Name of the Author: GK Chesterton
No. Of Pages: 145
Year of Publication: 1995 (originally 1908)
Publisher: Wordsworth
About the Book:
The book is a fictional fantasy about a group of intellectuals, enrolled as policemen and asked to disguise themselves to work against a group of anarchists. Each of them believes the other to be an anarchist, until the plot unfolds to prove otherwise.
Written in old English, the book is a joy for lovers of classics. The narratives and descriptions take you to the world of classical life in Europe. And in this, it is a joy to read. The course of events in the story are intriguing and demand and deserve your full concentration.
Something happens towards the end though, that changes the course of the story completely. In the last two chapters, you would be left wondering what had been happening all along! Suddenly, Chesterton makes biblical references, highlights spirituality and nothingness and ends the book abruptly. The fantasy land suddnely vanises into thin air and you are left to decipher if any of it really happened.
Final Analysis: Worth a read.
Favourite Quotes:
“Being surrounded with every conceivable kind of revolt from infancy, Gabriel had to revolt into something, so he revolted against the only thing left- sanity.” (p. 26)
” ‘Well, we smashed something’, said the Professor, with a faint smile. ‘That’s some comfort.’
‘You’re becoming an anarchist’, said Syme, dusting his clothes with his instinct of daintiness.
‘Everyone is’, said Radcliffe. ” (p. 111)