Patricia
12-20-2008, 12:00 AM
G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936)
Tales of the Long Bow (1925)
From Dale Ahlquist’s lecture:
“These tales concern the doing of things recognised as impossible to do; impossible to believe; and, as the weary reader may well cry aloud, impossible to read about.”
So begins Tales of the Long Bow, in which a man eats his hat, another sets the Thames on fire, silk purses are made out of sow’s ears, and pigs fly. Who says Distributism is boring? These tales certainly suggest the opposite. Yet some critics have dismissed this book as a mere “Distributist” novel, complaining that Chesterton has needlessly restricted his creativity in favor of his political agenda. As with all of Chesterton’s writings, it would be useful if those who criticized them actually sat down and read the book before dismissing it. They would look less stupid to the increasing number of people who have read the book...and reveled in it.”
http://chesterton.org/discover/lectures/43longbow.html
Also contains a paean in praise of bacon.
Tales of the Long Bow (1925)
From Dale Ahlquist’s lecture:
“These tales concern the doing of things recognised as impossible to do; impossible to believe; and, as the weary reader may well cry aloud, impossible to read about.”
So begins Tales of the Long Bow, in which a man eats his hat, another sets the Thames on fire, silk purses are made out of sow’s ears, and pigs fly. Who says Distributism is boring? These tales certainly suggest the opposite. Yet some critics have dismissed this book as a mere “Distributist” novel, complaining that Chesterton has needlessly restricted his creativity in favor of his political agenda. As with all of Chesterton’s writings, it would be useful if those who criticized them actually sat down and read the book before dismissing it. They would look less stupid to the increasing number of people who have read the book...and reveled in it.”
http://chesterton.org/discover/lectures/43longbow.html
Also contains a paean in praise of bacon.