The Ball and the Cross
It has been long enough since my first time reading it that I had forgotten quite a bit of what happens. Also I think I understood and appreciated it quite a bit more this time around, and may even further the next time.
Written one year later, this novel is the counterpoint to "The man who was Thursday", which I read five times many years ago. On the other hand, I have just read once "The ball & the cross". Perhaps this is the reason why I gave five stars to the former, and only four to the latter.I am not disclosing anything if I say that the main antagonist in this novel represents the Devil, for from the beginning he is called Dr. Lucifer. The main characters are one atheist and a Catholic who pass the
Chestertons novels almost stand in a genre of their own. Heavily philosophical, wildly allegorical, unapologetically adventurous, and comically surreal, it can be difficult even to describe them. And of them all, perhaps The Ball and the Cross is the most peculiar; which might be to say the worst, if you could even use a superlative negative in a sentence about Chestertons works. At least it does not operate on the same level of high genius as The Man Who Was Thursday. But what there is of it is
Utterly fantastic! I see now why all my Hillsdalians rave over Chesterton. I will certainly look for more of his works :) The Scandal in the Village chapter is perfect! 1. You cannot defeat the Cross, for it is defeat2. The difference between Jesus and Satan is that Jesus wanted to descend, and so rose, while Satan wanted to rise and so fell.
My second Chesterton work has awakened in me a most wonderful kind of rage. It is the rage that drives a fervent Catholic to hurl a rock through the window of an editorial office. It is the rage with which an atheist prints blasphemy and logical syllogisms. The rage by which both men take up swords time and again to defend their views.On the other hand, Chesterton's gentlemanly prose exudes forgiveness. Similarly to The Man Who Was Thursday, the author paints a picture of the cosmos's workings
This is an interesting and amusing book, generally about two men who, bonded by mutual disdain and the determination to duel each other about their differing beliefs, become outlaw companions, racing over hill and through dale and over water in order to find a peaceful spot to fight to the death. There is a lot of religious and atheistic theory as well, which can be taken as heavily or as lightly as the reader prefers. At times it reminded me of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead: big ideas
G.K. Chesterton
Paperback | Pages: 208 pages Rating: 4.03 | 2050 Users | 168 Reviews
Be Specific About Regarding Books The Ball and the Cross
Title | : | The Ball and the Cross |
Author | : | G.K. Chesterton |
Book Format | : | Paperback |
Book Edition | : | First Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 208 pages |
Published | : | November 22nd 1995 by Dover Publications (first published 1909) |
Categories | : | Fiction. Philosophy. Classics. Christian. Religion |
Chronicle In Pursuance Of Books The Ball and the Cross
Like much of G. K. Chesterton's fiction, The Ball and the Cross is both witty and profound, cloaking serious religious and philosophical inquiry in sparkling humor and whimsy. Serialized in the British publication The Commonwealth in 1905-06, Chesterton's second novel first appeared in book form in America in 1909, delighting and challenging readers with its heady mixture of fantasy, farce, and theology. The plot of The Ball and the Cross chronicles a hot dispute between two Scotsmen, one a devout but naive Roman Catholic, the other a zealous but naive atheist. Their fanatically held opinions—leading to a duel that is proposed but never fought—inspire a host of comic adventures whose allegorical levels vigorously explore the debate between theism and atheism. Martin Gardner's superb introduction to The Ball and the Cross reveals the real-life debate between Chesterton and a famous atheist that provided inspiration for the story, and it explores some of the novel's possible allegorical meanings. Appraising the book's many intriguing philosophical qualities, Mr. Gardner alerts readers as well to the pleasures of its "colorful style . . . amusing puns and clever paradoxes . . . and the humor and melodrama of its crazy plot."List Books To The Ball and the Cross
Original Title: | The Ball and the Cross |
ISBN: | 0486288056 (ISBN13: 9780486288055) |
Edition Language: | English |
Setting: | United Kingdom |
Rating Regarding Books The Ball and the Cross
Ratings: 4.03 From 2050 Users | 168 ReviewsCriticism Regarding Books The Ball and the Cross
Having read and enjoyed "The Man Who Was Thursday," and having discovered this book thanks to my devotion to (now) Venerable John Paul I, who comments on it in his Illustrissimi (which I highly recommend), I thought I would give it a read.I didn't know what to expect, except that Chesterton is a master of words and his allegory is often confusing. I greatly enjoyed the roller coaster that was this book, just as I enjoyed "The Man Who Was Thursday." The journey is long and often puzzling, seemingIt has been long enough since my first time reading it that I had forgotten quite a bit of what happens. Also I think I understood and appreciated it quite a bit more this time around, and may even further the next time.
Written one year later, this novel is the counterpoint to "The man who was Thursday", which I read five times many years ago. On the other hand, I have just read once "The ball & the cross". Perhaps this is the reason why I gave five stars to the former, and only four to the latter.I am not disclosing anything if I say that the main antagonist in this novel represents the Devil, for from the beginning he is called Dr. Lucifer. The main characters are one atheist and a Catholic who pass the
Chestertons novels almost stand in a genre of their own. Heavily philosophical, wildly allegorical, unapologetically adventurous, and comically surreal, it can be difficult even to describe them. And of them all, perhaps The Ball and the Cross is the most peculiar; which might be to say the worst, if you could even use a superlative negative in a sentence about Chestertons works. At least it does not operate on the same level of high genius as The Man Who Was Thursday. But what there is of it is
Utterly fantastic! I see now why all my Hillsdalians rave over Chesterton. I will certainly look for more of his works :) The Scandal in the Village chapter is perfect! 1. You cannot defeat the Cross, for it is defeat2. The difference between Jesus and Satan is that Jesus wanted to descend, and so rose, while Satan wanted to rise and so fell.
My second Chesterton work has awakened in me a most wonderful kind of rage. It is the rage that drives a fervent Catholic to hurl a rock through the window of an editorial office. It is the rage with which an atheist prints blasphemy and logical syllogisms. The rage by which both men take up swords time and again to defend their views.On the other hand, Chesterton's gentlemanly prose exudes forgiveness. Similarly to The Man Who Was Thursday, the author paints a picture of the cosmos's workings
This is an interesting and amusing book, generally about two men who, bonded by mutual disdain and the determination to duel each other about their differing beliefs, become outlaw companions, racing over hill and through dale and over water in order to find a peaceful spot to fight to the death. There is a lot of religious and atheistic theory as well, which can be taken as heavily or as lightly as the reader prefers. At times it reminded me of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead: big ideas
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