A Biography of G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (May 29, 1874 – June 14, 1936) was an English writer of the early 20th century. Chesterton was known as the "prince of paradox" because he communicated his conservative, often countercultural, ideas in an off-hand, whimsical prose studded with startling formulations. For example: "Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it." Many of Chesterton's works remain in print, including collections of his Father Brown detective stories, and Ignatius Press is presently undertaking the monumental task of publishing his complete works. Inkling Books is also publishing Chesterton books, often with additional material to explain the context in which he wrote.
Life and Career
Born in Campden Hill, Kensington, London, Chesterton was educated at St. Paul's School, and later went to the Slade School of Art in order to become an illustrator. In 1900, Chesterton was asked to write a few magazine articles on art criticism, which sparked his interest in writing. He went on to become one of the most prolific writers of all time. Chesterton's writings displayed a wit and sense of humour that is unusual even today, often while making extremely serious comments on the world, government, politics, economics, philosophy, theology and many other topics.
Chesterton wrote around 80 books, several hundred poems, 200 short stories, 4000 essays and a few plays. He was a columnist for the Daily News, Illustrated London News, and his own paper, G.K's Weekly. In the United States, his writings on distributism were popularized through The American Review, published by Seward Collins in New York. He was a literary and social critic, historian, playwright, novelist, Catholic Christian theologian and apologist, debater, and mystery writer. His most well-known character is the priest-detective Father Brown, who appeared only in short stories, while The Man Who Was Thursday is arguably his best-known novel. He converted to Roman Catholicism in 1922. Christian themes and symbolism appear in much of his writing, and he often presented himself in the role of the Church's champion.
The British writer Hilaire Belloc is often associated with his friend Chesterton. Although very different men, they had in common their Catholic faith and a critical attitude to both capitalism and socialism. Both are figures likely to outlast many of their more celebrated literary contemporaries.
Chesterton was a large man, standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and weighing around 21 stones (134 kg or 295 pounds). Chesterton had a unique look, usually wearing a cape and a crumpled hat, with a swordstick in hand, and usually a cigar hanging out of his mouth. Chesterton rarely remembered where he was supposed to be going and would even miss the train that was supposed to take him there. Chesterton is know to have a telegram to his wife, Frances Blogg, whom he married in 1901, from some distant (and incorrect) location, asking: "Am at Market Harborough. Where ought I to be?" to which she replied, "Home."
Chesterton loved to debate, often publicly debating with friends such as George Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, Bertrand Russell, and Clarence Darrow. Chesterton was usually considered the winner. According to his autobiography, he and George Bernard Shaw played cowboys in a silent movie that, alas, was never released.
He is buried in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, in the Roman Catholic Cemetery.
Influence
Chesterton's The Everlasting Man played a role a young atheist named C. S. Lewis being converted to Christianity.
Chesterton's biography of Charles Dickens was largely responsible for creating a popular revival for Dickens' work as well as a serious reconsideration of Dickens by scholars. Considered by T.S. Eliot, Peter Ackroyd, and others, to be the best book on Dickens ever written.
Chesterton's Orthodoxy has become a religious classic.
An essay that Chesterton wrote for the Illustrated London News inspired Mohandas Gandhi to lead the movement to end British colonial rule in India.
Chesterton's novel, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, inspired Michael Collins to lead a movement for Irish independence. The same book inspired George Orwell in writing 1984, which has several implicit references to Chesterton's book.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "G. K. Chesterton." The original may be viewed there and the cross-references followed. Portions of that entry were adapted for this web page, and new material has been added.