'But you and all the kind of Christ
Are ignorant and brave,
And you have wars you hardly win
And souls you hardly save.'
The ballad of the white horse

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Selection

Instead of reading through complete works by Chesterton, in my vacation I am reading a selection: Chesterton's 'essential writings', selected for the 'modern spiritual masters series'. I have mixed feelings about this selection, just as I had about commentaries.
On the positive side, I reread a couple of brilliant pages, mainly from orthodoxy. Reading these paragraphs without having to follow a complete argument focuses the attention on the beauty and depth of the sentences Chesterton writes. There is an invitation to contemplation.
On the other hand, I dislike reading pieces without context. I do not want anyone to come between me and the author I am reading. There is a risk that one reads through someone else's eyes, instead of encountering Chesterton himself.

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