The Innocence Of Father Brown (2004) - Plot & Excerpts
Chesterton was a contemporary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; and though he created his principal fictional sleuth, Father Brown, after Doyle had written the bulk of the Holmes canon, he can also claim a formative role (though not nearly so important as Doyle's) in the shaping of the genre. Father Brown is the first --but not the last!-- in a tradition of men and women of the cloth who solve traditional mysteries, the lineal ancestor of such figures as Father Dowling and Brother Cadfael, and the first series sleuth who's an amateur, rather than a professional, detective. Arising and set in the same late Victorian/Edwardian British milieu, the two characters, Brown and Holmes, have some similarities. Both are extremely smart, and have a capacity for minute observation and mental analysis of small but significant details that others tend to overlook. Flambeau, the continuing character in most of these stories, who under Brown's benign influence transitions from thief to honest detective, comes to serve as a Watson-like foil (though not narrator) for the priest detective. The latter even occasionally smokes a pipe -and more rarely (like Chesterton himself, though not like Holmes) a cigar. Like the mysteries of the Holmes canon, these stories are demanding intellectual puzzles, requiring a rationality of which the Neoclassicists would have heartily improved; but they're also steeped in the Romantic tradition, with any number of macabre, exotic or even Gothic elements: the spooky gloom of a Scottish castle as the storm wind howls, a swordfight to the death, a sinister Hindu fakir, a beheaded corpse, a religious cult, madness.There are also, however, significant differences. Most importantly, Father Brown relies much more on intuition than Holmes does; in this respect, Chesterton sometimes seems influenced more by Henry James than by Doyle. :-) But Brown's intuition is grounded in his understanding of the dark side of human nature, gleaned as a confessor and a moral theologian, just as his knowledge of criminal techniques comes from years in the confessional in crime-ridden urban slum parishes. His priestly calling is thus not incidental to his sleuthing; and it's often the vehicle for serious observations about philosophical and spiritual truth, which are lacking or much less prominent in the Holmes canon (where both Holmes and Doyle have convictions much less definite than Chesterton's, and Brown's). Both men like the intellectual challenge of solving mysteries; but Brown isn't a hired detective, and his main interest is pastoral --he wants the reformation of the offender, not necessarily punishment, and he never takes his knowledge to the police for that reason. (He does usually encourage the culprits to confess -- with mixed success.) Holmes extends a similar mercy in "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," but it's not his normal operating procedure. Where Holmes is assertive, flamboyant, and proud of his abilities (though not vain), Brown is mild-mannered, humble, and self-effacing. Chesterton's prose is something the reader is much more conscious of than Doyle's: fulsome, orotund, rich in metaphor and similie; and his much more vivid and lovingly detailed descriptions of the world around him are those of a writer who takes actual joy in the creation, founded in an appreciation of its Creator.The dozen stories here were all written in 1910-1911; most take place in or near Chesterton's native London. A bare majority (seven) are murder mysteries; two actually turn out to involve no crime at all, and the others are daring thefts or attempted thefts. "The Secret Garden" is a noteworthy example of the first group, in that it involves an early variant on the locked-room mystery: the victim was dispatched in a garden attached to a house (belonging to the Paris chief of police, no less!), with no access save through the house, and the house has only one continuously guarded door --so how did the victim get there? A couple of cases turn on the mental inability of the class-conscious British gentry of that era to notice servants/menials as anything more than part of the furniture --a feature that Agatha Christie no doubt borrowed from Chesterton in her Poirot story "The Yellow Irises."The particular edition I read has extensive annotations by Chesterton scholar Martin Gardner; hence, it's titled The Annotated Innocence of Father Brown (first published in 1988 by Oxford Univ. Press). These are a mixed blessing. Some of them provide interesting background matter, explanations of Edwardian terms, and textual variants, etc.; too many others explain the obvious, and some critical comments miss the boat. I don't agree with Gardner's negative view of "The Wrong Shape" or the reason for it; and while I agree that the reference to "one fat Chinese sneer" in "The Three Tools of Death" is racially insensitive and deplorable, I don't find a similar problem with any other language here. (The successful Jewish hotel owner in "The Queer Feet" isn't portrayed negatively because he's successful; if Chesterton had never mentioned that a character was Jewish, we'd no doubt hear complaints that Jews are "invisible" in his work! And the bracketing of Jews with country squires, in a passing reference in "The Flying Stars" to groups that can be seen as distinct, is no more disparaging to Jews than to country squires --a group Chesterton, given his social thought, probably more admired than the reverse.) For readers interested in Chesterton scholarship, the value of this edition is enhanced by such features as a printing history of the stories here, and an over 20-page comprehensive bibliography of critical works on Chesterton in general and the Father Brown canon in particular.
I don’t usually like short story anthologies, but I made an exception for The Innocence of Father Brown because of Gilbert Keith Chesterton and his friendship with C.S. Lewis and other scholars/authors of the era. I also like the fact that there is a recurring cast of characters in most of the stories in this collection, so I didn’t feel short-changed when I finished each story. They became more like television episodes of a favorite mystery series. The prose can be a little dense at times, but the occasionally slow-going usually features a nice pay-off. The anthology gets its name, I presume, as a pun on events in the first two stories where Father Brown is under suspicion. Since the title proclaims his innocence, I also presume that it won’t be a spoiler to say that he ends up solving both crimes. The following summary suggests what I enjoyed about each story.The first story has suspects, including a clergyman, engaged in mysterious activities that don’t seem to make sense. The second is a “locked garden” instead of “locked room” mystery, but the issue is essentially the same and the solution is likely easy to deduce for experienced mystery readers. The third mystery hinges on the mystery of two walking styles. The next was called “The Flying Stars” and dealt with jewels that had been stolen so often that they were christened with the name of the story. The crime involves the English pantomime version of "commedia del arte" and ends with a sermon combined with solution by Brown. In my opinion, it is one of the best stories in the collection. I like Brown’s words to the thief, “I know the woods like very free behind you, Flambeau; I know that in a flash you could melt into them like a monkey, Flambeau. You will sit up in your free forest cold at heart and close to death, and the tree-tops will be very bare.” After a brief interlude, the old priest continues, “Your downward steps have begun. You used to boast of doing nothing mean, but you are doing something mean tonight. You are leaving suspicion on an honest boy with a good deal against him already; you are separating him from the woman he loves and who loves him. But you will do meaner things than that before you die.” In such a way, GKC posits the downward spiral of crime/lack of integrity.Fifth, is a story that deals with perception or the lack thereof when a murder is committed by an invisible man. This story underscores something I began to realize about halfway through the book. I noticed that Father Brown rarely actually brings the perpetrator to justice, but often toward redemption.Sixth, there is a cute little macabre story about missing gold, even down to the gilt on illuminated manuscripts. It’s very short and has a nice touch. Seventh, we read GKC's idea of miracle when a phony Indian swami appears to kill the victim by auto-suggestion. The eighth tale is a bit like a "call-back" in comedy in that it refers back to another story, foreshadows the result in this story and pulls it together with an unexpected twist.I loved the "Hammer of God" story for GKC's parable about needing other people to worship authentically lest we fail to see ourselves as we really are. The priest claims to have known a man “…who began by worshipping with others before the altar, but who grew fond of high and lonely places to pray from, corners or niches in the belfry or the spire. And once in one of those dizzy places, where the whole world seemed to turn under him like a wheel, his brain turned also, and he fancied he was God.” Going further, the priest noted, “He thought it was given to him to judge the world and strike down the sinner. He would never have had such a thought if he had been kneeling with other men upon a floor. But he saw all men walking about like insects.” This is terrific insight on the need for humility in one’s faith.The one spiritual disease according to Father Brown is to believe oneself well. That is how the mystery around the new Apollo sect begins. Another story deals with the past reputation of a military hero. The exposition was fascinating and not what I was expecting. In yet another story, GKC suggests that people cannot tolerate constant cheerfulness without accompanying humor. What an interesting insight!In short, I’m not positive I would have read this anthology if I had realized it was an anthology when I first opened it. Yet, I am delighted that I read it. It was stimulating and delightful, much like the books of GKC’s friends that I have also enjoyed.
What do You think about The Innocence Of Father Brown (2004)?
This is the second of Chesterton's works that I've read. I can only describe it as I might Father Brown - quirky genius. Here printed are 12 short tales of murder and mystery, loosely interwoven. "The Blue Cross" was one of my favorites. The simple inconspicuous deep cunning of Father Brown was most blatantly exhibited for us here. It was like witnessing a feather render an anvil unto powder. Here we first meet our two most important reoccurring characters - the brilliantly creative criminal Flambeau, and the relatively short lived head of the Paris Police, Valentin. A most satisfying tale. I loved the bizarre market scenes which led us helter skelter to the conclusion.Next, "The Secret Garden". I liked the quaint closed-house dinner party murder, though this one did spill out onto the street for a bit. I was somewhat taken aback by the violent nature of the crime. Chesterton seems to enjoy a bit of light gore. We were just coming to know the atheist intellect of Paris' finest investigator - that of Valentin. Ironically, the fellow falls from his office. Why? He was another atheist who could not get the Church off his mind - it drove him to murder. Chesterton tells us that "on the blind face of the suicide was more than the pride of Cato"."The Queer Feet" was one of Chesterton's queerer tales, which is always a good thing. Chesterton seems obsessed with clubs and secret societies. This is a tale of one such fishy society, and their expensive dinner ware. The criminal Monsieur Flambeau is once again at work here. Again also, Father Brown so far outwits the witty Flambeau that Flambeau surrenders and repents; whereas in the first story, he only surrendered. This marks the turning point for Flambeau, as the last story marked the dark turning point for Valentin, which I find ethically paradoxical."The Flying Stars" is a Dickensian Christmas tale, as it so proclaims itself. Chesterton must have liked Dickens, as a later story references Mr. Pickwick. Again we are shown the artistic criminal ingenuity of Flambeau; and the greater critical thinking and deductive reasoning of Father Brown. These two are constantly locked in battles of the mind. Here Flambeau is shown by Father Brown that crime always creates victimization. Again, being an honorable criminal, Flambeau repents. His sin-nature is now in its death throes; he has seen the Light, and obtained the knowledge of the error of his ways by means of Father Brown - Father Brown saw Flambeau and understood him. Flambeau could not hide from Father Brown, nor could he deceive Father Brown. He does the only logical thing - submits to what he knows within himself to be right."The Invisible Man" finds Flambeau diametrically metamorphosed into—what!, yes!—a detective! It really was his most natural occupational choice as a man who had turned from an ingenious criminal to become a man respectable. The line is thin between the two fields; and as Chesterton has shown us—not only with Flambeau, but also with Valentin—the fields often transpose and become interpolated. Ironically, in one's case this is always good; in the case of the other, always damnable. And yet, here, we do not even encounter Flambeau or Father Brown until nearly the end of the story, which is not a story of a love triangle, but a story of a love trapezoid, having four very unequal sides. Poor Angus. I might note that to find humanoid robots in the story was a delightful surprise."The Honour of Israel Gow" was a nice Scottish gothic tale of honour that I'm not sure I fully understood. It seems there was no crime, though certainly some strangeness of events. I enjoyed the scenery, the piles of snuff, the skull in the potato garden, and the digressions of Father Brown and Flambeau."The Wrong Shape" was about an opium addict poet, his miserable wife, his live-in Indian guru and his doctor. A surprise ending, very memorable. Don't trust the doc for your health."The Sins of Prince Saradine" was highly entertaining. Old bloodlines, dark secrets, duels... It was a bit maddening that Flambeau did no more than fish throughout the story. I really don't see how Prince Saradine could live with himself, much less, laugh at the ending of it all; and gads! how much more of a deranged creature was the woman, the mother, the co-murderer of not only her husband to whom she was unfaithful, but the Prince's brother and her own son who will quietly hang!"The Hammer of God" was interesting in that it dealt with piety that had to live alongside impiety. The pious Bohun brother didn't handle it too well. Just think of Father Brown - he is the epitomical high man in low places. By the grace of God he is not tainted."The Eye of Apollo" was a strange story of paganism and neopaganism, and greed. Blinding is the sun and blind was Miss Pauline. Interesting that here Chesterton referenced another lover of paradox, Nietzsche."The Sign of the Broken Sword" was a military story which shows us that what we glorify may not at all be that which is glorious. "The Three Tools of Death" was fun, because, of course, it took place on a train, mostly!I'll definitely be searching the bookstores for more of Chesterton and more of Father Brown! Excellent!
—Aaron
Esta edição contém seis agradáveis contos, protagonizados por este original personagem Padre Brown:A Cruz AzulO Jardim SecretoOs Pés EnigmáticosAs Estrelas FugidiasO Homem InvisívelA Honra de Israel GowA leitura destas histórias foi uma experiência bastante positiva. A forma como o autor escreve é muito agradável, e para estes contos, criou cenários bastante interessantes, na sua maioria muito originais, e que prenderam desde cedo o meu interesse. Algumas das histórias são melhor conseguidas do que outras, pois em algumas antevê-se o desfecho ainda a meio, enquanto que em outras, o mistério permanece até ao final. Pessoalmente neste tipo de enredos, não gosto de "adivinhar" o fim, ou de estar "certa". Prefiro, ou ficar a interrogar-me durante toda a leitura, ou ver as minhas previsões "destruídas" no desfecho. Os finais são sempre o ponto forte deste género, e a maioria destes contos, têm finais consistentes e surpreendentes.O que mais gostaria de colocar em evidência no que respeita a este livro, é a figura do Padre Brown. Ele é a personagem central, o insuspeito investigador, que conduz os mistérios à sua resolução, de forma pouco usual. A sua inteligência, os seus expedientes, e os seus conhecimentos sobre o mundo do crime, contrastam com uma falsa aparência de ignorante. Este personagem surpreende assim tudo e todos, e surpreendeu-me também. A criação deste personagem é sem dúvida, o que considero de mais notável neste autor, e o que sobressaiu de toda esta experiência.Este livro proporcionou-me algumas horas de puro entretenimento, mas apesar de ter gostado, não gostei o suficiente para o recomendar de forma geral a todos os leitores deste blogue. Aconselho no entanto, a todos os amantes de policiais, em especial dos policiais da chamada "época dourada", a conhecerem o Padre Brown, seja através deste livro ou por outros, já que o autor criou ao todo 51 contos protagonizados por este magnífico personagem.Para o post completo visite:http://linkedbooks.blogspot.pt/2015/0...
—Ana
Good, but not as good as I hoped/expected. While the Father Brown short stories are in one sense classic detective tales, they focus on the preternatural ability of the diminutive cleric to pull solutions out of (apparently) thin air. Since the reader is not given enough background to even make faulty conjectures, the fun is diminished.The title character is a winning one, though I found myself substituting Alex Guinness' image (who played the good father in an early movie adaptation) for that in the book.Not a cerebral as the Holmes stories, but much better hearted, as you'd expect. Brown is often more interested in saving the perpetrator's soul than bringing him/her to justice. He, after all, serves a higher court.
—Ron
