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11th out of 169 books
—
65 voters
The Man Who Knew Too Much
A prolific and popular writer, G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936) is best known as the creator of detective-priest Father Brown (even though Chesterton's mystery stories constitute only a small fraction of his writings). The eight adventures in this classic British mystery trace the activities of Horne Fisher, the man who knew too much, and his trusted friend Harold March. Altho...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
February 19th 2009
by Dover Publications
(first published 1922)
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Who knew these were short mystery stories instead of a long, possibly lame novel that was made into an exciting early movie in 1934 with Peter Lorre or a definitely lame 1956 movie with Doris Day singing all the time?
Not me, at least until listening to B.J. Harrison's excellent narration on The Classic Tales podcast.
These stories are great fun to listen to and occasionally solve. And even when I know whodunnit I don't know why they dunnit. Which is just as much fun to find out.
Not me, at least until listening to B.J. Harrison's excellent narration on The Classic Tales podcast.
These stories are great fun to listen to and occasionally solve. And even when I know whodunnit I don't know why they dunnit. Which is just as much fun to find out.
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I'm another person who "read" this book by listening to BJ Harrison's Classic Tales podcast. Without Harrison I probably would never have gotten through it, based on my experience with the Man Who WasThursday, which I stopped after a chapter or two. Chesterton is a pretty decent writer, but like many political/ideological writers (Orwell being an exception) he is way too didactic. His moral perspective (in this case Catholicism and hyper nationalism) often turns the storyline juvenile, over-wrou...more
I guess this is a book that is worth some deeper research than just downloading it for free because it sounds vaguely important. And since that's clearly one of those shoulda things that never actually happen, this is going to be a poor excuse for a review.
First of all, it quickly dawned on me that it's actually a collection of short stories. A proper book would have told me that on the sleeve (and I would have promptly put it back), but ebooks are a mysterious entity without sleeves. ("Wait a m...more
First of all, it quickly dawned on me that it's actually a collection of short stories. A proper book would have told me that on the sleeve (and I would have promptly put it back), but ebooks are a mysterious entity without sleeves. ("Wait a m...more
This was a fairly strange set of stories. Unfortunately I made the mistake of listening to this on audio and first of all did NOT know it was a collection of stories until perhaps the third story in and then felt obliged to re listen to the others as at this point I had found myself confused. I think that was brought on in part by the similarity in characters found in the narrators circle and in fact some of the characters were the same! As an audio book I was constantly getting confused as to w...more
I went back and forth about whether or not I liked this book. I liked it sometimes, when the stories were longer and more involved, when they went more into the time and place of the story. Some of the chapters/stories were only a page or so long, and to solve a mystery so quickly feels like it was either not much of a mystery, or it wasn't worth telling since there's no detail. But the longer stories allowed Chesterton's talent to shine through. His mastery of words really shows up in the longe...more
Not sure what I was expecting out of this one. I picked it off of Project Gutenberg's top 100 list thinking maybe it was related to the film of the same name. It's not, but since I've never seen the film, I'm not disappointed.
It's a series of "detective" stories that strike me as a little odd because there are very few of them that I think I might have been able to puzzle out on my own. Perhaps I'm coddled by modern authors holding my hand through every twist and leaving a phosphorescent trail o...more
It's a series of "detective" stories that strike me as a little odd because there are very few of them that I think I might have been able to puzzle out on my own. Perhaps I'm coddled by modern authors holding my hand through every twist and leaving a phosphorescent trail o...more
Author: G.K. Chesterton
Title: The Man Who Knew too Much
Description: This is a collection of short detective stories. It really reminded me of Sherlock Holmes—written around the same time, very much centered around deduction, etc. Not being much of a Holmes fan, I’m not sure why Holmes was so successful and Horne Fisher (Chesterton’s detective) not so much. Maybe Chesterton is too topical; the stories are very much late nineteenth century Britain.
Review source: As one of those hoary classics, thi...more
Title: The Man Who Knew too Much
Description: This is a collection of short detective stories. It really reminded me of Sherlock Holmes—written around the same time, very much centered around deduction, etc. Not being much of a Holmes fan, I’m not sure why Holmes was so successful and Horne Fisher (Chesterton’s detective) not so much. Maybe Chesterton is too topical; the stories are very much late nineteenth century Britain.
Review source: As one of those hoary classics, thi...more
This was harder to read than most of Chesterton's work. His sleuth, Horne Fisher, is not as compelling as Father Brown and most of the mysteries are very short and end without the lawbreakers being brought to justice formally, although in many cases, justice ends up being served anyway.
The other problem I had with the book was the amount of British politics in it. Since I don't recognize the titles for various political offices, it was often hard to get an understanding of the issues. That being...more
The other problem I had with the book was the amount of British politics in it. Since I don't recognize the titles for various political offices, it was often hard to get an understanding of the issues. That being...more
Chesterton sabe definir a sus personajes con una frase:
Es por lo tanto muy lamentable que cree un protagonista tan odioso:
"By all accounts, he can do more with a candlestick than most men with a pistol. But he is pretty sure to have the pistol, too."
"But he's just the sort of silent, sensible little devil who might be very good at anything; the sort of man you know for years before you find he's a chess champion."
Es por lo tanto muy lamentable que cree un protagonista tan odioso:
For Horne Fisher was remarkable for a curious impersonal information and interest...more
This is a book of short stories, each a crime investigation by a high-society Englishman. It reminded me a lot of Sherlock Holmes' stories, although Chesterton's main character is very different from Doyle's.
I've been reading a couple G.K. Chesterton books lately, and I really want to like him, because he's so highly praised among the educated elites I read. I just am finding him hard to get into; he's too British. C.S. Lewis had a writing style that didn't make him feel unapproachably British;...more
I've been reading a couple G.K. Chesterton books lately, and I really want to like him, because he's so highly praised among the educated elites I read. I just am finding him hard to get into; he's too British. C.S. Lewis had a writing style that didn't make him feel unapproachably British;...more
The book, which is actually a collection of short story mysteries involving the man who knew too much, was mildly entertaining. Read Hemingway just before this book and what a change of pace. G.K. chesterton certainly knows how to prolong an ending. At times he is overly wordy and keeping track of characters in some of the stories can be a bit confusing at times.
The stories generally start with a lengthy setup and in some cases Horne Fisher makes a late appearence in the narrative. Harold March...more
The stories generally start with a lengthy setup and in some cases Horne Fisher makes a late appearence in the narrative. Harold March...more
This book was the best kind of surprise. I was expecting a much more straightforward detective novel, so I was initially thrown by the format and tone. But once I adjusted my expectations I had a great time!
The stories themselves are uneven in quality and start to feel formulaic after you've been through a few, but they're all fairly quick and the good ones are worth sticking it out for. And while I can understand how one might not find Horne Fisher's cynical worldview very fun, I thought it was...more
The stories themselves are uneven in quality and start to feel formulaic after you've been through a few, but they're all fairly quick and the good ones are worth sticking it out for. And while I can understand how one might not find Horne Fisher's cynical worldview very fun, I thought it was...more
In this book, each chapter is a stand-alone detective story. The main character, Horne Fisher, is sort of a detective. He's very clever and he figures out who the criminal is and why he did it. The unusual thing about this book is that it's not a book about solving crime. It's about ethics. In describing the cases the author is describing the character of a man who knows things that make it hard for justice to be blind (impartial). In one case the victim is blackmailing his country's politicians...more
The Man Who Knew Too Much is a book comprised of 8 short mysteries featuring a Sherlock Holmes-like figure named Horne Fischer. He's brilliant, and confident, yet somewhat unimpressed with his vast knowledge, often stating that he knows too much, and all the wrong sort of things. I'm not usually a fan of short stories because it often feels like the story is over by the time I've gotten all the names straight in my mind, or the characters are fully developed. Often I feel as if the author didn't...more
Each of the eight chapters is a mostly stand-alone mini-mystery. Once I caught on, it was fun to try and figure out who the murderer was before the answer is given at the end. Some are missing key info until the end, some are laden with English politics (a little boring for me), but all in all, a short, entertaining read.
This was a good book.
It's definitely NOT about a "sleuth" or detective or anything of the sort. Horne Fisher puzzles out various murders and mysteries incidentally, these are never his main concern, to imagine that they are would indicate the most superficial reading of the novel. He is a man mired in the politics and intrigues of his family and the upper-crust of England, each "crime" and mystery simply serves to illustrate Fisher's brilliance, the way he sees "behind" things because of his wea...more
It's definitely NOT about a "sleuth" or detective or anything of the sort. Horne Fisher puzzles out various murders and mysteries incidentally, these are never his main concern, to imagine that they are would indicate the most superficial reading of the novel. He is a man mired in the politics and intrigues of his family and the upper-crust of England, each "crime" and mystery simply serves to illustrate Fisher's brilliance, the way he sees "behind" things because of his wea...more
The central character in these short stories is Horne Fisher, the man who knows too much. Fisher is a man who is well connected through family, friendship or acquaintance to those who own, govern or influence the Country (Britain) and its standing in the world.
Throughout Fisher unravels puzzling events and considers these circumstances and/or people's actions to a conclusion that he is able to explain to another; rather than actively, as is the mid-war period's more normal approach of sluething...more
Throughout Fisher unravels puzzling events and considers these circumstances and/or people's actions to a conclusion that he is able to explain to another; rather than actively, as is the mid-war period's more normal approach of sluething...more
This book isn't a novel, each chapter is its own mystery starring Horne "The Man Who Knew Too Much" Fisher and sometimes his friend Harry March. I was attracted to this because I really loved the Father Brown mysteries, but the only thing Brown and Fisher have in common is that Chesterton thought of them both. The eight stories in this are very political and sometimes from stories to stories, I got the character confused; I would say (estimating) that about 10 years have passed (maybe more) from...more
I did not like The Man Who Knew Too Much as much as I had hoped. There were some stories that I found were great, and others that simply did not appeal to me. It mainly had to do with the writing style and I do agree that the longer stories were better written.
I could not help but compare Horne Fisher to Sherlock Holmes, but unlike Holmes, Fisher seems to be burdened with his knowledge of crimes or conspiracy. He simply knows too much, and he is not able to do anything with his findings. I was...more
I could not help but compare Horne Fisher to Sherlock Holmes, but unlike Holmes, Fisher seems to be burdened with his knowledge of crimes or conspiracy. He simply knows too much, and he is not able to do anything with his findings. I was...more
Think Sherlock Holmes - circa WWI. This is actually a collection of 8 short stories, which I didn't know beforehand. So "chapter 2" was REALLY confusing when new characters were introduced and I'm thinking "what does this have to do with anything?" So. Good to know.
The stories were good. However, I didn't find Fisher nearly as likable as Sherlock. I'm sure that is the point entirely. Fisher is cynical and altogether down on society and people as a whole. The stories usually ended with moral/eth...more
The stories were good. However, I didn't find Fisher nearly as likable as Sherlock. I'm sure that is the point entirely. Fisher is cynical and altogether down on society and people as a whole. The stories usually ended with moral/eth...more
I think I like Chesterton's non-fiction more than his fiction. This is (if I recall) the second book of fiction that I've read from the great GKC. I have read more of his non-fictional work, and I like it more.
This book, like many mysteries, was a confusing ride. GKC's word crafting is gorgeous - at points, simply startling. He was a man who knew how to use language. He had a purdy mouth.
The story is full of murder, political intrigue, and interpersonal difficulties. The author worked in some s...more
This book, like many mysteries, was a confusing ride. GKC's word crafting is gorgeous - at points, simply startling. He was a man who knew how to use language. He had a purdy mouth.
The story is full of murder, political intrigue, and interpersonal difficulties. The author worked in some s...more
Don't let the title confuse you. This book is not the basis of either of the two Hitchcock films by that name. Whether it is a collection of short 'detective/mystery' stories by G.K. Chesterton. Chesterton is probably better known for his Father Brown stories, or his novel "The Man Who Was Thursday".
Englishman Horne Fisher is "the man who knew too much". It almost seems that Chesterton was spoofing Sherlock Holmes, or similar dectective characters, with the laconic and never ruffled Fisher. Obvi...more
Englishman Horne Fisher is "the man who knew too much". It almost seems that Chesterton was spoofing Sherlock Holmes, or similar dectective characters, with the laconic and never ruffled Fisher. Obvi...more
Gotta love Chesterton's works - witty without cynicism, light without being shallow. And whatever happened to pursuing a classical education?
This series of short stories star Horne Fisher, a low key man with lots of contacts and relatives in the British government. He solves several mysteries, several of which include newsman Harold March. In the first story, Harold meets Horne Fisher walking along a streambed when a car hurtles into the ditch and Sir Humphrey Turnbill falls out. Horne Fisher figures out the man was murdered and the identity of the murderer. Each story is very different. Many of the stories have rather strange occurr...more
A series of short mysteries loosely strung together by the detective work of the titular man who knew too much (one Horne Fischer) and his friend March the newspaperman. Most of the mysteries are typical enough, but there is a dense and in some places nearly impenetrable undercurrent of political / social commentary that can only make the vaguest impression on someone not of England around the turn of the last century. Not my favorite of Chesterton's fiction by a long shot, but an interesting en...more
I have not been disappointed yet with this guy. This is a detective story, but it is actually a series of mysteries rather than one. This one delves in the corruption of British officials, but reads like it is about contemporary politics in America. The man who knew too much was the man who knew the truth about human nature.
***
In awe of Fisher’s grasp of the facts, one character tells him, “Fisher, I should say that what you don’t know isn’t worth knowing.”
“You are wrong,” replies Fisher with a...more
***
In awe of Fisher’s grasp of the facts, one character tells him, “Fisher, I should say that what you don’t know isn’t worth knowing.”
“You are wrong,” replies Fisher with a...more
The finest mysteries complicate the distinction between right and wrong. G K Chesterton does this admirably. Where he differs from someone like Agatha Christie who was also expert at moral gray areas (remember Murder on the Orient Express) is in the central place given to his brutally pragmatic view of politics. These episodes in the life of Horne Fisher and Harold March are clever puzzles but also scathing and worldly observations on the many and varied ways in which elites grab power and try t...more
Listened to this on Classic Tales Podcast in eight episodes, one per week. A great book to be enjoyed this way since the book is divided into eight "adventures" or mysteries set over several years in the life of the protagonist, Horne Fisher, and his friend Harold March, set in pre-World War I England. Though some of the mysteries seemed obscure, the setting and strong characters made this a great "listen." Maybe I would like his Father Brown series of short stories?...more
I remember reading several of these stories some earlier time. They were interesting to read again, but Chesterton is not one of my favorites. The mysteries are presented with a cryptic and fatalistic twist (and a tinge of antisemitism). The man "who knew too much" maintains that he know all the wrong things, and many of the things he knows are not worth knowing. But in the last story, he comes to know something worth knowing, that is, something worth dying for. Like the man who solves the myste...more
There is no doubt that Chesterton is a very talented writer. His writing can be captivating. I simply did not find this to be as engaging as The Man Who Was Thursday A Nightmare. The Librivox recording was well done but some of the stories dragged a little and the mysteries were not too difficult to solve. Take the advice of other reviewers and approach this as a series of short mysteries, not a full novel. Recommended for lovers of classic crime or mystery fiction.
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Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) cannot be summed up in one sentence. Nor in one paragraph. In fact, in spite of the fine biographies that have been written of him (and his Autobiography), he has never been captured between the covers of one book. But rather than waiting to separate the goats from the sheep, let’s just come right out and say it: G.K. Chesterton was the best writer of the twent...more
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“Modern intelligence won't accept anything on authority. But it will accept anything without authority.”
—
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“You know I always liked you," said Fisher, quietly, "but I also respect you, which is not always the same thing. You may possibly guess that I like a good many people I don't respect. Perhaps it is my tragedy, perhaps it is my fault. But you are very different, and I promise you this: that I will never try to keep you as somebody to be liked, at the price of your not being respected.”
—
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