Innocence of Father Brown Illustrated

No cover — G. K. Chesterton: Innocence of Father Brown Illustrated (2021, Independently Published)

English language

Published Nov. 10, 2021 by Independently Published.

ISBN:: 979-8-5315-3653-2

(1 review)

G.K. Chesterton was an English writer often referred to as "the prince of paradox." Chesterton wrote on a variety of different subjects including mystery fiction, religion, and literary critiques. Chesterton is best known for creating the priest-detective Father Brown and the popular book Orthodoxy. The Innocence of Father Brown is a collection of twelve short stories published in 1911.

48 editions

Orlion reviewed The Innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton

Welp, I gave Chesterton Another Chance

4 stars

Can't really blame him for my refusal to read him, though. Had a bad experience with a Russian Orthodox constantly invoking him instead of engaging in actual discussion.

But those were almost certainly from Chesterton's apologetic works and this was fiction! Fun detective stories of theft and murder!

All the stories were mostly enjoyable and minimal blackface and n-wording were to be found. Aside from that, Chesterton does seem to try a bit hard to be witty at times and it comes off as...forced? For a specific audience that doesn't think much about atheists, feminists, Scottish Presbyterians and the French? Like if you don't like one of those, you'll laugh when he does his "Calvinists, amirite?" bit and probably slap your knee to help control your hooting and hollering, ya uncultured plebian! Why don't you stick with your fart jokes instead of lying to yourself? You aren't fooling anybody, you …

Can't really blame him for my refusal to read him, though. Had a bad experience with a Russian Orthodox constantly invoking him instead of engaging in actual discussion.

But those were almost certainly from Chesterton's apologetic works and this was fiction! Fun detective stories of theft and murder!

All the stories were mostly enjoyable and minimal blackface and n-wording were to be found. Aside from that, Chesterton does seem to try a bit hard to be witty at times and it comes off as...forced? For a specific audience that doesn't think much about atheists, feminists, Scottish Presbyterians and the French? Like if you don't like one of those, you'll laugh when he does his "Calvinists, amirite?" bit and probably slap your knee to help control your hooting and hollering, ya uncultured plebian! Why don't you stick with your fart jokes instead of lying to yourself? You aren't fooling anybody, you couldn't recognize wit even if Oscar Wilde slapped you in the face with his giant- cough But I digress!

When it is good, the stories are very entertaining, and if nothing else, folks should read At the Sign of the Broken Sword which is legitimately a masterful piece of literature.