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Available
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Description
Essays. Philosophy. Nonfiction. HTML: British author G.K. Chesterton was a prolific writer and daringly original thinker who made his mark in virtually every literary genre. The collection Tremendous Trifles highlights a compelling cross-section of Chesterton's body of work, including sketches, essays, and newspaper columns. It's a perfect compendium for new readers and long-time Chesterton buffs alike..
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Publication
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2015), 126 pages
User reviews
LibraryThing member SueinCyprus
This book, which I downloaded free for my Kindle, is a collection of some of GK Chesterton’s journalistic essays, published originally as part of a column.
Each is complete in itself. Most are thought-provoking, some are whimsical, some are downright bizarre.
The overall theme is of ordinariness.
It's not a book to read in one sitting. I found that if I picked it up when I was tired, or if I read an essay that required knowledge of specific places or politicians, I often took in very little. However, other stories appealed strongly; from time to time I came across a sentence or two that struck quite a chord.
As works of social history - this is the nearest the author got to journalling, he claims - these pieces have value, and there are nicely ironic touches that I appreciated. But inevitably it’s very dated, and unlikely to appeal to those of a less reflective, faster-paced generation. I doubt if I'll read it again, but for Chesterton fans it's worth perusing at least once.
Each is complete in itself. Most are thought-provoking, some are whimsical, some are downright bizarre.
The overall theme is of ordinariness.
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Chesterton claims, in the introduction, that he is encouraging his readers to look at everyday objects - ceilings, and pens, and fences - and ponder their significance. This is what he does in the essays which result. Some, I assume, are true anecdotes, others entirely imaginative. It's not a book to read in one sitting. I found that if I picked it up when I was tired, or if I read an essay that required knowledge of specific places or politicians, I often took in very little. However, other stories appealed strongly; from time to time I came across a sentence or two that struck quite a chord.
As works of social history - this is the nearest the author got to journalling, he claims - these pieces have value, and there are nicely ironic touches that I appreciated. But inevitably it’s very dated, and unlikely to appeal to those of a less reflective, faster-paced generation. I doubt if I'll read it again, but for Chesterton fans it's worth perusing at least once.
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Original language
English
Original publication date
1909
Physical description
126 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
1507864329 / 9781507864326