The Innocence of Father Brown Audiobook By G. K. Chesterton cover art

The Innocence of Father Brown

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The Innocence of Father Brown

By: G. K. Chesterton
Narrated by: John Horton
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A "very short Catholic priest" who does "...not seem to know which was the right end of his return ticket," Father Brown is the embodiment of the phrase 'looks can be deceiving.' Arguably the second best-known crime-solver in English literature, this unassuming man of the cloth solves case after case with ease. Collected here are some of his best, including: "The Blue Cross," "The Secret Garden," "The Queer Fleet," "The Flying Stars," "The Invisible Man," "The Honor of Israel Gow," "The Wrong Shape," "The Sins of Prince Saradine," "The Hammer of God," "The Eye of Apollo," "The Sign of the Broken Sword," and "The Three Tools of Death."

Public Domain (P)1989 Recorded Books Anthologies & Short Stories Mystery Traditional Detectives

Editorial reviews

Unlike deductive Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown uses intuition to get to the bottom of a crime. He is a Catholic priest after all and in these unusual detective stories, God ensures that good triumphs over evil. Listening to John Horton's bass-baritone voice, complete with British accent, is an absolute pleasure. He gives life to a wide array of character, some quiet and reverential, others hard and gruff. Horton's performance adds new depth to these faith-based detective tales.
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I really wanted to like this. I love G.K Chesterton and his character Father Brown are men who lived their faith in a glorious way. But the audio quality was terrible. And I think the stories are a bit too dated. And the racist words that pepper the occasional story (back then were not objectionable) offended me as I listened. I wish someone would take these stories and modernize them, there is some good stuff in there that is mired in antiquity that just feels stale and sometimes offensive.

I love bits of this collection of stories

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Loved this. It gives additional insight to the character of the TV series, as well as the true nature of Flambeau. Plus, the stories are quite entertaining.

Enjoyable but curious

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I couldn’t be more pleased with my listening experience. This was my first encounter with Chesterton and I believe it to be the beginning of a most exciting journey with his work.

Masterfully written and performed

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The narrator John Horton has a depth of understanding and dramatic style the brings the brilliance of Chesterton's language to life. The listener might be sitting before the author himself, as he reads with a style to light your understanding with perfect clarity.

the brilliance of Chesterton

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Quite an interesting turn for C K Chesterton! Never is a hint revealed as to the direction the storyline will take. Chesterton, in all his use of language, makes each moment an anticipation for the next.

Imaginative

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G.K. Chesterton's empathetic little detective seems like an unabtrusive Edwardian counterpoint to Sherlock Holmes. While Sherlock Holmes ability to adapt allows him to escape both time and place (House to Sherlock to Elementary), Father Brown is (like Catholicism itself) almost tied to man's fallen state and the early 20th century.

That being said, there are many of Chesterton's stories which I solidly prefer to Doyle's. Chesterton's prose, his love of paradox, his appreciation for humility, his black humor and his empathy for mankind makes me emotionally connected to Father Brown in ways I never managed with Sherlock Holmes

Unabtrusive Edwardian counterpoint to Sherlock H.

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While the audio could be just a little clearer (otherwise, 5 stars), this first set of Father Brown stories have been enjoyed by our whole family.

Intriguing mysteries, excellent readings

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Not only is this first set of the Father Brown stories indispensable to any lover of Chesterton (or even detective stories for that matter), but the performance is delightful. I've seen several presentations of the Father Brown material and character, but none captures the spirit of Chesterton and his little English priest as well as John Horton has here.

A very special set of recordings

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