The Victorian Age in Literature G K Chesterton Books
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"I was born a Victorian; and sympathise not a little with the serious Victorian Spirit." In this engaging and extremely personal account G K Chesterton expounds his views on Victorian literature. Many of his opinions reflect the conventions of the age; however of the Victorian novel he refreshingly comments "it is an art in which women are quite beyond controversy". Equally uncompromising about poets and poetry he does not hesitate to call Tennyson "a provincial Virgil". This book is an important landmark in our understanding of an age which produced some of Britain's most widely enjoyed literature.
The Victorian Age in Literature G K Chesterton Books
Publication date: 1913, in the "Home University Library," and yet as unlike a textbook as could be:"... It was latitudinarian, and yet it was limited. It could be content with nothing less than the whole cosmos: yet the cosmos with which it was content was small. It is false to say it was without humour: yet there was something by instinct unsmiling in it. It was always saying solidly that things were 'enough'; and proving by that sharpness (as of the shutting of a door) that they were not enough. It took, I will not say its pleasures, but even its emancipations, sadly. Definitions seem to escape this way and that in the attempt to locate it as an idea. But every one will understand me if I call it George Eliot."
Chesterton's style is boisterous and engaging, and there were lots of brilliant remarks throughout that set conventional wisdom (of his day or ours) on its pointy little head. One chapter is about novelists (Dickens, George Eliot, George Meredith and others), one chapter is about poets (Browning Swinburne, Fitzgerald's Rubaiyat). These are framed by chapters about the climate of ideas at the beginning of the age, and at the end:
"... The difference that the period had developed can best be seen if we consider this: that while neither was of a spiritual sort, Macaulay took it for granted that common sense required some kind of theology, while Huxley took it for granted that common sense meant having none. Macaulay, it is said, never talked about his religion: but Huxley was always talking about the religion he hadn't got."
Here is one more quote which I find perhaps the most thought-provoking:
"... It meant a real Victorian talent; that of exploding unexpectedly and almost, as it seemed, unintentionally. Gilbert made good jokes by the thousand; but he never (in his best days) made the joke that could possibly have been expected of him. This is the last essential of the Victorian. Laugh at him as a limited man, a moralist, conventionalist, an opportunist, a formalist. But remember also that he was really a humorist; and may still be laughing at you."
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The Victorian Age in Literature G K Chesterton Books Reviews
Gilbert Keith Chesterton is one of those literary giants of the last century who continues to impact the way we think. His knowledge of the materials and his inciteful reviews in addition to his remarkable facility with words makes him a pleasure to read. I never knew I wanted to know so much about the Victorian writers and after having read this book, I am further moved to explore more. Chesterton is a gem of a writer.
Love Free, it would take thousands of dollars and a lot of time to find these books IF YOU COULD; I have more than I can read but I love to have them on hand and have or will read them! Victorian Age Literature and its Free!
Complete and interesting, it gives a deep insight of the Victorian Literature without being boring
I would recommend it for a first approach to the subject
I have not been able to finish it yet but it definitely is a thought provoking read.
Just okay, rather boring. The Victorian age is of interest to me but I wish the book were more interesting to read.
I had forgotten how wonderful it get to read Chesterton's take on just about anything. As always, he is both informative and quirky, and a lot of fun.
No, this one does not have any of the pithy sayings for which G.K. is famous. But if you are a fan of literature you'll enjoy his take on these Victorian authors. He wrote the book when these authors were still widely read so he assumes the reader knows a lot about them. Even though I'm quite a literature fan, I had only heard of half of them. After reading this book I looked up books by several of the obscure authors he recommended and I can see why they were put to rest. Still, this is a fascinating overview of Victorian novelists.
Publication date 1913, in the "Home University Library," and yet as unlike a textbook as could be
"... It was latitudinarian, and yet it was limited. It could be content with nothing less than the whole cosmos yet the cosmos with which it was content was small. It is false to say it was without humour yet there was something by instinct unsmiling in it. It was always saying solidly that things were 'enough'; and proving by that sharpness (as of the shutting of a door) that they were not enough. It took, I will not say its pleasures, but even its emancipations, sadly. Definitions seem to escape this way and that in the attempt to locate it as an idea. But every one will understand me if I call it George Eliot."
Chesterton's style is boisterous and engaging, and there were lots of brilliant remarks throughout that set conventional wisdom (of his day or ours) on its pointy little head. One chapter is about novelists (Dickens, George Eliot, George Meredith and others), one chapter is about poets (Browning Swinburne, Fitzgerald's Rubaiyat). These are framed by chapters about the climate of ideas at the beginning of the age, and at the end
"... The difference that the period had developed can best be seen if we consider this that while neither was of a spiritual sort, Macaulay took it for granted that common sense required some kind of theology, while Huxley took it for granted that common sense meant having none. Macaulay, it is said, never talked about his religion but Huxley was always talking about the religion he hadn't got."
Here is one more quote which I find perhaps the most thought-provoking
"... It meant a real Victorian talent; that of exploding unexpectedly and almost, as it seemed, unintentionally. Gilbert made good jokes by the thousand; but he never (in his best days) made the joke that could possibly have been expected of him. This is the last essential of the Victorian. Laugh at him as a limited man, a moralist, conventionalist, an opportunist, a formalist. But remember also that he was really a humorist; and may still be laughing at you."
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