Chesterton's Biographies Non-Fiction Books

Robert Louis Stevenson, the great Scottish writer, was often harshly treated by the critics. Chesterton was a great admirer of his work and his ‘beautiful and piercing sense of the clarity of form’. With critical insight and perceptive analysis, Chesterton explores Stevenson’s life and relates the biographical details to his work in an intelligent and subtle study of the creator of Kidnapped and The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Evaluate the pre-eminent 19th century literature from the perspective of 20th century standards. ILLUS. THIS TITLE IS CITED AND RECOMMENDED BY: Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature.

This book was digitized and reprinted from the collections of the University of California Libraries. It was produced from digital images created through the libraries’ mass digitization efforts. The digital images were cleaned and prepared for printing through automated processes. Despite the cleaning process, occasional flaws may still be present that were part of the original work itself, or introduced during digitization. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found online in the HathiTrust Digital Library at www.hathitrust.org.

This book was digitized and reprinted from the collections of the University of California Libraries. It was produced from digital images created through the libraries’ mass digitization efforts. The digital images were cleaned and prepared for printing through automated processes. Despite the cleaning process, occasional flaws may still be present that were part of the original work itself, or introduced during digitization. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found online in the HathiTrust Digital Library at www.hathitrust.org.

British writer GILBERT KEITH CHESTERTON (1874-1936) expounded prolifically about his wide-ranging philosophies-he is impossible to categorize as "liberal" or "conservative," for instance-across a wide variety of avenues: he was an arts critic, historian, playwright, novelist, columnist, and poet. His witty, humorous style earned him the title of the "prince of paradox," and his works-80 books and nearly 4,000 essays-remain among the most beloved in the English language. First published in 1904, this is Chesterton's analysis of English painter and sculptor George Frederick Watts. One of his first books, it explores, through Chesterton's own artistic eye, the meanings and the beauty of the work of one of the most honored artists of his day, and remains an incisive masterpiece of critical thought. This replica edition includes all the original illustrations, including the beautiful sepia tones of Watts' paintings.

Chesterton asserts that Dickens was a great man and a great writer in this fascinating literary biography. He competently defends Dickens against the charges that he exaggerated too much and examines his writing in careful relation to his life. Chesterton’s insight into Dickens and his work is an excellent introduction to the writing of one of the most important literary figures of English Literature.

William Blake has long been regarded as something of an enigma, and his poetry, although much loved by young and old, seen as esoteric and mysterious. His ‘natural supernaturalism’, personal mythology and vision can leave readers dazzled by the intensity and passion of his verse. In this outstanding work, Chesterton goes right to the heart of the matter and addresses the question of whether Blake’s genius was tainted by madness or whether his peculiar outlook on the world was the key to his success. With a detailed exposition of Blake’s life, and by weaving lucid explanations of his philosophy and religion into a discourse on his poetry, Chesterton has produced a remarkable and sensitive biography.

A new edition of Chesterton's classic biography of St. Francis. Visit ChestertonBooks.com to see other books in this G. K. Chesterton series.

All of the usual caveats about Chesterton's writing apply here: he cannot resist a digression, he cannot resist an alliterative allusion, he cannot resist a pun. He is so full of life that he is constantly threatening to spin out of control. He is not a scholar, he is not writing a sober appraisal, he is probably not sure of most of the biographical details of his subject. In spite of these defects, the book is a triumph. Chesterton is the embodiment of "A Man in Full"; he is the polar opposite of C.S. Lewis' "Men without Chests". He is so full of good sense, penetrating insight, sound moral judgement, and the joy of life that it is all spilling out in every direction. Anyone who has read his book of literary criticism on Dickens will understand these points: this is criticism in an old key; it is appreciative criticism; it is an encounter with a writer by an entire man, and not just by a theory. It is wonderfully refreshing. No one today writes in a similar vein. Chesterton brings all of his larger-than-life presence to bear on this account of the life (sort of) and thought of one of history's great minds. And on just what aspect of Thomas' thought does he focus? In one diabolically politically incorrect section near the end of the book he bellows out that "on a map like the mind of Aquinas the mind of Luther was barely a speck", although he would hasten to add that his little book suffers the same ignoble comparison. There is a great deal to Thomas that he, of necessity, leaves out. But what he does include is very astutely chosen, for he understands the basic structure of Thomas' thought and emphasizes the essentials. Thus there is a chapter on Thomas' argument with the Manicheans and his affirmation of the goodness of the world. He treats with great aplomb Thomas' notion of "being" and its relation to God. He does great honor to Thomas' mode of argumentation, to his sober balance and fair treatment of opponents. He is appreciative of the devotional side of Thomas, which does not come through explicitly in his philosophical writings but is important for an understanding of the man. It must be granted that the book is as much about Chesterton as it is about Aquinas. Those wanting a more straight-forward treatment should seek out one of Josef Pieper's books on Aquinas. But if you have any adventurous spirit, by all means read this book. It is written by a man who loves and understands his subject in his very bones, and who brings his subject to life in a way that is most uncanny.

The book traces in some detail Shaw's work as a critic (puritanical opposition to Shakespeare) and as a dramatist. G K Chesterton was ideally placed to write this critical biography of the literary works and political views of George Bernard Shaw. He was a personal friend and yet an ardent opponent of Shaw's progressive socialism. The lightness of tone and the humour of his other works are equally present in his examination of Shaw. The book presents a perceptive and far from dated critique of Shaw's philosophy and politics and through them the emerging progressive orthodoxy of the 20 century. The book represents an excellent introduction to Shaw's work and the spirit of the age in which they were created.

‘A book like this can be but a bare outline of a life so full as that of William Cobbett' comments G. K. Chesterton as he traces the fascinating life of this prolific author, journalist, politician and editor of the Political Register. From Cobbett's boyhood in the south of England, to expatriation in France, his residence in the United States and subsequent return to England, Chesterton masterfully illuminates the life, times and philosophy of this complex and important figure.

The medieval poet as seen by a 20th century voice of art.

Excerpt from Leo Tolstoy The truth is that Tolstoy, with his immense genius, with his colossal faith, with his vast fearlessness and vast knowledge Of life, is deficient in one faculty and one faculty alone. He is not a mystic: and therefore he has a tendency to go mad. Men talk of the extravagances and frenzies that have been produced by mysticism: they are a'mere drop in the bucket. In the main, and from the beginning Of time, mys ticism has kept men sane. The thing that has driven them mad was logic. It is significant that, with all that has been Said about the excitability of poets, only one English poet ever went mad, and he went mad from a logical system Of theology. He was Cowper, and his poetry retarded his insanity for many years. SO poetry, in which Tolstoy is deficient, has always been a tonic and sanative thing. The only thing that has kept the race of men from the mad-extremes of the convent and the pirate-galley, the night-club and the lethal chamber, has been mysticism — the belief that logic is misleading, and that things are not what they seem....