dupes."
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/25308
What I Saw in America: A book of essays written during Chesterton's trip to America in 1921, with his unique and incisive observations of "the only nation ever founded on a creed."
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/27250
Fancies Versus Fads: A collection of essays reprinted from London Mercury, New Witness, and Illustrated London News. Includes an introduction by Chesterton. He takes on modern poetry, modern history, modern laws, and even another modern thing called "film."
http://www.archive.org/details/fanciesfads00chesuoft
The End of the Roman Road: Subtitled, "A Pageant of Wayfarers," this short piece is neither an essay nor a short story, but something of both, about the Roman influence on English culture. Google limited preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=52eW6bDPq_wC&pg=PA262&dq=%22The+End+of+the+Roman+Road#v=onepage&q=%22The%20End%20of%20the%20Roman%20Road&f=false
William Cobbett: Cobbett (1763-1835) was a popular journalist, a defender of rural England and the rights of small property owners, and a critic of the rise of industrialism. In other words, he was an early version of Chesterton, and certainly one of Chesterton's heroes (and of Distributists everywhere).
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks09/0900441.txt
The Outline of Sanity: Chesterton's most systematic treatment of Distributism, a scathing critique of communism, capitalism, and commercialism, leaving the only logical alternative, in his view: the wide distribution of capital, private ownership, and productive property.
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/Sanity.txt
Do We Agree?: The text of a debate between Chesterton and George Bernard Shaw, mostly about Socialism vs. Distributism. Hillaire Belloc serves as moderator, and, truth be told, wins the day.
http://wikilivres.info/wiki/Do_We_Agree%3F
All I Survey: A collection of essays reprinted from Chesterton's weekly column in the Illustrated London News from 1931 and 1932. The usual variety of subjects includes taxes, the solar system, literary cliques, and eating and sleeping.
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/All_I_Survey.txt
Avowals and Denials: A collection of essays reprinted from Chesterton's weekly column in the Illustrated London News from 1932 and 1933. The usual variety of subjects include jazz, monsters, free verse, dogs and apes.
Google limited preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=X33kmYfTfZwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Avowals+and+Denials+chesterton#v=onepage&q=&f=false
As I Was Saying: A collection of essays reprinted from Chesterton's weekly column in the Illustrated London News from 1934 and 1935. The usual variety of subjects includes Traffic, Blondes, Shirts, the Telephone and Mad Metaphors.
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/As_I_Was_Saying.txt
Autobiography: It is hard for a humble man to talk about himself, so Chesterton talks about several other things instead, giving us glimpses along the way of what is ostensibly the subject of this book, which was completed just before his death and published just after it.
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/GKC-Autobiography.txt
The End of the Armistice: A collection of essays from G.K.'s Weekly, compiled by Frank Sheed, to demonstrate Chesterton's acute awareness of "future history." He predicted the coming of World War II, even that it would begin on the Polish border. Says Sheed, "Now when a man is as right as that in his forecasts, there is some reason to think he may be right in his premises." Google limited preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=XsWrlo7P-5cC&pg=PA523&dq=End+of+the+Armistice+chesterton#v=onepage&q=&f=false
The Common Man: A collection of essays from several different periodicals, compiled by Dorothy Collins, Chesterton's secretary and literary executrix. Includes "If I Had Only One Sermon to Preach," "Rabelasian Regrets" and a wonderful essay on "A Midsummer's Night Dream."
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/Common_Man.txt
Brave New Family: Subtitled "G.K. Chesterton on Men & Women, Children, Sex, Divorce, Marriage & the Family." Essays, short quotations, and poems compiled by Alvaro de Silva. An excellent and well- organized collection, which includes some great material that is not available elsewhere. We need more collections like this one.
Google limited preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=xqYiR3WO7RAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Chesterton+Brave+New+Family#v=onepage&q=&f=false
On Lying in Bed and Other Essays: A wonderful new collection bringing together some of Chesterton's best essays which have long been out of print. Edited and introduced by Alberto Manguel. Google limited preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=QtWvMclbR9YC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Chesterton+Lying+in+Bed#v=onepage&q=&f=false
The Defendant: G.K. Chesterton's collected essays on subjects ranging from detective stories and penny dreadfuls to heraldry and patriotism. The essays originally appeared in "The Speaker" but were edited and revised for republication.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12245
The Spice of Life: A collection of essays compiled from different sources by Dorothy Collins. Includes "On the Essay," "The Macbeths" "The Philosophy of Islands" and "On Losing One's Head."
http://wikilivres.info/wiki/The_Spice_of_Life_and_Other_Essays
The Apostle and the Wild Ducks. Dorothy Collins' final compilation of essays from several different sources. Includes "On Manners", "For Persons of the Name of Smith," "Asparagus," and the incomparable "What's Right with the World."
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/Wild_Ducks.txt
Chesterton Day by Day: Selections from the Writings in Prose and Verse of G. K. Chesterton, with an Extract for every Day of the Year and for each of the Moveable Feasts.
http://www2.nd.edu/Departments/Maritain/etext/gkcday.htm
Christian works
Heretics: An often overlooked book that contains some of Chesterton's strongest writing, as he takes on the "heresies" of modern thought, such as negativism, relativism, neo-paganism, puritanism, aestheticism, individualism. Includes one of his best essays, "On Certain Modern Writers and the Institution of the Family."
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/470
Orthodoxy: Considered by many to be Chesterton's best book, it is a spiritual autobiography and defense of the Christian faith.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/16769
The Ball and the Cross: A novel that acts out the debate between Christianity and atheism, as embodied by two characters who propose to fight a duel but can never manage carry it out. Filled with humor, rich dialogue and striking allegorical imagery.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/5265
What's Wrong With the World: Chesterton systematically takes on Big Government, Big Business, Compulsory Education, and Feminism.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1717
Divorce vs. Democracy: Essay reprinted from Nash Magazine, along with an introduction. An argument that divorce is not democratic, that the vast majority of people are against it.
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Divorce_versus_Democracy
The Superstition of Divorce: Arguing that divorce is, at best, a failure, Chesterton is more interested in finding the cure than allowing the disease to complete its effects. A defense of the sanctity of the family.
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Superstition_of_Divorce
The New Jerusalem: Written during a trip to the Holy Land, Chesterton's observations combine history, literature, religion, social criticism, and whatever else comes to his mind. Includes a controversial chapter on Zionism.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/13468
St. Francis of Assisi: A book about St. Francis, putting him into his context, taking him through the phases of his spiritual development, showing us that "he was a poet whose whole life was a poem," and finally, explaining that he reflects the divine light as the moon reflects the light of the sun.
http://www.archive.org/details/francisofassisi00chesuoft
The Everlasting Man: Written as a sort of rebuttal to H.G. Wells' Outline of History, this is Chesterton's view of history, presented in two parts: "On The Creature Called Man," and "On The Man Called Christ," arguing that the central character in history is Christ, and that no explanation other than the Christian one makes as much sense.
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100311.txt
The Catholic Church and Conversion: Written five years after his conversion, Chesterton describes the feeling of discovering that the Catholic Church is "larger on the inside than on the outside." He addresses both the common objections and the real obstacles to conversion.
http://wikilivres.info/wiki/The_Catholic_Church_and_Conversion
Social Reform vs. Birth Control: A short work in which Chesterton argues that the advocates of birth control are merely dupes of industrial capitalism.
http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/Social_Reform_B.C.txt
The Thing: Why I am a Catholic: The word "Catholic" means "universal" and in this book Chesterton not only defends his Catholic faith from attacks on all sides, but shows how it is the right answer to all questions. He applies "The Thing" (i.e. the Faith) to all other things: worldly philosophies, economic theory and practice, nationalism, Protestantism, agnosticism, art, history, education, and sports. Universal.
http://wikilivres.info/wiki/The_Thing
The Well and the Shallows: This book could be called More of The Thing. It is the natural sequel to that book, a collection of essays reprinted from a number of different periodicals, which apply "The Thing" to everything else, including sex, materialism, nihilism, Puritanism, Capitalism, free thought, Luther and the rest. Includes the essay, "Babies and Distributism," which is cast down like a gauntlet against modern thought.
http://wikilivres.info/wiki/The_Well_and_the_Shallows
St. Thomas Aquinas: (Subtitled in some subsequent editions, The Dumb Ox.) "I consider it as being without possible comparison the best book ever written on St. Thomas." So wrote the renowned international scholar, Etienne Gilson. But besides being merely the best book ever written about St. Thomas, Chesterton's book has the virtue of being the most readable.
http://wikilivres.info/wiki/St._Thomas_Aquinas:_The_Dumb_Ox
The Spirit of Christmas: Stories, poems, and essays about Christmas, compiled by Marie Smith, most of which appear in previous collections, but some which are collected here for the first time. Google limited preview
http://books.google.com/books?id=yz5INgXDf00C&pg=PA330&dq=Chesterton+The+Spirit+of+Christmas#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Complete Bibliography here
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poet.html?id=1228
