The Oracle of the Dog

by G.K. Chesterton

"I'll tell you what happened then," said Fiennes with a grim emphasis. "When we got back into that garden the first thing we saw was Traill the lawyer; I can see him now with his black hat and black whiskers relieved against the perspective of the blue flowers stretching down to the summer-house, with the sunset and the strange outline of the Rock of Fortune in the distance.

Genres: Mystery, Classics, Short Stories

48 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2004

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

[Coleccionista de finales tristes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un hombre es asesinado y el padre Brown encuentra al asesino gracias a su conocimiento de perros.

(Las mejores historias sobre perros)

[Jess castellanos lobaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Father brown is just not my favorite character. He's not likable... he has, I think, a lack of charisma!!!

The story is fine, but I I didn't like the religious touch he leaves at the end, too pretencious and out of place, in my opinion.

This was my second work of Chesterton and I'm starting to think he's not my type...

[writer... · Rating 5 out of 5]

More vintage wisdom of Father Brown as he visits a friend's library on a writing assignment.

[houk · Rating 2 out of 5]

tried it out for oct fruitclub. will not be choosing (it's far too long to be considered a short story, anyway). i was bored and uninspired for most of it, but not so uninterested that i couldn't finish it. i will give it this one praise: absolutely banger last line.

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first G. K. Chesterton book, but I think I can say that Father Brown is a new favorite character. For being a short story, the characters were quite well-developed and endearing!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

How was Colonel Druce killed while sitting in his summer house at Cranston, Yorkshire. No-one was seen entering and the knife was never found.
An interesting mystery

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father Brown’s young friend Fiennes comes to him with a problem. There has been a murder of the wealthy Colonel Druce, a man found stabbed and yet the summer house in which he was murdered was being watched by multiple people at the time of his death. And then there is the dog, who Fiennes has proclaimed barked ferociously at Traill the victim’s lawyer, as if the dog might be an oracle and know the true murderer.

Father Brown investigates this mysterious murder of Colonel Druce with the case which is steeped in the superstition that the colonel’s dog howled ominously before the crime and refused to go near the supposed killer afterward. Many believe the dog sensed the evil.

But Father Brown, ever the rationalist, dismisses the idea of canine clairvoyance. He carefully observes the people involved and the behavior of the dog, not as an oracle, but as an animal reacting to human cues. His insight leads him to uncover the true murderer, revealing that the dog’s behavior had a perfectly natural explanation.

[Chanover55 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father Brown is told of a mystery by his young friend, Fiennes, surrounding the murder of Colonel Drive. Unsolved, Fiennes recounts what he knows as well a giving Father Brown the newspaper account of the mystery. Father Brown is now well known for his mystery solving abilities; can he figure out thus one. Very enjoyable!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the surface, this story is simply a light murder mystery with a twist ending, as readers have read multiple times from Agatha Christie and other brilliant mystery authors. But, below that, this story has a basic central theme. That we as humans often project our own assumptions unto animals, as well as unto other humans. In a sense, this story is an examination more of psychology than of murder, and I loved it for that. I’ve read dozens of short mystery stories, but none of them had me impressed as much as this one.

Full review on my blog: https://madamewriterblog.com/2019/01/...

[Javier Murillo Campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just another brilliant short story by G. K. Chesterton. The irony and the flawless apology to the rationality of the Catholic vision portrayed by Fr. Brown add a special component to the story.


I still have one doubt? Where did the murderer take the weapon from?

[ANGSHUMAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keep calm and believe in the ability to detect the criminal of Father Brown. The story is as perfect as the protagonist Father Brown, who just by listening a story detected the original criminal. Pleasant reading.

[Tihana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit Father Brown is not among my favourite characters, but I'm still giving this 4 stars because of the lovely dog and because I found Fiennes to be quite charismatic. In my experience, any story becomes better when it introduces a dog!

[Watchdogg · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting novelette wherein the behavior of a dog during a sequence of events involving the murder of a man aids in Father Brown's identification of the perpetrator. Unique story line. Better than most, thus 3 stars.

[Emerson John Tiu Ng · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice

[Florina · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Father Brown story but definitely not my last. Loved the inventiveness and motive of the murder!

[Toti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far-fetched.

[Bob Wolniak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Father Brown rails against superstition while figuring out another seemingly confusing crime.

[fjord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy reading for boring evening.