Paradox in Chesterton

by Hugh Kenner

156 pages

First published January 1, 1948

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful dilation on the great G. K. Chesterton. Kenner argues that Chesterton was notmere wordsmith but a philosopher and theologian of the first order, even a Doctor of the Church. He refers, in a magnificent phrase, to Chesterton's "great metaphysical intuition of being." His discussion of being, analogy, and Thomism is among the best I've ever seen for concision and ease of understanding.

[J. Alfred · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this guy Chesterton is pretty good. And if you haven't heard, this guy Kenner is pretty good too. This though it has its flaws, is certainly the best book on Chesterton I've read (discounting the autobiography, and even for that, I'd have to distinguish 'best' from 'most entertaining'), and Kenner wrote it when he was about twenty five, for his Masters' thesis, on his way to Yale, on his way to redefining the Modernist period in literature. Yes well.
Paradox, Kenner says, can be either merely verbal or ideational, that is, correspond to either complexities in language for rhetorical effect or to complexities in reality itself and which can't be avoided. Chesterton uses both because he's a visionary who sees the secret (secretly obvious) truth of things and because he's a journalist intent on helping his readers see the same. This book will increase your appreciation of just what it is that Chesterton does, and it will increase your anger at the universe of publishing that more of his works aren't easily available in cheap publications.
Kenner's teacher at the University of Toronto, Marshall McLuahn, wrote a joyless and needlessly combative introduction for the book. Skip it freely.

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, published in 1948, is one of the earliest works of literary criticism of the great Christian writer G.K. Chesterton. Hugh Kenner explores the underpinnings of Chesterton's use of paradox, in particular calling him a "latter-day Aquinas" because of his use of analogy. Kenner also contrasts Chesterton with other writers such as James Joyce. Kenner does provide fair criticism of Chesterton, noting that “Chesterton never achieves a great poem because his poems are compilations of statements not intensely felt but only intensely meant.” The author asserts that Chesterton was primarily a moralist and philosopher, not a novelist or a poet. Significantly, this book is introduced by Marshall McLuhan.

[Bill Hammack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly excellent. Kenner points out that Chesterton was a natural metaphysician, and that his use of paradox lies at the root of our understanding of the world and is the essence of Christinity. Kenner likely ascribes too much coherence to Chesterton's thought; he also points out that Chesterton was often a poor writer. Don't know if I'll ever read much Chesterton, but at least have an approach now.

[Chesterton Portugal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente. Um livro extraordinário para quem se interessa pela teoria da linguagem e por Wittgenstein.