In these final days of this year, I decided to reread this monumental work by Chesterton. I was not disappointed: the description of paganism before Christ and the subsequent definition of Christianity against various heresies is still fascinating.
This year I read 26 books by Chesterton: not bad, but I am not halfway through his writings. Looking at the list, I do realize that my favorites are mainly Chesterton's more famous works: Orthodoxy, The man who was thursday, The everlasting man, St Francis and St Thomas. I loved his essays, though I could not read them all too fast. About traveling I only read his impressions of America, which were very interesting. I read quite some of his novels, which were unvarying in their being intriguing. The detective stories were good and entertaining. The discussions about persons (Dickens, Tolstoj, etc) sometimes depended on my knowledge of the subject.
What I missed this year falls mainly in two categories; poetry is the first. I did read Greybeards and the famous poem about the donkey, but I did not start The ballad of the white horse. The other is Chesterton's discussion about Catholicism. I had hoped to find a copy of The thing, but in the end I could not find it. I am still not completely sure about Chesterton's catholicism. It is true that protestant churches in his time were tainted by higher bible criticism and that the Catholic church presents a continuity in thinking over two thousand years, but there are more considerations then these.
At the end of this year I do find myself richer than before: Chesterton really provokes thought. I hear myself quoting Chesterton, or telling people that Chesterton thought so-and-so, or recommending people to read some works by Chesterton. A memorable author if ever there was one.
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