The New York herald., 1921-02-07
CHESTERTON PICKS
DESERT ISLE BOOKS
Detective Tales. Short Stories
and Stevenson Would Be
Taboo.

II he were cast upon desert island.
Gilbert K. Chesterton tod an audience
III his closing lecture Literature and
Luggage" in the Times Square Theatre
! last night, and he could select few
books only from a handsome library
aboard his wrecked ship. he would not
take detective stories ashore. or short
stories, or even the novels Of stevenson.
The modern so-called full length psyche
logical novel he would certainly leave
behind. It is tho one kind OF book. he
said, that he does not read.
Chesterton revealed his literary lik-
ings and at the same time amused his
. audience by frequent sallies. few Of
which were paradoxical but most of
which were witty. His lecture, he be-
gan. should have been entitled Books
and Baggage" in Difference TO the
american" language. and he apoiogized
for il by saying the lecture was all that
he couiu remember of q rambling ad-
dress delivered to British soldiers in
Palestine recently.
"And they endured it without finch
ing" he said. (Which again reveals the
tenacity. the patience and the valor Of
the British army
IF | had 10 make a strict selec ion
Of few books 10 be read and reread
/ would not choose any literature that
comes to point. The short story or
the French co4ttc. especially that with
the surprise plot. that works up to
IL st.1 H.
viously, it is not the kind Of thing that
would live over long period. There
would be no surprise after reading It
! 400 times
Although he expressed partiality for
the detective story, which he had been
driven to write himself for lack OF some
! thing 10 read, he declared this literature
was rarely written with such a fine lit
erary sense that Il was worthy of second
perusal. 1t is impossible to believe in
the existence OF the people in the detec-
tive story; they are lay figures. The ex-
ception was 1.-THE Moonstone" Of Wilkic
Collins
"The only short story could include
( in my list would be Stocktons Lady or
the Tiger?' Chesterton said. 1T re-
fuses 20 come to point. On my desert
island my little community could occupy
/ it's life arguing about it, dividing itself
/ into Iadyites and tigerites'
! He might include Andrew Lang's
Book OF Historical Mysteries" because
/ il was a. historical detective story---one
( involving real life
Earnest and exalted people. If asked
FOR the books they would read on my
hypothetical island would strike an at
titude and say Shakespeare and the
Bible" he continued "If they took
I 60 fa1o Y T.
7 find themselves reading these works for
4 the first time
/ Departing from his thesis. Chestertcn
! discussed briefly passages of the Bible
revealing grotesque humor and satire
which many people never find. Shake
/ speare. II read carefully. would reveal
traces of Bolshevism and Nietzscheism.
The best literature to take would be
the novel OF the early nineteenth century.
{ The lecturer named Dickens, ThacSeray
and Balzac. whose works, he said. YOU
can use again and again in casual or
sociablc manner that gives "A wild titm-
! Bile and VARIETY" Tho extraordinary
multiplicity OF the Dickens characters
and the changes Of moods I'm his novels
made him the admirable author to read
again and again. Dickens known IA n
Chesterton favorite before the lectures
here were ever scheduled. was defended
| by the essayisi for his American impress
sions in Martin Chuzzlewit." II was
caricature. Chesterton said. jus; as the
English characters and situations In
| "Pickwick Papers were broad carica-
ture and did not recall. and truly portray
| English society IN a photographs sense
Tho novels Of 2 later period as rep
resented by Stevenson were too fin
islied a product Tor desert island read
ing. The very descriptions Of tie char
octcrs are 50 perfect they are final. ac-
cording to Chesterton. and therefore lack
the elusive and loose quality necessary.
Chestterton IN reply 20 a question after
tho lecture said he never wrote para
doX
4 ~ state tho most weafisome aud OBJ
vious commonsense. he declared 81
have reread my own books and never
found a paradox am thinking OF
writing a great epic poem called Para
doy 7 f.ost ="
Asked by an auditor IL he considered
/ Catholic publications in America were
forms OF propaganda which create dis
sension. Chestcrton said he did sot ac-
/ ccpt tho questiouor's description Of there
journals.
~ do not want TO follow out the sub
icct Of any one attempting 10 create
disunion between the United States and
England" was hia -eplv TO the ques-
TONER and he sat down