Father Brown on TV

I have yet to see the new BBC TV series of the Father Brown mysteries. To be honest, I am not at all a fan of detective stories-- even Chesterton's detective stories. If Sherlock Holmes was the only literary detective in existence, I think the world would be a better place. But that's me being a curmudgeon, I suppose.

I've heard they are very gentle, which is good. We need some gentleness on TV!

Apparently they have been updated to the 1950's, which is rather bizarre. Why the 1950's? Why not go the whole hog and update them to the modern world?

I do, however, think Mark Williams is an excellent choice to play Father Brown.

In any case, I hope to force myself to watch catch an episode or two at some point in the future.

Apologies for the lack of blogging recently. I have been rather focused on my other site, Irish Papist.

Apologies also for the long hiatus since our last meeting. We actually had an exciting speaker lined up for a meeting in January, but this and that intervened and it fell through in the end. Hopefully we will have one soon, possibly in early March.

Chesterton on Fireworks

Fireworks are of the nature of many other human rites; for fire is the essence of nearly all ritual. To burn something, to make a blaze, is one of the most natural outcomes of strong conviction of any sort. Faith exhibits itself in works, and above all in fireworks. To set fire to a thing is perfectly right, especially when we are celebrating some great principle; but do not set fire to the other man; the other man seldom burns well.

From the Illustrated London News, November 25 1905