Tremendous Trifles"The world will never starve for want of wonders, but only for want of wonder." — G. K. Chesterton The thirty-nine short essays that make up Chesterton's delightful book are the result of "sitting still and letting marvels and adventures settle on him like flies." Actually, the author does move around quite a bit—to Germany, France, and on foot in England when he tires of waiting for a train. Everywhere he goes, Chesterton looks at ordinary things and asks us to see how extraordinary they are: the contents of his pockets, the items in a railway station, pedestrians in the street. What appear to be trifles are actually tremendous, and he uses them as a springboard to expound on Christianity, the nuclear family, democracy, and the like with supreme clarity and wit. The essays gathered here are a testament to G. K. Chesterton's faith—not his faith in religion or a higher power, but in the ability to discover something wonderful in the objects, the experiences, and the people that cross our paths every single day. With his unique brand of humor and insight, he demonstrates how the commonplace adds enormous value to the landscape of daily life. Full of both good sense and nonsense, Chesterton's commentaries—first published nearly a century ago—remain fresh today. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
asked barbarism Battersea beard beautiful began believe Bishop Berkeley blue brown paper cabman called chalk Chapter Charles Dickens cigar civilisation colour croquet Daily Mail dark democracy Edgar Jepson England English Euston Station everything eyes face fact fairy fancy feeling Fleet Street French frock coat front garden G. K. Chesterton giant green grey hansom cab heard Heaven hills House of Lords human instance kind Kruger London looked mean Mechlin modern moral mystery never night Paley Parkinson perhaps philosophy play pleasure pocket President Kruger realise reason religion remember road seemed seen sense shaved sort speak spirit stared stars stone strange street suddenly suppose symbol tale talk tell thing thought tion town toy theatre train trees turned walking wind wood words wrong