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[Re-release] G.K. Chesterton (part 1)
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This is a re-release of an episode that originally aired May 9, 2023.
This week, in the first of two episodes about G.K. Chesterton, Brook and Sarah look at his life and find out why he was such a fascinating man and the influence he had on literature and life in the early 20th century.
Discussed
Orthodoxy (1908) G.K. Chesterton
Chesterton's work on Project Gutenberg
Radio adaptations of Father Brown
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For a full episode transcript, visit https://cluedinmystery.com/re-release-g-k-chesterton-part-1/
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Transcript
Season Break Announcement
00:00:00
Speaker
Hi, it's Sarah. Brooke and I are taking a short break from recording new episodes to catch up on our reading lists and plan for the next season of Clued in Mystery. While we're off, we are re-releasing a few of our favorite episodes.
00:00:12
Speaker
We hope you enjoy.
Revisiting Influential Mystery Figures
00:00:24
Speaker
Welcome to Clued in Mystery. I'm Sarah. And I'm Brooke. And we both love mystery. Hi, Brooke. Hi, Sarah. It's so good to be speaking with you again. Yeah, we took a little break, um which was nice to just catch up on some reading. And I managed to go away for um for a few days to the UK, which was also really nice.
00:00:48
Speaker
Yeah, that's wonderful. And today we're revisiting one of our favorite types of episodes, which is looking back at one of the influencers on the genre. Today we're going to talk about GK Chesterton. So I'll start us off.
G.K. Chesterton's Early Life and Personal Traits
00:01:03
Speaker
Gilbert Keith G.K. Chesterton was born on May 29, 1874 in London to Edward Chesterton and Marie Grosjean Chesterton. His parents baptized him into the Church of England, although his family were irregular attendees of the Unitarian Church.
00:01:22
Speaker
According to his autobiography, as a young man, he became fascinated with the occult and seances. Along with his brother Cecil, they experimented with Ouija boards.
00:01:33
Speaker
Perhaps this contributed to the paranormal features he sometimes included in his mystery stories. Chesterton was educated at St. Paul's School. He always had an interest in art and studied both art and literature at separate universities. However, he did not graduate from either program. Chesterton married Francis Blog at the age of 27. The couple was unable to have children but shared a long and happy marriage that lasted until his death.
Chesterton's Journalism and Criticism
00:02:00
Speaker
It is said that he was a very absent-minded fellow, and legend has it that he did most of his riding on the train since he usually missed his stops and would have lots of idle time to work.
00:02:12
Speaker
His wife is said to have kept his social and work calendars for him to ensure he made his obligations. His knowledge of art and literature led him to work in publishing houses and eventually as a freelance art and literature critic.
00:02:27
Speaker
He began work in this capacity for the Illustrated London News in 1905 and worked there for the next 30 years. He's been referred to as the Prince of Paradox. Of his writing style, Time magazine observed, whenever possible, Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, and allegories, first carefully turning them inside out.
00:02:50
Speaker
As an example of this is an ah endearing quote from Chesterton. He says, the Bible tells us to love our neighbors and also to love our enemies, probably because generally they're the same people.
Contributions to Theology and Literature
00:03:03
Speaker
Chesterton considered himself primarily a journalist. He wrote over 4,000 witty and thought-provoking newspaper essays and a weekly column for more than a decade. And he even edited his own newspaper, GK's Weekly.
00:03:18
Speaker
So this means he wrote a critical essay every day for 11 years straight. Very impressive. During his lifetime, he was primarily known for his theological and philosophical writings, including essays, articles, and poems.
00:03:35
Speaker
As a Christian apologist, his essays and speeches defended the Christian faith, influenced social justice, and encouraged others to live moral yet thoughtful lives. Chesterton was even nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature 1935.
00:03:51
Speaker
However, Chesterton was also having fun and making money by writing
Father Brown and the Detection Club
00:03:56
Speaker
mysteries. He wrote 53 short stories between 1910 and 1936 featuring Father Brown, a priest and amateur detective who solved mysteries and crimes using his astute intuition and uncanny understanding of human nature.
00:04:13
Speaker
It is believed that the character is loosely based on Reverend John O'Connor, who was involved in Chesterton's conversion to Catholicism 1922.
00:04:23
Speaker
As a mystery author, Chesterton was a founding member of the Detection Club and served as the first president, presiding over this prestigious group of authors from 1930 to 1936. In case you missed our episode in season one, all about the Detection Club, this was an organization of golden age mystery authors who met for regular dinners, helping each other with technical aspects of their individual writings, and generally having a great time together.
00:04:52
Speaker
They also wrote collaborative mysteries and agreed to adhere to member Ronald Knox's Fair Play Commandments.
Chesterton's Humor and Friendships
00:05:01
Speaker
G.K. Chesterton stood 6 feet 4 inches tall, or 1.9 meters, and weighed around 130 kilograms, or close to 300 pounds.
00:05:11
Speaker
His large stature didn't bother him, though, and true to his witty, fun-loving nature, he would often joke about his size. At one time, poking fun at his very thin friend, George Bernard Shaw, Chesterton said, to look at you, any anyone would think a famine had struck England.
00:05:29
Speaker
Shaw replied, to look at you, anyone would think you caused it. Some of his other famous friends include C.S. Lewis, J.R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, H.G. Wells, and Hilaire Belloc.
Legacy and Death of Chesterton
00:05:45
Speaker
Chesterton died of congestive heart failure in 1936 at the age of He was at home with his wife Frances by his side. His Requiem Mass was held at Westminster Cathedral.
00:05:58
Speaker
Ronald Knox delivered the sermon and noted, All of this generation has grown up under Chesterton's influence so completely that we do not even know when we are thinking Chesterton.
00:06:11
Speaker
At the time, Chesterton was internationally famous, and his unexpected death shocked the world. The short funeral procession had to be lengthened by several miles in order to accommodate all those who came out to pay their respect.
00:06:25
Speaker
Several societies exist today which carry on his theological teachings. The Chesterton Society is seeking to have him canonized.
Paradoxical Nature and Influence
00:06:35
Speaker
So Sarah, I'm wondering how much you learned about Chesterton in school or as you studied authors of his time, such as Lewis or Elliot, George Bernard Shaw.
00:06:44
Speaker
To me, he seems to have been lost to us a little bit. I agree, Brooke. I don't think I knew very much about him at all until we started the podcast and kind of in that episode in the first season, like you mentioned about the Detection Club. He obviously came up then. um And I knew that he'd written the the Father Brown stories. But apart from that, I knew very little about him. So thank you for that excellent overview of um of his life. He sounds like he was just an absolutely fascinating individual.
00:07:18
Speaker
Absolutely. Yes. Oh, and you're so welcome. It was so much fun looking into him. Something that jumped out at me um when they talked about him being the Prince of Paradox and like the way he could turn a phrase and make you look at two sides of ah of a situation. that He was a bit of a paradox himself as a man, um even so in that he was apparently, they called him a quote unquote slow learner, which I think in our day, we probably would have discovered that he had a learning disability, but he didn't read until he was almost eight years old. And he would joke that his, um he's he joked about being um almost like considered asleep in his ah you know primary school age.
00:08:04
Speaker
um But I think that that is so interesting as then someone to go on and be an amazingly prolific writer and and profound thinker. So
Chesterton's Diverse Writings
00:08:15
Speaker
um lots of paradoxes for this fellow.
00:08:18
Speaker
Yeah, that's that's really interesting because, you know, the the little bit that i've that I've read about him in preparing for this episode certainly suggested that he was extraordinarily well-read and, you know, well-versed in ah all, you know, so many subjects. If you think about all of the different things that he wrote about, right, He wrote extensively about um other authors and and literature, um philosophy, religion. He developed ah an economic theory, um which is, yeah, just incredible.
00:08:57
Speaker
Yeah. the The subjects that he tackled and um and then, as you say, like writing about other people's writing in the very critical, um thought-provoking way he did – is I don't know. i think, I feel like it's sort of unparalleled, especially at least in the people that I've studied.
00:09:17
Speaker
i i would agree. and and he was obviously very well respected the detection club elected him as the first president.
00:09:28
Speaker
Right.
Social Connections and Relatability
00:09:29
Speaker
um And I think, you know, he was close friends with a lot of the members of the, of the detection club. um But then also with other like really high profile authors and other high profile individuals. So he just he sounds like one of those people that um you would have him on kind of every guest list for every um important event. I think so. Yeah. and And he seems like he was very humble. You know, you hear some of these comments that he and very um jovial. So, you you know, his interactions with other people, he he was um such a revered thinker and and writer, but he
00:10:11
Speaker
<unk>t It seems like it didn't go to his head. I mean, there's even a quote of him talking about the you know terrible mysteries that he wrote. like He was making fun of his own work in comparison to the work of some of his colleagues that were in the detection club. like He just kind of always made himself just you know very relatable and down to earth. And I think that his writing felt that way too, even when he is explaining philosophy or theology. you know that Although I didn't dive in and read a lot of that work of his, the comments are that he was making it accessible to everyday people. And that's why he would use allegory or you know ah well-known proverbs or something like that so that that he could illustrate these points that he wanted to make. So I just i just think that he seems so likable. No, I i would agree with that.
00:11:03
Speaker
um And, yeah, I was thinking, um you know, there's the question of, you know, if you could have dinner with anybody, or, you know, six, six people, who would they be? i think I would add him to my list. Like, I think he sounds like he just would be a really fascinating person to have a conversation with.
00:11:19
Speaker
Yes. And I think he would be the person at the table that could get everybody involved. Like I see him as like drawing people out and being able to meet anyone where they are and have ah ah a great conversation, sort of the emcee or moderator of the table. i I would definitely love to have a conversation with him. Although we don't necessarily have his name on the tip of our tongue.
00:11:43
Speaker
ah He influenced heavily C.S. Lewis, T.S. Eliot, J.R. Tolkien.
Influence on C.S. Lewis and Tolkien
00:11:49
Speaker
One of his famous ah pieces of ah philosophical literature that he wrote is called Orthodoxy. And Ryan Reeves, ah who's a Cambridge professor, said, Orthodoxy is the philosophy behind the fiction of C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien. So we thought that was so interesting to think about some of his um work as being kind of the underpinnings of these fictional worlds that we're very familiar with, with Narnia and with Lord of the Rings and things that um they had read Chesterton in order to create their ah worlds.
00:12:29
Speaker
and Yeah, no, thats that is very interesting. um And, you know, when I think about kind of what was happening um at the time that he was writing, what was happening slow socially and politically, um i think there's some parallels to what is happening now in terms of like...
00:12:48
Speaker
massive change happening. I think that's ah a fascinating point because it was such a turning point. The world was changing in such large ways. And somebody like him could help people um navigate it and put you know some parameters around it. And maybe how do we think about this because our whole world is changing. um And yeah, that's really fascinating. And I wonder if there's going to be someone who does that for us? At this point, I can't think of that person.
Comparing Past and Present Influences
00:13:20
Speaker
no I was wondering the same thing um and and trying you know to think, okay, well, who who do we turn to for that interpretation of of what's going on and and um and that guidance? And I don't know if I can identify um if i can identify anybody Which is interesting. um But yeah, he seemed to have his, he seemed to, i don't think this is quite the right way to describe it, because it's not that he was um directly involved in all of these things, but he did seem to have his fingers in a lot of pies.
00:14:00
Speaker
h Yeah. And it didn't, and it doesn't necessarily, although he was coming from a very religious standpoint, it wouldn't necessarily be that, um it wouldn't have to be in that category because what ended up happening was that then the fiction took it on, you know, like he created this framework and then even Lewis and Elliot and Tolkien were then using that to continue to shape because those stories are allegory, right? They are helping people put their minds around societal changes or um or how we treat other people of different cultures. And there's like all sorts of messages interwoven in there. So yeah, I love thinking about things like that.
00:14:49
Speaker
Yeah, no, it's it it i think it's um I think it's really interesting. And and i think it's you know I think one of the many hats that he wore was being a crime author. But it's nice you know that that is one of the hats that he that he wore. and And a lot of the um messages that he was conveying were through his crime writing.
00:15:17
Speaker
Exactly, exactly. The same idea, the same notion of being able to um comment on society or issues happened in his Father Brown stories, 100%. And I think also he shared sentiments of his religious beliefs through those stories as well, and not at all in a pushy or preachy way, but you definitely got a sense of um like who he was spiritually through those stories. and um Super interesting.
00:15:47
Speaker
Well, and I think it's really interesting that he didn't actually convert to Catholicism until sometime after he'd started writing Father Brown stories. um So that's, you know, that's an interesting trajectory that he that he followed um to, you know, start writing about a character and then eventually um sort of join the religion that that character belonged to.
00:16:14
Speaker
Yeah. Isn't that interesting? I thought found that point fascinating as well. because um And here's to be able to do it convincingly before actually converting to that religion, I think, says a lot about you know his level of knowledge of all things. But um yeah, that was that was an interesting point that I didn't realize either. I read part of Martin Edwards' book about the golden age of murder. And because Anthony Berkeley was behind kind of one of the founders of the club, right? And so he wrote to Chesterton.
00:16:49
Speaker
This is what Martin Edwards says. Describing plans for the club. The tone of the letter blended charm, dynamism, and impatience. I do hope you will join. A club of the kind I have in mind would be quite incomplete without the creator of Father Brown, and one who has evolved such a very original turn to the detective story as you have.
00:17:06
Speaker
Yeah, and so between Chesterton and and Berkeley and Knox, I guess, they came up with the with the rules for the club. Yeah. I love that.
00:17:16
Speaker
Such a fascinating man. It's very interesting that really during his lifetime, yes, Father Brown was being read. Obviously, it was it was popular. But he was mostly famous for his more you know serious, critical work. um And then these were this was kind of the fun he did on the side and and lucrative, right? It was a commercial venture for him to write the Father Brown mysteries. So that's always fun to learn from.
Success of Father Brown Stories
00:17:43
Speaker
like what they were known for in their lifetime. Because in ah in my mind, the only connection I had had was as the Father Brown um author.
00:17:54
Speaker
<unk> Well, and and like you described for his funeral, that they had to extend the procession to accommodate the crowds of people who wanted to to watch. And, you know, I think that's so amazing for that to have been the reaction when an author died. I don't know that we would have the same reaction now because there's so many other different kinds of entertainers that, um,
00:18:25
Speaker
you know, that enamor people. i think, you know, there's probably some, um some actors or certainly we've seen that, you know, we saw that when, um when the queen died, right? Like that was, there was that an incredibly long procession for that. um But yeah, I don't, I don't know if there are many people today who would command that kind of reaction when they died.
Funeral and Societal Impact
00:18:53
Speaker
No. And I really think it goes back to what you said of how important he was to society and to readers in you know navigating that the changing of the world and some of the things that they were going through. I mean, there was an importance there from Chesterton. Yeah.
00:19:13
Speaker
far beyond Father Brown, even though, you know, he was beloved for that as well. Yeah. Fascinating. And yeah, it said that the churchyard and the cemetery were, you know, half a mile apart, but that the procession went on for miles and miles. They just kept going. If they saw a community of people, then they would continue to go. And I, I thought the same thing. i like, wow, this is like a ah a world leader.
00:19:37
Speaker
That's what happens when a world leader passes away. you know, it's very special. Exactly. Yeah. yeah Yeah. No, I think he just, yeah, he was probably a very wonderful um person.
00:19:51
Speaker
Mm hmm. Well, thanks, Sarah. This has been has been really great. And next week, we are going to continue our discussion on Chesterton. We'll dive in a little more to his mystery writing and Father Brown specifically.
00:20:04
Speaker
I'm really looking forward to it, Brooke. Thanks. Yes. And thanks, everyone, for listening to Clued in Mystery today. I'm Brooke. And I'm Sarah. And we both love mystery.
00:20:17
Speaker
Clued in Mystery is produced by Brooke Peterson and Sarah M. Stephen. Music is by Shane Ivers at silvermansound.com. Visit us online at cluedinmystery.com or social media at Clued in Mystery.
00:20:30
Speaker
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