Alarms and Discursions

Thoughts on anarchists, sightseeing, cheese, and more from "one of the finest essayists to ever grace the English language" (Joseph Pearce, author of Twelve Great Books).

 


Renowned for his prolific writing—everything from philosophy screeds to detective fiction—G. K. Chesterton had a worldview like no other, one that inspires thinkers to this day. In this collection of writings, he shares his thoughts on a diverse array of topics, making no apologies for his leaps from one subject to another. He's not afraid to get into the down and dirty of everyday life. Of his essays—on futurists, telegraph poles, kinds of men, and more sundry subjects—he writes:


 


"This row of shapeless and ungainly monsters which I now set before the reader does not consist of separate idols cut out capriciously in lonely valleys or various islands. These monsters are meant for the gargoyles of a definite cathedral. I have to carve the gargoyles, because I can carve nothing else; I leave to others the angels and the arches and the spires."


 

Praise for the writing of G. K. Chesterton:

 


"If you, reader of this volume, are fortunate enough to have contact with young readers of our own day, do, I implore you, introduce them to the essay form—and there is no better place to start than with G. K. Chesterton." —Aidan Mackey, author of G. K. Chesterton: A Prophet for the 21st Century

 


"He is a teacher who paints with words. Each of his essays is both a lesson and a work of art." —Dale Ahlquist, author of G. K. Chesterton: Apostle of Common Sense