First, a quote from one of the essays. It says quite a lot about G. K. Chesterton and this book:

"The modern habit of saying, 'This is my opinion, but I may be wrong,' is entirely irrational. If I say that it may be wrong, I say that it is not my opinion. The modern habit of saying, 'Every man has a different philosophy; this is my philosophy and it suits me; the habit of saying this is mere weakmindedness."

He was certainly an opinionated man himself. To say the least. But he writes fluently, enthusiastically and absorbingly, even if he doesn't always stick to the point. I did not agree with all his arguments - there were even occasions when I couldn't quite believe what I was reading (and I would have to remind myself of when it was written), however, I always wanted to finish the essay.

This collection, selected by W. H. Auden, covers quite a broad range of topics - ranging across literature, politics and religion (and frequently overlapping). I was particularly amused that an essay on why we should use more sexually based swear words was preceded by an essay on why there should be censureship (in film, in particular). To my mind, however, he is the most interesting in his literary discussions. I do not read a great deal of poetry and, if I've read and Browning, it is a very small amount. However, the enthusiasm with which Chesterton discusses him is infectious - and yet infectious in a manner that doesn't underestimate Browning's faults. I'll definitely be investigating further at a later date anyway. The aspect I had the most trouble with was his introduction of his religious beliefs into discussions where personally, I felt they were irrelevant and, in fact, his judgemental attitude in this aspect annoyed me on several occasions. That said, I would have expected nothing less from someone with such strongly held beliefs. Oh and his very brief essay-let on Darwinism was completely missing the point, but hey...

Fundamentally, this was a fascinating read - and full of things to disagree with. I would recommend it, but with the caveat that it's definitely not going to be for everyone! ( )