Product Description

Through years of meticulous research and access to the literary estate of G.K. Chesterton, Joseph Pearce presents a major biography of a 20th century literary giant, providing a great deal of important information on GKC never before published. This is a thoroughly readable and delightful biography of a multi-faceted author, artist and debater who loved the friendship of children, idolized his wife and enjoyed great friendships with the likes of Hillaire Belloc, Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells. Illustrated.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #614774 in Books
• Published on: 1997-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback

From Library Journal
In this spiritual biography of the English social commentator and author, most memorably, of the Father Brown mysteries, English author Pearce focuses primarily on Chesterton's conversion to Roman Catholicism in 1922. Pearce goes on to celebrate Chesterton's happy childhood and family life, successful marriage, and friendships with Hilaire Belloc, George Bernard Shaw, and other Victorian and 20th-century writers. Also detailed are Chesterton's social and political activism as well as his romanticism and childlike joie de vivre. Pearce draws copiously from Chesterton's published writings and correspondence and from previous biographies, notably those by Maisie Ward, Michael Coren, and Michael Ffinch. Indeed, 26 pages of endnotes demonstrate the heavy reliance of the author on these sources. The result is a marginal offering that may be considered for religion collections and for those specializing in minor English authors of the early 20th century.?Nancy M. Laskowski, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
Wisdom And Innocence is the astonishing biography of an astonishing man -- G. K. Chesterton. Chesterton was a journalist, essayist, biographer, poet, novelist, and playwright. He debated with all the great names of his day, disdaining conventionality, championing the Liberal cause and prophesying the wars and catastrophes that the century would witness. A modern intellect, he strove for integrity, his religious faith and conversion to Catholicism affecting every area of his life and profoundly influencing others. Joseph Pearce has done his research thoroughly and well, bringing to the reading public a superb biography containing information and material heretofore unknown about one of the truly influential men of his time -- G. K. Chesterton. -- Midwest Book Review

Customer Reviews

Very enjoyable and comprehensive biography
I'm not a big fan of biographies, but Pearce does a fine job here. Part of it obviously is due to the wonderful man he is dealing with, a splendidly witty writer who perfected the paradox and dared to insert common sense into politics. The material on the younger Chesterton isn't too interesting, but Pearce succesfully explains Chesterton's views, reviews all his major writings, covers his personal life well and gives fair space to Chesterton's critics as well as his friends (though the two were often one and the same, such as Shaw and Wells, as the book points out). A very good introduction into the life of Chesterton and recommended for anyone interested in him or anyone who doesn't know anything of this great man.

A Unique Insight
For the first time in all the years I have learnt from G.K. Chesterton, I have found a biographer able to explain the Marconi scandal... Cecil, G.K.'s brother, was attacking insider trading before it became a fashion to do so. Joseph Pearce allows us to understand and value G.K. fidelity towards his brother's memory and social insights. Hat's off to the biographer.

Moving Tribute to GKC
This is an audacious book. Consider for a moment - you are an author writing a biography of an author, who had in turn already written an autobiography. And the author you are writing about is GK Chesteron. After all GKC said about himself, what more is there to say?

Fortunately, a lot. While this work is a biography, it comes close to being a deserved panegyric as well. Pearce is clearly taken with his subject, and the result is one that mimic's Chesterton's own habit of "conveying the truth, if not the facts."

That being said, Wisdom & Innocence is a hefty book, covering Chesterton's life in strangely selected detail. It serves as a nice "jumping off point" to Chesterton's other works, although I share some frustration with other reviewers that some detail is lacking (my personal gripe is that the intellectual battle between Chesterton, Wells and Shaw is overshadowed by descriptions of their genial personal relationship).

After all of Chesterton's nominal biographies of great literary figures, one can easily forgive Pearce for applying the same "impressionist" techniques to Chesterton himself. I, for one, think GK would be pleased.