Varied Types

by G.K. Chesterton

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Essays, Classics, Nonfiction, Biography

86 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1903

About the author

Gilbert Keith Chesterton was an English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic.

He was educated at St. Paul’s, and went to art school at University College London. In 1900, he was asked to contribute a few magazine articles on art criticism, and went on to become one of the most prolific writers of all time. He wrote a hundred books, contributions to 200 more, hundreds of poems, including the epic Ballad of the White Horse, five plays, five novels, and some two hundred short stories, including a popular series featuring the priest-detective, Father Brown. In spite of his literary accomplishments, he considered himself primarily a journalist. He wrote over 4000 newspaper essays, including 30 years worth of weekly columns for the Illustrated London News, and 13 years of weekly columns for the Daily News. He also edited his own newspaper, G.K.’s Weekly.

Chesterton was equally at ease with literary and social criticism, history, politics, economics, philosophy, and theology.

Reviews

[Ronald Wise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a rewarding jump back in time. A collection of twenty essays, ten of which had been previously published in the 1890s as Ten Types, republished in this edition with a few more essays written by Chesterton while he was an opinion columnist at London's Daily News in 1903. They all focus on famous individuals as critiques of one sort or another - either discussing their works and legacy in the case of creative set, or their contribution to the evolution of humanity for those known for their prominent roles in more ancient times. Many of them were the author's contemporaries, with some of the essays written just after their deaths - perhaps as his unique form of eulogy.

After just the first couple of these essays, I perceived a pattern to his style. In the first paragraph there would be one sentence that I had to read multiple times to fully understand, and then wasn't quite sure it could make sense. These paradoxical sentences made a statement in one clause which seemed to be contradicted by the second. I soon learned to value these "riddles" and eagerly read on to let him explain himself or make his point. I've since learned that some of the media referred to him as the "Prince of Paradox" and that he was respected for this approach. I had previously known Chesterton only through his Father Brown mystery stories - first through the PBS series Mystery and later through reading a collection of his stories - and now in hindsight I can see that the humorous use of paradox was present there as well.

I had the impression that all the people he wrote about were well known to the British reader at the end of the 19th century - which was not the case with me. Some of them he referred to by last name only, or by a public moniker unknown to me - so some of these essays required a visit to Wikipedia. But that only contributed to my experience of this book as an historical adventure, allowing me to experience a participant's perception of people and events then, before they were eclipsed by those of the 20th century.

[Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing this prescient book achieves--and possibly the reason Chesterton wrote it--is to show just how varied such types can be. Our own time (and he must have foreseen it) for all it's electronic wizardry and lightening communication, is devoid of much true diversity of personality, talent and perspective. The infantile nature of modern political debate is a perfect example. Really, there is no debate at all, just cartoonish demonizing of one's opponent. Nor is there any particular yearning for fundamental truth. Say what you will about the likes of Tolstoy and Savonarola (my favorite) they were originals and, in the case of the latter, prepared to die for their beliefs. Today, our crusaders are merely looking for face time which will allow them to angle their way into a lucrative career. They speak boldly and then retire to Georgetown watering holes to clang glasses with "members from across the aisle." Or they yup it up at parties attended by other "names" regardless of what those names profess. "It's all good" is their motto. But Chesterton manages to draw some quick sketches of personalities with real flavor--personalities who, in today's world, would probably be exiled to oblivion for reasons of "mouth feel." He was able to do this because Western society hadn't become completely therapeutic and (which is to say roughly the same thing) chickafied. I'll take Sir Walter Scott over Camille Paglia, any day!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains 20 essays, 12 of which were already published in a volume called TWELVE TYPES.
My four-star rating might seem a bit odd, considering I gave TWELVE TYPES the full five, but I felt that the additional 8 essays found at the end of VARIED TYPES were not nearly as good as the 12 that came before. Don't get me wrong--all these essays are great, and I'm of the opinion that pretty much anything written by Chesterton is more than worthy of your time, but the essays found in TWELVE TYPES are, to my mind, superior to the ones found exclusively in VARIED TYPES.
So, overall, this is a four-star book, with a five-star book tucked snugly away inside. Still, those additional essays are definitely worth reading, so you're better off getting VARIED TYPES instead of TWELVE TYPES, even though I gave TWELVE TYPES the higher rating. Make sense?

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Chesterton in a while. Loved it.

"We look at the rise of Christianity, and conceive it as a rise of self-abnegation and almost of pessimism. It does not occur to us that the mere assertion that this raging and counfounding universe is governed by justice and mercy is a piece of staggering optimism fit to set all men capering."

[Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is Chesterton's review of (mostly near-contemporary) notables: authors, artists, monarchs, and so on. There are a few nuggets worth reading contained in it, but mostly it's composed of Chesterton's usual upside-down observations on people and events, providing his usual unusual perspective.

[Jeremy Egerer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just about as insightful as a man can possibly get, Chesterton uses the various figures of recent history as a springboard into a number of essays about serious social, moral, and aesthetic topics. Fun, witty, wise: GK delivers an education like nobody else. Highly recommended.

[foundfoundfound · Rating 4 out of 5]

like watching the fireworks on guy fawkes': dazzling at first, but after a while somewhat wearing. chesterton's ingenious arabesques best enjoyed in small doses.

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of miniature biographies in which G.K. Chesterton either praises or lampoons the subjects in only the special way that he can.

[Lucas Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of particular interest was the essay about William Morris, in which he talks of the romanticization of the past and the ugly, utilitarian aesthetic of (his) present. Chesterton ponders the eventual romanticization of the everyday objects around him with, what I feel, to be great accuracy. The examples he uses: a lamp-post, a pillar-box, and railway signals are now all full of those romantic associations that transform history to antiquity.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A general lack of familiarity with the subjects of these essays limited my experience. Before each I made a quick review. However, as essay on type, I took much value.