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G.K. Chesterton
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The Complete Father Brown (Father Brown Mystery) Paperback – January 6, 1987

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,133 ratings
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Vintage book
Previous page
  1. Print length
    720 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Books
  4. Publication date
    January 6, 1987
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    014009766X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140097665
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Reprint edition (January 6, 1987)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 720 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 014009766X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140097665
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,133 ratings

About the author

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G.K. Chesterton

G.K. Chesterton

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G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) was a prolific English journalist and author best known for his mystery series featuring the priest-detective Father Brown and for the metaphysical thriller The Man Who Was Thursday. Baptized into the Church of England, Chesterton underwent a crisis of faith as a young man and became fascinated with the occult. He eventually converted to Roman Catholicism and published some of Christianity's most influential apologetics, including Heretics and Orthodoxy.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
3,133 global ratings
Worth preserving a classic!
5 Stars
Worth preserving a classic!
I have been looking for a book from this classic author. So lucky to get one from Amazon! The copy received is as described.
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Top reviews from the United States

Formerhunter
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice short story collection
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2024
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These are terrific, positive stories written by one of the best writers ever. A pleasure to read after reading mediocre works by others. Good bedtime reads.
3 people found this helpful
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Pianist
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2024
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Interesting and also enlightening
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Kenny
4.0 out of 5 stars Father Brown is great, but this kindle experience could be better.
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2014
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How nice to have all of the Father Brown mysteries on my kindle.

In an introduction to another Father Brown collection the renown English modern writer-critic Kingsley Amis said of the Father Brown stories that they are the best of Chesterton's works and they convey everything his other works did. C.S. Lewis consider Chesterton his spiritual Father. After reading Chesterton's book the Everlasting Man C.S. Lewis began his conversion to Christianity. So you can gather the stories have something very meaningful and important to express about life.

. Another renown modern English writer-critic V. S. Pritchet observed that Father Brown is master of the turn of the screw of drama. For sheer acutely observed and devised drama there is perhaps no better example than the Father Brown Mysteries .

I chose to purchase this collection on my kindle after I had read the selected stories in the "Father Brown: The Essential Tales" which is one of many fine book that make up the Modern Library Classics published by the Modern Library Paperback Company. The late Dame P.D. James, an accomplished mystery writer in her own right, wrote the introduction for The Modern Library Edition of these classic detective stories . Her introduction as well as the general one that supplements her's with a wealth more details about G. K. Chesterton himself is as excellent as her selection of mysteries; the late Dame P.D. James speaks of savoring the Father Brown stories every time she read them and to have read them regularly. So I would recommend getting that book for its masterful introduction and its fine selection of stories. I have written a review of it.

The supposedly helpful critical study that goes within this kindle copy is placed at the end of the book, and was so determinedly damning of Chesterton, contained only one sentence on his Father Brown mysteries, and thus so badly inappropriate that I was appalled it was even there; hence the four star rating.

Ir is a bit of good fortune to have a kindle collection of all of the Father Brown mystery stories

Never the less note nearly every noted modern British writer has realized they must contend with the literary and artistic genius that is Chesterton; and they do so rather willingly and joyfully. He is too clever, too amusing, too humerous, and too serious a multi-faceted talent for them to not find a place for him to sit at their table, whereas the critique in the book as I have said, sums his work up in the most superfluous and derisive manner and even worse only addresses the Father Brown stories in one dismissive sentence.

It then follows for those interested in reading Father Brown mysteries should buy the paper back copy of Father Brown:The Essential Tales which includes a brief, rousing, and thorough biographical sketch of his career a very helpful introduction written by P. D. James. If you don't want to buy it, take The Essential Tales out on loan from your local library. I could not have the appreciation for the Father Brown stories' greatness if I had not read that introduction to "Father Brown: The Essential Tales". It is a classic of how to for book introductions. Without it you will likely miss out on the spellbinding, brilliantly composed, literary treasures and delights that proliferate in every Father Brown story.
5 people found this helpful
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Merriam
5.0 out of 5 stars Father Brown
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2024
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Full of fascinating stories.
One person found this helpful
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McZedek
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth preserving a classic!
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2024
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I have been looking for a book from this classic author. So lucky to get one from Amazon! The copy received is as described.
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McZedek
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth preserving a classic!
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2024
I have been looking for a book from this classic author. So lucky to get one from Amazon! The copy received is as described.
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2 people found this helpful
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JonPittsburgh67
3.0 out of 5 stars Not Sherlock Holmes' twin.
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2021
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Father Brown stories have been suggested as detective stories second only to the Sherlock Holmes canon, and having read some other Chesterton I thought to give these a try. As one reviewer stated, these are not in the same ballpark as Conan Doyle's master detective. I have read about a dozen of Fr. Brother's stories, and I find that I am skipping around in the book looking for the better ones. For some this might be a good read, but for me, in comparison to Holmes, these stories are nicely written as to putting you in the scene but otherwise dry, and devoid of the process of how the crime was solved until the very end. YMMV, but I think I have seen enough of Fr. Brown.
5 people found this helpful
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roger mccune
5.0 out of 5 stars Ohio state throw
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2023
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Excellent condition..fasr service..beautiful
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lental
5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of great short mysteries
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2012
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I have been reading Agatha Christie mysteries for years and noted in one of the biogrqphical sketches about her that she and Chesterton were contemporaries and collaborators. So when I finished a "Complete Collection" of Christie works which wss nowhere near complete, I decided to give Father Brown a try.

Based on another review, I understand that three key works are not included in this "complete" collection and while that is disappointing, I feel that I have already gotten my 99-cents worth. I have been reading this book for weeks...usually a story or two a night...and, according to my Kindle, I'm still only 46% through the collection.

So far I have been enthralled with Father Brown, a rumpled and humble version of Hercule Poirot. While Poirot is tidy, arrogant and opinionated, Father Brown is self-deprecating, courteous and quiet. But Father Brown's mind, like Poirot's, is a steel trap. And, like Poirot, Father Brown has a way of circumventing the obvious to zone in on hidden reality. Anyone who is a fan of Poirot certainly must be a fan of Father Brown.

The other reviewer who identified the missing works not included in this collection also recommended the "Complete Father Brown Mysteries [annotated,...]" and I assume that means the three missing works are included. While I'm happy with this version, I suspect I'll spend another 99-cents to get the annotated version in order to finish the entire Father Brown collection. I strongly recommend Father Brown and suggest that the annotated version might be a better choice for the same price.
179 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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RUY JOSÃ FURST GONÃ ALVES
5.0 out of 5 stars bom
Reviewed in Brazil on March 11, 2024
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bom
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Otto
5.0 out of 5 stars Ottimo!
Reviewed in Italy on November 7, 2021
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Premetto di aver acquistato il libro da Amazon Warehouse. Il libro è arrivato in buone condizioni con un difetto impercettibile sulla copertina. La storia parla di un Don Matteo di inizio 1900 e delle sue peripezie nel scovare i criminali grazie alla sua abilità di scrutare nell'animo umano. Una lettura piacevole. Consigliato!
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Otto
5.0 out of 5 stars Ottimo!
Reviewed in Italy on November 7, 2021
Premetto di aver acquistato il libro da Amazon Warehouse. Il libro è arrivato in buone condizioni con un difetto impercettibile sulla copertina. La storia parla di un Don Matteo di inizio 1900 e delle sue peripezie nel scovare i criminali grazie alla sua abilità di scrutare nell'animo umano. Una lettura piacevole. Consigliato!
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María
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy entretenido
Reviewed in Spain on August 18, 2018
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Si os gustan las historias de Sherlock Holmes de Arthur Conan Doyle, las de Poirot y Miss Marple de Agatha Christie este es vuestro libro, no lo dudéis, comprarlo, son relatos cortitos, agrupados por los diferentes libros que se publicaron de este personaje y no os vais a aburrir con ellos, así que lo recomiendo al 100%.

Como siempre hago cuando comento libros que están inglés os digo que bajo mi punto de vista, creo que si tenéis un B2 o estáis a punto de sacarlo lo podréis leer sin problemas.
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Johannes Wahl
5.0 out of 5 stars Man möchte Priester werden
Reviewed in Germany on March 20, 2018
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Die Geschichten von Father Brown sind legendär. In Deutschland sind die Filme mit Heinz Rühmann bekannt. Aber die geben den Charakter Father Brown sehr verzerrt wird. «Für das deutsche Publikum aufbereitet.» Er ist dagegen ein echter Brite. Die Geschichten sind sehr durchdacht. Es geht weniger um die Deduktion des Tathergangs (was natürlich auch vorkommt), sondern vielmehr um die Psyche des Täters, d.h. um die Motive, die den Menschen in Schuld und Sünde treiben. Father Brown ist damit ein Gegenentwurf zu Sherlock Holmes. Und er hat sehr viel Witz und Charme und Menschlichkeit. Immer ist er der Anwalt der Vernunft gegenüber Aberglauben.
Der Stil ist sehr markant. Chesterton liebt die Gegensätze und das Paradox. Auf Dauer nutzt sich das etwas ab. Aber es ergibt dennoch ein stimmiges Bild. Mich haben die Geschichten süchtig gemacht und ich muß mich immer losreißen. Ich wollte bewußt die Originalsprache haben. Eben weil das Deutsche doch wohl erheblich angepaßt wurde. Ich empfehle diese Ausgabe wärmsten!
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pete losin
5.0 out of 5 stars good read
Reviewed in Australia on July 16, 2021
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good read
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