The Wisdom of Father Brown (Father Brown #2) ★★★☆☆

 

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Title: The Wisdom of Father Brown
Series: Father Brown #2
Author: G.K. Chesterton
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 268
Words: 73K

Synopsis:

From Wikipedia

"The Absence of Mr Glass", McClure's Magazine, November 1912.

"The Paradise of Thieves", McClure's Magazine, March 1913.

"The Duel of Dr Hirsch"

"The Man in the Passage", McClure's Magazine, April 1913.

"The Mistake of the Machine"

"The Head of Caesar", The Pall Mall Magazine, June 1913.

"The Purple Wig", The Pall Mall Magazine, May 1913.

"The Perishing of the Pendragons", The Pall Mall Magazine, June 1914.

"The God of the Gongs"

"The Salad of Colonel Cray"

"The Strange Crime of John Boulnois", McClure's Magazine, February 1913.

"The Fairy Tale of Father Brown"

My Thoughts:

Another fine collection of short stories where Father Brown at least makes an appearance. I know I said it in the first book but to call these “mysteries” is rather misleading. At least in the sense of a detective sussing out the facts and figuring it out. Father Brown just kind of makes pronouncements based on what he thinks about the fallen nature of humanity and goes from there.

I feel like my schedule of alternating these with books by the Bronte sisters is working out well. If I were to read the Father Brown books too close together I suspect I'd get annoyed. While Chesterton and I both share the Christian Faith, his way of viewing the world, expressed through the character of Father Brown are very different. Personally, I'd box Father Brown's ears and tell him to stop being so clueless. But since he's not real and Chesterton is dead, that simply isn't an option. Probably just as well as Chesterton could roll over me like a steamship both physically and mentally. Unless I got him with a surprise kidney punch first ;-)

I chose this cover from the Librarything collection because it perfectly represents Father Brown. I think it is from the tv show (of which I've heard nothing good) and man did they choose someone just as Chesterton described. A brown shapeless potato. And that actor is the most potato'y that I've ever seen. Kudo's to him for being such a potato! And the short story format is just like a baked potato too. Just enough to keep you full and happy but not so much that you become a glutton.

★★★☆☆

• Innocence of Father Brown (Book 1)