The Innocence of Father Brown
by G. K. Chesterton
I'm not a fan of detective fiction, but I do love Chesterton. What a joy this one is! Full of Chesterton's characteristic wit and eminent common sense, these 12 stories simply ring with brilliance.
Blending mystery, theology and social commentary with a rich array of memorable characters, Chesterton's stories are the quintessential light-but-literate summer hors d'oeuvres. Father Brown, a simple but wise Catholic priest, must be the most unusual detective in the entire genre. And yet, when you think about it, a priest-detective makes perfect sense.
When asked how he knows so much about crime and horror, Father Brown answers with characteristic understatement: “Has it never occurred to you that a man who does nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil?”
Touché.
Chronicles of Narnia
by C. S. Lewis
If there's any justice, Lewis will be recognized as one of the 20th Century's best authors, and the seven-book “Chronicles” as his masterpiece. Perfect for family summer reading, these books can be enjoyed by the adventurous of all ages. Buy a set and pass them from family member to family member. You won't regret it.
Exciting battles, narrow escapes, selfless heroism, strange and marvelous characters, the war between good and evil — they're all here. Let the “Chronicles” be your entrée to his other great works, and find out why Lewis may be the greatest writer of our age.
The Life of Samuel Johnson
by James Boswell
Rereading Boswell this summer confirmed my earlier impression that this is the greatest biography ever written. It's not that the book is meticulously researched or covers so broad a scope, but simply that Boswell's subject — Dr. Johnson — is so interesting.
Johnson — writer, poet and sole author of the first dictionary of the English language — was huge, ungainly and thoroughly lovable — truly a man with a hard head and a soft heart. Boswell's first-person accounts of their times together in 18th century London combine the immediacy of journalism with the timeless wit and wisdom of Johnson's great aphorisms, as he held court on an abundance of topics:
• On the American rebels: “They should be grateful for everything short of slavery we allow them.”
• On a friend who was unhappy in marriage and who immediately remarried after his wife died: “It was the triumph of hope over experience.”
• On the obviousness of the essential truths of life: “Mankind more often require to be reminded than informed.”
Johnson's lucidity is the perfect antidote for the propaganda and fuzzy thinking infecting our own time.
The Iliad
by Homer (translated by Robert Fagles)
What? Read Homer for fun? Absolutely! As an account of men at war, “The Iliad” has never been topped, and Homer's descriptions of the blood and crunch of battle crackle with excitement. But there's a lyrical side to the great epic poem too, and Priam's tearful visit to Achilles' tent to beg for the return of the desecrated body of Hector, his dead son, remains one of the most moving scenes in all of literature.
Fagles' translation uses modern language and delivers a clear, robust rendition. His translation of “The Odyssey” is first rate too. Every book lover owes him a huge debt of gratitude for these invigorating classics.
The History of Christendom, Volumes 1-3
by Warren H. Carroll
Reading the first three books of this projected seven-volume series (the fourth is due out shortly) on the history of Christendom is daunting, I'll grant you. With each book running about 600 pages, taking on this “project” will require more than a vacation's worth of reading. But, oh, is it worth it.
Carroll's thesis is that history is not made by sterile, evolutionary forces, but by red-blooded men and women responding to cultural forces around them. Not only does this intuitively make sense, but, particularly in Carroll's expert hands, history becomes a wild, rollicking ride through time. Great men and women of the past — Moses, Jesus Christ, Charlemagne, St, Francis, St. Catherine of Siena — spring from the pages of his works.
You can't really understand our world without first understanding Western Civilization, and you can't understand Western Civilization without knowing the story of Christendom. Secular chronicles simply lack the explanatory power of those that acknowledge religion as the driving force throughout history. If you've ever wondered why the world is shaped as it is, then Carroll's great series are the books for you.
Discussion Forum
What books do you consider the greatest of all time?
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