G.K. Chesterton, London and Modernity

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G. K. Chesterton, London and Modernity is the first book to explore the persistent theme of the city in Chesterton's writing. Situating him in relation to both Victorian and Modernist literary paradigms, the book explores a range of theoretical and methodological approaches to address the way his imaginative investments and political interventions conceive urban modernity and the central figure of London. While Chesterton's work has often been valued for its wit and whimsy, this book argues that he is also a distinctive urban commentator, whose sophistication has been underappreciated in comparison to more canonical contemporaries. With chapters written by leading scholars in the field of 20th-century literature, the book also provides fresh readings and suggests new contexts for central texts such as The Man Who Was Thursday, The Napoleon of Notting Hill and the Father Brown stories. It also discusses lesser-known works, such as Manalive and The Club of Queer Trades, drawing out their significance for scholars interested in urban representation and practice in the first three decades of the 20th century.

Reviews

This is an important and wide-ranging collection of essays that no Chestertonian can afford to miss, particularly given that Chesterton studies, on an upswing though they may be of late, still constitute a far from oversubscribed area for scholarly attention. -- Keith Wilson, University of Ottawa * ELT, 1880-1920 *
Chesterton, London and Modernity brings to life the rich, complex world of urban modernity that for Chesterton was focused in the metropolis. Drawing extensively on his novels, short stories, poems and essays, the book represents a breakthrough in studies of both Chesterton and the modern literary imagination, and will appeal to secular and Christian readers alike. * Julia Stapleton, Reader in Politics, Durham University, UK *
This lively and varied collection of essays on G. K. Chestertons complicated relationship with modernity, and his intricate rendering of London in his writing, does more than offer a corrective to the previous dearth of critical work on Chestertons attitudes to the modern city. * Edwardian Culture Network *
This book provides a comprehensive study of the myriad connections between Chesterton and London: it places the author in dialogue with his modernist contemporaries, his successors, his Victorian predecessors ... It anticipates future work on the use of setting and geographical spaces in Chesterton. * Emily Bowles, University of York, UK. *

Author Bio

Matthew Beaumont is Senior Lecturer in English, University College London, UK. His previous books include The Task of the Critic: Terry Eagleton in Dialogue. Matthew Ingleby is Lecturer in Victorian Studies at Queen Mary, University of London, UK.