G.K. Chesterton: A Biography

Drawing upon recently discovered original sources–letters, a Sherlock Holmes detective story, and several poems–Michael Ffinch has taken the traditional view of Chesterton as the “jolly journalist,” the master of pun and paradox, and turned it on its head. He shows that a man who has been generally acknowledged as a major literary figure only came to his perception of truth through a life of spiritual turmoil and intense personal suffering which culminated in his conversion to Roman Catholicism.

Michael Ffinch has filled many of the gaps in our knowledge, particularly at the start of Chesterton’s career–Chesterton himself chose to suppress the true details of his life after leaving St. Paul’s School. For, although Chesterton was stunningly articulate and could write brilliantly from a young age, the early part of his life was, at times, a difficult and heartfelt struggle to find a niche in which to develop his talents. Among the information Michael Ffinch reveals about these formative years is that, for a time, Chesterton was tutored by A. E. Housman.