Rupert Owen reviewed Poems by G. K. Chesterton
Review of 'Poems' on 'GoodReads'
5 stars
Well, I've been putting off writing a review of this for some time. Why? Because Chesterton is so damn comprehensive on all matter of subject and style that I would have to be an academic of his work to truly give an appraisal or criticism worthy of his work. To start with I am mostly on the most part too tired to do this, but I shall try. This is the collected poems, and collected they are, 387 pages of the things. I read this cover to cover, without pausing to read another, possibly my downfall in having been so late to the mark on reviewing this.
Let me start at the beginning ... The Battle of the Stories ... brilliant, "So doubtful doctors punch and prod and prick, A man thought dead: and when there's not a kick Left in the corpse, no twitch or faint contraction, The doctors …
Well, I've been putting off writing a review of this for some time. Why? Because Chesterton is so damn comprehensive on all matter of subject and style that I would have to be an academic of his work to truly give an appraisal or criticism worthy of his work. To start with I am mostly on the most part too tired to do this, but I shall try. This is the collected poems, and collected they are, 387 pages of the things. I read this cover to cover, without pausing to read another, possibly my downfall in having been so late to the mark on reviewing this.
Let me start at the beginning ... The Battle of the Stories ... brilliant, "So doubtful doctors punch and prod and prick, A man thought dead: and when there's not a kick Left in the corpse, no twitch or faint contraction, The doctors say: "See .... there is no reaction.". "Songs of Education", "The Strange Music, "A Ballade of an Anti-Puritan", "the Song Against Grocers" (Part of his "Songs of against" series), read them all - fantastic. Then book five, "Thou Shall Not Kill", "Cyclopean", "The Mirror of Madmen" ... I'm putting the book back on the shelf now.
It's not that it is heavy going, it is Chesterton after all, but it is full, and it is a feast. It is worth everybody reading. I don't select bits here and there. i read the lot. This took it out of me. I'm onto a lighter read now, but if you do read this, I suggest you read Chesterton from start to finish. I can't remember what i learned or can recall from the from the work but I think that is because it yearns for the reader to return. And so I shall, in good time.