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The Defendant
G.K. Chesterton's collected essays on subjects ranging from detective stories and penny dreadfuls to heraldry and patriotism. The essays originally appeared in "The Speaker" but were edited and revised for republication.
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First published January 1, 1901
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About the author
G.K. Chesterton
4,645 books5,757 followersGilbert 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
December 27, 2019
Occorre una buona dose di allegria per persistere nella ribellione
“Il pessimista viene generalmente considerato un uomo in rivolta. Non è così. Innanzitutto, perché occorre una buona dose di allegria per persistere nella ribellione, e in secondo luogo perché il pessimismo si rivolge al lato debole di ognuno di noi; il pessimista fa quindi affari d’oro, al pari dell’oste.
Colui che è veramente in rivolta è l’ottimista, il quale vive e muore di solito compiendo il tentativo disperato e suicida di persuadere gli altri della loro infinita bontà. (…) Tutti i grandi rivoluzionari, da Isaia a Shelley, hanno abbracciato la causa dell’ottimismo. Si sono indignati non per la malvagità dell’esistenza, ma per la lentezza degli uomini nel comprenderne la bontà”.
(Dall’introduzione di G.K. Chesterton)
“Il pessimista viene generalmente considerato un uomo in rivolta. Non è così. Innanzitutto, perché occorre una buona dose di allegria per persistere nella ribellione, e in secondo luogo perché il pessimismo si rivolge al lato debole di ognuno di noi; il pessimista fa quindi affari d’oro, al pari dell’oste.
Colui che è veramente in rivolta è l’ottimista, il quale vive e muore di solito compiendo il tentativo disperato e suicida di persuadere gli altri della loro infinita bontà. (…) Tutti i grandi rivoluzionari, da Isaia a Shelley, hanno abbracciato la causa dell’ottimismo. Si sono indignati non per la malvagità dell’esistenza, ma per la lentezza degli uomini nel comprenderne la bontà”.
(Dall’introduzione di G.K. Chesterton)
May 12, 2017
Not one of his best, but it is always enjoyable to read Chesterton. His observational skills partnered with his wit and skill in purveying his observations is unsurpassed.
My only complaint is his final paragraph in which he drops a racial epithet that seems to come straight outta left field. Was slightly jarring, although I understand it as a "product of the times".
My only complaint is his final paragraph in which he drops a racial epithet that seems to come straight outta left field. Was slightly jarring, although I understand it as a "product of the times".
October 9, 2023
Maybe too many five-star reviews lately for them to be fully trusted? Ding somebody else. 19 highlights in 71 pages speaks for itself.
A lately admitted bromance with Chesterton might make him, and five-star ratings overrepresented, but I'll plead to that. I'm so enthralled that Kindle Unlimited's access is a pleasure for this cheapskate to pay for.
A lately admitted bromance with Chesterton might make him, and five-star ratings overrepresented, but I'll plead to that. I'm so enthralled that Kindle Unlimited's access is a pleasure for this cheapskate to pay for.
February 21, 2016
I listened to David Grizzly Smith's excellent audiobook, available from Podiobooks.com.
I could happily listen to audiobooks by Chesterton for the rest of my life. He's brilliant. This book brings together a group of essays in which GKC defends various things. My favorites were the defense of penny dreadfuls and the detective story, but I enjoyed all of them. As usual, he's funny, insightful, extremely intelligent, and original.
I could happily listen to audiobooks by Chesterton for the rest of my life. He's brilliant. This book brings together a group of essays in which GKC defends various things. My favorites were the defense of penny dreadfuls and the detective story, but I enjoyed all of them. As usual, he's funny, insightful, extremely intelligent, and original.
March 17, 2012
I have such a crush of G. K. In this collection, he sets out to find the "diamonds in the dustheap"--all the good in the things that we think are silly, or sentimental, or useless (babyworship, for example, or idealistic pastoral). He is awfully clever. I love optimism.
February 18, 2018
"Ci farebbe bene a volte essere come una semplice finestra: aperti, illuminati ed invisibili." (Difesa dell’umiltà, p. 79)
September 21, 2015
It's hard to imagine anyone being so actively engaged with the world as Chesterton was. Not only did he have a strong opinion on absolutely everything (no matter how trivial), his opinions never conformed to any one ideology. And yet, one couldn't call him predictably non-conformist, either. He was completely his own man--a designation to which we all might aspire.
In THE DEFENDANT, Chesterton purposefully sets himself at odds with majority opinion regarding a number of topics, whether serious (patriotism) or mundane (skeletons). His essay in defense of "penny dreadfulls" is one the best essays I've ever read.
Some of the pieces in this book are certainly better than others, but all are imbued with such wit, imagination, and literary skill as to make even the best of writers jealous. Normally, I'd rate a book like this an easy five stars, but Chesterton has spoiled me. As good as THE DEFENDANT is, I know he is capable of even better.
In THE DEFENDANT, Chesterton purposefully sets himself at odds with majority opinion regarding a number of topics, whether serious (patriotism) or mundane (skeletons). His essay in defense of "penny dreadfulls" is one the best essays I've ever read.
Some of the pieces in this book are certainly better than others, but all are imbued with such wit, imagination, and literary skill as to make even the best of writers jealous. Normally, I'd rate a book like this an easy five stars, but Chesterton has spoiled me. As good as THE DEFENDANT is, I know he is capable of even better.
March 15, 2020
It may seem that common things need no defender until The Defendant arose. This book will remind you how much we have lost by continually assaulting what ought be good and given. And it will make you laugh.
February 21, 2016
G.K. Chesterton in defence of all sorts of things and, as usual, laying it down.
August 8, 2020
“Every great literature has always been allegorical … of the whole universe.”
This collection of essays was first published in 1901. If you forget that, the wonder of Chesterton’s wisdom and timeliness will be diminished. This book collected his iconoclastic essays on various topics, some surprisingly relevant over a century later. Rather than bore you with my opinion of his opinion, I’ll share some pithy quotes. (Though most make better sense in context of their essay.)
“There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect.”
“It is always the secure who are humble.”
“There is no problem in finding good in what humanity rejects: the difficulty is to find it in what humanity accepts.”
“Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.”
"Mankind in the main has always regarded reason as a bit of a joke.”
“Imagination has its highest use in a retrospective realization not so much to make settled things strange as to make facts wonders.”
“The enormousness of fatuous and useless truth which fills most widely-circulated papers … is certainly one of the most extraordinary kinds of emotional and mental pabulum on which man ever fed.”
“So much artistic literature [is] a refuge indicating the dullness of the world.”
“The democrats made the appalling mistake of decreasing the human magnificence of the past instead of increasing it.”
“We shall never make anything of democracy until we make fools of ourselves.”
“The literature of joy is infinitely more difficult and rare than the black and white literature of pain.”
This collection of essays was first published in 1901. If you forget that, the wonder of Chesterton’s wisdom and timeliness will be diminished. This book collected his iconoclastic essays on various topics, some surprisingly relevant over a century later. Rather than bore you with my opinion of his opinion, I’ll share some pithy quotes. (Though most make better sense in context of their essay.)
“There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect.”
“It is always the secure who are humble.”
“There is no problem in finding good in what humanity rejects: the difficulty is to find it in what humanity accepts.”
“Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.”
"Mankind in the main has always regarded reason as a bit of a joke.”
“Imagination has its highest use in a retrospective realization not so much to make settled things strange as to make facts wonders.”
“The enormousness of fatuous and useless truth which fills most widely-circulated papers … is certainly one of the most extraordinary kinds of emotional and mental pabulum on which man ever fed.”
“So much artistic literature [is] a refuge indicating the dullness of the world.”
“The democrats made the appalling mistake of decreasing the human magnificence of the past instead of increasing it.”
“We shall never make anything of democracy until we make fools of ourselves.”
“The literature of joy is infinitely more difficult and rare than the black and white literature of pain.”
February 21, 2016
An amusing collection of essays, all of which are entitled "A Defence of something". Indeed the introduction is "In Defense of a New Edition."
All sorts of topics. Penny dreadfuls, skeletons, baby-worship, china shepherdesses. . . .
With his usual wit. Such as
or
All sorts of topics. Penny dreadfuls, skeletons, baby-worship, china shepherdesses. . . .
With his usual wit. Such as
One would think it would be most unwise in a man to be afraid of a skeleton, since Nature has set curious and quite insuperable obstacles to his running away from it.
or
The vast mass of humanity, with their vast mass of idle books and idle words, have never doubted and never will doubt that courage is splendid, that fidelity is noble, that distressed ladies should be rescued, and vanquished enemies spared.
Read
May 31, 2020Mi confermo che i buoni rapporti con il colonialismo di sempre, il sessismo, l'espediente delle razze e amenità concomitanti non sono emendabili. Pare però che siano estirpabili, può accadere. Riferiscono di tante belle ritrattazioni tardive. Anche postume, va bene tutto.
Se G.K.C. a un certo punto si è ripreso e non ne ho avuto notizia, spero che qualche passante mi avverta. Nel caso, torno qui a omaggiare una mente infiammabile che mi risulterebbe anche largamente generosa.
Disincanto.
Il brutto del bello, padre Chesterton.
Se G.K.C. a un certo punto si è ripreso e non ne ho avuto notizia, spero che qualche passante mi avverta. Nel caso, torno qui a omaggiare una mente infiammabile che mi risulterebbe anche largamente generosa.
Disincanto.
Il brutto del bello, padre Chesterton.
October 5, 2022
What more can you say about Chesterton that has not already been said? What more badge can be added to his coat whose green is already covered with arrays of gold?
Let I will add one more even though it find no cloth. The Defendant is a fine collection of essays. Chesterton takes you through a range of subjects of his fancy with effortless grace and charm and wit. None of them have lost their potency or their relevance and I believe they will intensify as the years of history keep marching on. Read it and you will find each one a delight.
Let I will add one more even though it find no cloth. The Defendant is a fine collection of essays. Chesterton takes you through a range of subjects of his fancy with effortless grace and charm and wit. None of them have lost their potency or their relevance and I believe they will intensify as the years of history keep marching on. Read it and you will find each one a delight.
August 9, 2021
Fantastic collection. Highly recommend.
May 4, 2021
An utterly charming collection of essays. G.K. Chesterton brings his trademark warmth, wit, and whimsy to the defense of topics ranging from heraldry to humility, skeletons to slang, and penny dreadfuls to patriotism. He has a way of seeing things sideways, inside-out, and upside down that brings these subjects to life in a new way and makes them not only acceptable but praise-worthy.
Prior to reading this book as a whole, I had often been enchanted by one of its essays, "In Defence of Baby-Worship." It is worth reading in full (and in the company of its brothers and sisters in this volume), but here is a sampling to whet the appetite:
The most unfathomable schools and sages have never attained to the gravity which dwells in the eyes of a baby of three months old. It is the gravity of astonishment at the universe, and astonishment at the universe is not mysticism, but a transcendent common sense. The fascination of children lies in this: that with each of them all things are remade, and the universe is put again upon its trial. As we walk the streets and see below us those delightful bulbous heads, three times too big for the body, which mark these human mushrooms, we ought always to remember that within every one of these heads there is a new universe, as new as it was on the seventh day of creation. In each of those orbs there is a new system of stars, new grass, new cities, a new sea.
Chesterton has such a vitality of spirit that he makes the world leap off the page and demand to be seen in colors the human eye cannot discern. This lovely collection not only thrills with its vibrancy, it enlightens with its relevancy. Whoda thunk 16 pieces of commentary on the contemporary cultural bugaboos and peccadillos from almost a century and a quarter past would find their ways into the zeitgeist of our own era and click into place so smoothly and easily that one might suppose they were written last night? Chesterton might not have known he was writing for the ages - or he may well have. In being a man so comfortably and thoroughly in his time yet not of it, he has dipped his pen in the ink of the immortals.
There is no better defender of the quirky magic of a Spirit-soaked universe than the Defendant.
Prior to reading this book as a whole, I had often been enchanted by one of its essays, "In Defence of Baby-Worship." It is worth reading in full (and in the company of its brothers and sisters in this volume), but here is a sampling to whet the appetite:
The most unfathomable schools and sages have never attained to the gravity which dwells in the eyes of a baby of three months old. It is the gravity of astonishment at the universe, and astonishment at the universe is not mysticism, but a transcendent common sense. The fascination of children lies in this: that with each of them all things are remade, and the universe is put again upon its trial. As we walk the streets and see below us those delightful bulbous heads, three times too big for the body, which mark these human mushrooms, we ought always to remember that within every one of these heads there is a new universe, as new as it was on the seventh day of creation. In each of those orbs there is a new system of stars, new grass, new cities, a new sea.
Chesterton has such a vitality of spirit that he makes the world leap off the page and demand to be seen in colors the human eye cannot discern. This lovely collection not only thrills with its vibrancy, it enlightens with its relevancy. Whoda thunk 16 pieces of commentary on the contemporary cultural bugaboos and peccadillos from almost a century and a quarter past would find their ways into the zeitgeist of our own era and click into place so smoothly and easily that one might suppose they were written last night? Chesterton might not have known he was writing for the ages - or he may well have. In being a man so comfortably and thoroughly in his time yet not of it, he has dipped his pen in the ink of the immortals.
There is no better defender of the quirky magic of a Spirit-soaked universe than the Defendant.
June 27, 2020
Highly entertaining. Much tongue in cheek with an occasional outburst of earnestness. Especially enjoyed A Defense of Ugliness, A Defense of Slang, and A Defense of Baby Worship.
Librivox recording by Ray Clare.
Librivox recording by Ray Clare.
July 25, 2013
"The Defendant" is a collection of essays in which Chesterton defends things and concepts one wouldn't normally consider in need of defense(such as skeletons, humility, detective stories, etc.) That sounds positively dry, but it is a lot of fun, his use of bizarre example to make his point is what I enjoy. Basically he is commenting on the loss of positivity and wonderment(at the world around us), especially in the upper, elitist classes. Like Whitman Chesterton obviously sees the common man as having access to a vitality and poeticism that the higher classes have lost. Of course this was written in 1902, but much of it still applies(especially pertinent is his essay on patriotism).
October 8, 2016
Chesterton never ceases to amaze me. This is another series of essays. He defends things as they are because they are good though we miss their goodness.
In his own words: The person who is really in revolt is the optimist, who generally lives and dies in a desperate and suicidal effort to persuade all the other people how good they are. ... Every one of the great revolutionaries have been optimists. They have been indignant, not about the badness of existence, but about slowness of men in realizing its goodness.
Read this and then read Manalive. They'll change your entire attitude.
In his own words: The person who is really in revolt is the optimist, who generally lives and dies in a desperate and suicidal effort to persuade all the other people how good they are. ... Every one of the great revolutionaries have been optimists. They have been indignant, not about the badness of existence, but about slowness of men in realizing its goodness.
Read this and then read Manalive. They'll change your entire attitude.
March 31, 2016
A long-time Chesterton fan, I was excited to finally find time for this volume, the first published book of his career. There is a noticeable youthfulness to his writing here (the prose is more purple than usual), but Chesterton's brilliance is already fully present. His love of paradox and elfland are already fully formed parts of his paradigm even here, an exciting thing to find. I especially enjoyed his essay on humility and will be returning to and referencing it again in the future.
May 9, 2012
Chesterton is such autumn comfort reading for me. I am a biased reader, because despite all of the flaws in his logic and all of the assumptions he makes that I can't share, he just sweeps me along and I love the ride and come down feeling obscurely comforted. Gilbert from Sandman may have a lot to do with this.
March 20, 2016
24 karat Chesterton! Solid all through, and heavy.
This nugget describes what it is about him, that makes all his writing very nourishment to read:
"The function of imagination is not to make strange things settled, so much as to make settled things strange. Not so much to make wonders facts, as to make facts wonders."
All facts were wonders to him, and to wonder with him makes us richer.
This nugget describes what it is about him, that makes all his writing very nourishment to read:
"The function of imagination is not to make strange things settled, so much as to make settled things strange. Not so much to make wonders facts, as to make facts wonders."
All facts were wonders to him, and to wonder with him makes us richer.
May 29, 2007
Excellent. These essays are amazing. He explores the human perspective on beauty, skeletons, and other random subjects. This book illuminated how I see the world. Find it, read it!!
December 15, 2013
Chesterton's writings have the effect of making one glad to be part of the human race !!
October 25, 2014
This is a great collection of articles. Characteristic Chestertonian wit although there are also some dated parts. My favourite essay is "In Defence of Baby Worship."
July 8, 2015
Che c'è da dire? E' Chesterton. Ogni parola, ogni virgola, sono oro puro. Questa è una raccoltina minore e deliziosa.
January 28, 2021
Através de ensaios curtos, retratando as coisas mais óbvias (o defensor) e a obra artística ou política de diversas personalidades (tipos variados), Chesterton mostra a necessidade de se afirmar o bom senso, coisa que estava perdida.
November 19, 2016
In this collection of essays, GK Chesterton turns polemics on its head. Instead of arguing against this point of view or that one, Chesterton chooses to defend various topics, and indeed the topics that he chooses to defend are fascinating. All of those things that the haute society of his day chose to thumb their noses at, Chesterton lauds in these essays. In doing so, he points out some of the wisdom and beauty of everyday life that so many of us miss because we have our heads in the clouds and our minds set upon lofty things. Why do so many people enjoy detective stories instead of reading the classics? Why should people be concerned with trifles such as petty change? Why are saints important? Such questions gnaw at the hearts of modern man even as he is not able to bring himself to ask them, since such topics are beneath him. But in discussing them, Chesterton broadens our minds and helps us to appreciate the smaller things in life. This books is one of Chesterton's must underrated works, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Chesterton or who enjoys social commentary.
May 30, 2017
I love Chesterton. He makes your mind work to keep up with his wide array of contemplative essays.
This work reflects why he was such a potent social critique and influential Christian writer at the turn of the 20th century (he held major influence on C.S. Lewis' thinking among others). The book does contain a significant amount of cultural information that is not as accessible to the 21st century reader. He refers to contemporary figures and their thoughts from that epoch to make his points salient for his audience. For this reason, I gave this book a slightly lower mark. The contents are vintage Chesterton but they are inextricably woven to his historical milieu.
What is beneficial for the book are the numerous phrases that captivate your thinking. Like few other writers, Chesterton had the capacity to pack in one sentence a thought worthy of reading an entire essay. He was a renaissance man with a thorough Christian worldview.
This work reflects why he was such a potent social critique and influential Christian writer at the turn of the 20th century (he held major influence on C.S. Lewis' thinking among others). The book does contain a significant amount of cultural information that is not as accessible to the 21st century reader. He refers to contemporary figures and their thoughts from that epoch to make his points salient for his audience. For this reason, I gave this book a slightly lower mark. The contents are vintage Chesterton but they are inextricably woven to his historical milieu.
What is beneficial for the book are the numerous phrases that captivate your thinking. Like few other writers, Chesterton had the capacity to pack in one sentence a thought worthy of reading an entire essay. He was a renaissance man with a thorough Christian worldview.
January 31, 2017
Purtroppo, trattandosi di brevi saggi di costume scritti da un giovane Chesterton, praticamente il primo libro, soffre le distanze nel tempo e nello spazio, il secolo abbondante trascorso e il contesto britannico coevo al quale fa riferimento. Infatti dei sedici capitoli sono molto pochi quelli che sono immediatamente riconoscibili come ancora attuali, un po' di più quelli che si prestano a generare riflessioni sulla nostra contemporaneità, ovviamente mutatis mutandis, molti quelli che risultano abbastanza alieni al lettore italiano.
Attraverso tutti questi gradi di utilità di questo scritto passa invece come il filo di una collana la qualità della penna di Chesterton. affilata e gioviale. Ben riconoscibile e godibile, seppur in misura leggermente minore rispetto alle opere di narrativa e ad altri saggi successivi.
Attraverso tutti questi gradi di utilità di questo scritto passa invece come il filo di una collana la qualità della penna di Chesterton. affilata e gioviale. Ben riconoscibile e godibile, seppur in misura leggermente minore rispetto alle opere di narrativa e ad altri saggi successivi.
August 29, 2017
In my opinion, GK Chesterton ranks right up there with CS Lewis. In this book, he defends nonsense, useful information, ugly things, humility, and other things. He is certainly his own man and just says it like it is.
I loved his essay on humility. He poignantly writes, "we all do actually value our friends for modesty, freshness, and simplicity of heart. Whatever may be the reason, we all warmly respect humility - in other people." He continues to write, "When we are genuinely happy, we think we are unworthy of happiness. But when we are demanding a divine emancipation we seem to be perfectly certain that we are unworthy of anything." When he talked about Christianity, he said, "They (Christians) believed themselves rich with an irrevocable benediction which set them above the stars; and immediately they discovered humility....It is always the secure who are humble."
I loved his essay on humility. He poignantly writes, "we all do actually value our friends for modesty, freshness, and simplicity of heart. Whatever may be the reason, we all warmly respect humility - in other people." He continues to write, "When we are genuinely happy, we think we are unworthy of happiness. But when we are demanding a divine emancipation we seem to be perfectly certain that we are unworthy of anything." When he talked about Christianity, he said, "They (Christians) believed themselves rich with an irrevocable benediction which set them above the stars; and immediately they discovered humility....It is always the secure who are humble."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews