The Collected Works of G.K. Chesterton Volume 11: Plays; Chesterton on Shaw

by G.K. Chesterton, Dennis J. Conlon (Editor)

G.K. Chesterton This volume includes the collected plays of G. K. Chesterton, his controversial writings on Bernard Shaw (who referred to GKC as a colossal genius), and a bibliography. Many of the items appear for the first time in book form. Among his plays included here "The Wild Knight", "Magic", "The Judgment of Dr. Johnson", "The Turkey and the Turk", and "The Surprise". Among his writings on Shaw included here "Do We Agree?" (a debate), "How I Found the Superman", "Sorry, I'm Shaw", and "A Salute to the Last Socialist". Chesterton himself gives the best summary of what we found in this volume when he says of "I have argued with him on almost every subject in the world; and we have always been on opposite sides without affectation or animosity. I have defended the institution of the family against his Platonic fancies about the state ... institutions of beef and beer against his hygienic severity of vegetarianism and total abstinence.... It is necessary to disagree with him as much as I do in order to admire him as I do; and I am proud of him as a foe even more than as a friend." Table of Acknowledgements General Editors' Introduction Introduction by Denis J. Conlon Collected Plays Dialogue between Our Lord and St. Joseph The Wild Knight Time's Abstract and Brief Chronicle Magic The Flying Inn The Temptation of St. Anthony The Turkey and the Turk What You Won't The Judgement of Dr. Johnson The Surprise The Ages Are Passing Chesterton on Shaw The Great Shawkspear Mystery Sorry, I'm Shaw On the Alleged Pessimism of Shakespeare How I Found Superman George Bernard Shaw G.B.S. versus G.K.C. A Salute to the Last Socialist The Case against Chesterton Replies Do We Agree? - A Debate Shakespeare and Shaw Bernard Shaw and Breakages Bernard Shaw and Ame

650 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1989

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

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two titans of 20th century thought and letters duke it out over this compelling collection of essays and transcribed debates.