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A review by sleightholme
The Wisdom of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Not as good as The Wisdom of Father Brown, these stories left me unsatisfied. The clues are not revealed to the reader beforehand like Christie's works, which I can accept as that was one of her innovations. However unlike even the Sherlock Holmes stories the explanation given by Father Brown does not leave me with the confidence that it is the correct explanation, only that it is one. Even more that it is often not to the degree that would stand up in a court of law, so I feel that the criminals in these cases would go free.
Additionally these cases take place all across Europe, which leaves me wondering how Father Brown manages to get to all of them when he is supposedly a simple parish priest which is a full time job with limited time off. Innocence takes places entirely within London and the home counties where is is quite conceivable Father Brown could be there, but Wisdom has him spending weeks in Sicily, Paris and Germany.
Additionally these cases take place all across Europe, which leaves me wondering how Father Brown manages to get to all of them when he is supposedly a simple parish priest which is a full time job with limited time off. Innocence takes places entirely within London and the home counties where is is quite conceivable Father Brown could be there, but Wisdom has him spending weeks in Sicily, Paris and Germany.