G. K. Chesterton, The Innocence of Father Brown

Robert Kusmer (University of Notre Dame)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Birmingham Newman University), Louise McDonald (Birmingham Newman University), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1911

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Crime and Detective
Story Collection

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With

The Innocence of Father Brown

G.K. Chesterton initiated his long-running series of detective stories whose protagonist was the unassuming yet acutely insightful little Catholic priest, Father Brown. As Chesterton noted in his autobiography, this now renowned character was based on the real Father John O'Connor, although the similarity between the two was “internal” rather than related to outward demeanor (Knox viii-ix). Published in 1911 after having appeared originally in the British magazines

Storyteller

and

Cassell's Magazine

(Gardner 1),

The Innocence of Father Brown

comprises ten short stories: “The Blue Cross”, “The Secret Garden”, “The Queer Feet”, “The Flying Stars”, “The Invisible Man”, “The Honor of Israel Gow”, “The Wrong Shape”, “The Sins…

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2114 words

Citation: Kusmer, Robert. "The Innocence of Father Brown". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 29 January 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=506, accessed 25 November 2024.]

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G. K. Chesterton, The Innocence of Father Brown

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