The Riddle of Joy: G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis

by G.K. Chesterton (Editor), Michael H. MacDonald (Editor), Andrew A. Tadie (Editor)

Book by G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

304 pages, Hardcover

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

[Lancelot Schaubert · Rating 5 out of 5]

hilarious and meaningful anecdotes about the lives of both men

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the summer of 1987 a series of lectures took place in Seattle, the subjects of which were C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton. (If you don't know or care who they are, this book would be of no interest to you whatsoever.) Each chapter of the book is an edited transcript of one of the lectures, the topics alternating back and forth between Lewis and Chesterton. I was already an admirer and reader of Lewis (b. 1898-d. 1963; a Fellow and tutor at Oxford) but, even though I hear his name regularly, I knew little about Chesterton (b. 1874 -d. 1936; journalist, author, etc. in England) and wanted to know more. A majority of the lectures were by college professors and some can be a bit too high-brow (the chapter "Derrida Meets Father Brown: Chestertonian Deconstruction and That Harlequin Joy" completely lost me; I understood not a word of it). That said, however, if you have an interest in either of these men, you can glean quite a bit of information about each, not to mention discovering some valuable passages and thought-provoking quotations such as the following: "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world". (p. 254).

[Kris]

Footnoted by McGrath

[Bill Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://beingbeliefbehavior.blogspot....

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting - but a lot of it over my head. Wish more biographical info had been included in the lectures - but that wasn't the intent - to a large degree.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm 75% done and am struck at some of the conflicting stories and accounts of these two giants. They are such giants that many are clamouring to hang their view upon them to gain credibility.

There is wonderful insight by many wise speakers. I wouldn't recommend this as an intro to Lewis and Chesterton as some of the opinions are just wrong. A basic reading of a few of each author's work helps greatly in enjoying this collection of essays.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Range of essays on Lewis and Chesterton. Most are very good. This book is out of print, but there are a few second hand copies around.