G. K. Chesterton Livres

"It is the purpose of the writer to attempt an explanation, not of whether the Christian Faith can be believed, but of how he personally has come to believe it." G.K. Chesterton ; Preface to Orthodoxy Orthodoxy (1908) is a book by G. K. Chesterton that has become a classic of Christian apologetics. Chesterton considered this book a companion to his other work, Heretics. In the book's preface Chesterton states the purpose is to "attempt an explanation, not of whether the Christian faith can be believed, but of how he personally has come to believe it." In it, Chesterton presents an original view of Christian religion. He sees it as the answer to natural human needs, the "answer to a riddle" in his own words, and not simply as an arbitrary truth received from somewhere outside the boundaries of human experience. "If you've got an afternoon, read his masterpiece of Christian apologetics ... Thomas Aquinas meets Eddie Van Halen." -James Parker ; The Atlantic

The thirty-nine short essays that make up Chesterton's delightful book are the result of "sitting still and letting marvels and adventures settle on him like flies." Actually, the author does move around quite a bit-to Germany, France, and on foot in England when he tires of waiting for a train. Everywhere he goes, Chesterton looks at ordinary things and asks us to see how extraordinary they are: the contents of his pockets, the items in a railway station, pedestrians in the street. What appear to be trifles are actually tremendous, and he uses them as a springboard to expound on Christianity, the nuclear family, democracy, and the like with supreme clarity and wit. The essays gathered here are a testament to G.K. Chesterton's faith-not his faith in religion or a higher power, but in the ability to discover something wonderful in the objects, the experiences, and the people that cross our paths every single day. With his unique brand of humor and insight, he demonstrates how the commonplace adds enormous value to the landscape of daily life. Full of both good sense and nonsense, Chesterton's commentaries-first published nearly a century ago-remain fresh today.

Jeden z nejplodnějších anglických spisovatelů první poloviny 20. století, autor mimo jiné 48 povídek s neobvyklým hrdinou-detektivem otcem Brownem, svéráznou, poněkud směšnou postavičkou v kněžském rouchu, jenž na rozdíl od svého "kolegy" Sherlocka Holmese neřeší případy za pomoci chladné dedukce, nýbrž díky hluboké znalosti lidské povahy a psychologie. "Brownovky" nejsou jen poutavým logickým cvičením, ale vynikají i zálibou v paradoxu, jíž nechybí filozofická hloubka. Výbor přináší povídky Divný krok, Kletba knihy, Prokletí Pendragonů a Znamení zlomeného meče. Anglicko-český zrcadlový text, vhodný pro výuku jazyků.

A comical futurist fantasy, first published in 1904, about a tradition-loving suburban London community of the 1980's at war with its modernizing neighbors. 7 illustrations by W. Graham Robertson. New Introduction by Martin Gardner.

Exploring the undervaluation of ordinary life, this work critiques the dismissal of popular literature as "vulgar." It argues that while such literature may lack literary sophistication, it serves as a vital expression of collective imagination. The text contrasts past attitudes of the educated class, who ignored popular works, with the significance these narratives hold for millions. By highlighting this neglect, the author invites readers to reconsider the worth and impact of everyday stories in shaping cultural identity and imagination.

Francis of Assisi is, after Mary of Nazareth, the greatest saint in the Christian calendar, and one of the most influential men in the whole of human history. By universal acclaim, this biography by G. K. Chesterton is considered the best appreciation of Francis's life--the one that gets to the heart of the matter. For Chesterton, Francis is a great paradoxical figure, a man who loved women but vowed himself to chastity; an artist who loved the pleasures of the natural world as few have loved them, but vowed himself to the most austere poverty, stripping himself naked in the public square so all could see that he had renounced his worldly goods; a clown who stood on his head in order to see the world aright. Chesterton gives us Francis in his world-the riotously colorful world of the High Middle Ages, a world with more pageantry and romance than we have seen before or since. Here is the Francis who tried to end the Crusades by talking to the Saracens, and who interceded with the emperor on behalf of the birds. Here is the Francis who inspired a revolution in art that began with Giotto and a revolution in poetry that began with Dante. Here is the Francis who prayed and danced with pagan abandon, who talked to animals, who invented the creche.

G. K. Chesterton je jedním z nejplodnějších anglických spisovatelů první poloviny 20.století. Mimo jiné je autorem 48 povídek s neobvyklým hrdinou-detektivem otcem Brownem, svéráznou, poněkud směšnou postavičkou v kněžském rouchu, jenž na rozdíl od svého „kolegy“ Sherlocka Holmese neřeší případy za pomocí chladné dedukce, nýbrž díky hluboké znalosti lidské povahy a psychologie. „Brownovky“ nejsou jen poutavým logickým cvičením, ale vynikají i zálibou v paradoxu, jíž nechybí filosofická hloubka. Výbor přináší povídky Nepřítomnost pana Sklenčky, Zpěv létajících ryb, Proroctví psa a Zrádné zrcadlo. Přeložila Alena Hartmanová.

The three great apologies of G.K. Chesterton in one volume: Heretics, Orthodoxy & The Everlasting Man. Gilbert Keith Chesterton has become synonymous with modern Christian apologetics. But his impact goes beyond just those interested in a defense of Christian thought. His writings have influenced such diverse authors as C.S. Lewis, Marshall McLuhan, and Jorge Luis Borges, and remains a subtle and unseen presence in contemporary Catholic thought. At his funeral, Ronald Knox said "All of this generation has grown up under Chesterton's influence so completely that we do not even know when we are thinking Chesterton." Before his conversion from atheism to knowing God, C.S. Lewis, the author of Mere Christianity & The Great Divorce, said "in reading Chesterton, as in reading MacDonald, I did not know what I was letting myself in for. A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading. There are traps everywhere -" Chesterton wrote in a time when materialism and new forms of political theory were soon to cause havoc in the western world. His was a voice calling for restraint - pointing back to the fundamentals of Christian doctrine, the purpose and value of which was being lost in the noise and commotion of the post industrial age. Describing the rush towards less familiar and attractive ideologies, Chesterton wrote: "In the matter of reforming things, as distinct from deforming them, there is one plain and simple principle; a principle which will probably be called a paradox. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, 'I don't see the use of this; let us clear it away.' To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: 'If you don't see the use of it, I certainly won't let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.'" Chesterton was a man who continually showed us the use of orthodoxy in Christianity - most of all in his three great apologies: Heretics, Orthodoxy & The Everlasting Man. In Heretics, he first points to the flaws in the beliefs of the moderns. In Orthodoxy, he defends the values handed down through millennium of Christian dogma. In The Everlasting Man, he tells the grand story of Christianity itself and the often ignored miracle of its appearance in the life of man. Chesterton was a great debater, often trading blows with modern thinkers such as George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Bertrand Russell and Clarence Darrow. He became known as the "prince of paradox," He was also a prolific writer, producing biographies on St. Augustine and St. Francis, and touched on many of the varieties of religion in his writings. He wrote fiction as well, authoring the famous Father Brown books and the Man Who Was Thursday. Chesterton was certainly not the imitation of Christ in his personal life. A large man fond of food and drink, he was almost childlike in wonder of the magic of the world, while expressing the wit of an ancient. He gave no secret doctrine or systematic theology, but his "goodness" and basic "common sense" led many to the Church. One commenter stated: first you read C.S. Lewis, then Chesterton, then you become Catholic. Despite his less than temperate life, he is now under investigation by the Church for Beatification: such was his impact.

Two of G. K. Chesterton's most important and well-known works are contained in this volume: Heretics, and Orthodoxy. In Heretics, Chesterton addresses the intellectual movements of his time that he considered most prominent and destructive. Chesterton confronts relativism, individualism, neo-paganism, and other trends of the modern period, paying special attention to the artists and intellectual elite of his time. Orthodoxy, a classic that is part memoir, part apologetic. It exhibits Chesterton at his finest--a combination of literary wit, theological acumen, and pointed cultural critique. The two works complement each other perfectly, providing an accessible entry point to the battleground of truth and falsehood. Lexham Classics are beautifully typeset new editions of classic works. Each book has been carefully transcribed from the original texts, ensuring an accurate representation of the writing as the author intended it to be read.