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"Paradox has been defined as 'Truth standing on her head to attract attention.' Paradox has been defended; on the ground that so many fashionable fallacies still stand firmly on their feet, because they have no heads to stand on."
- "When Doctors Agree"

As Chesterton's fellow members of the Detection Club, Sayers and Christie, could tell you, his chief tool in the gentle art of misdirection - getting the reader running the wrong way - was the paradox. The Pond stories are only a few of the many examples of Chesterton's tricks in that line. Several have opening statements about paradoxes in general that are worth reading, over and above the cleverness of the mysteries or Chesterton's lyrical touch with language. (Like Lord Dunsany, Chesterton likes to illuminate the romance and poetry of quite ordinary settings and prosaic-seeming people.)

Mr. Pond is a bureaucrat who, wanting to cut his stories short, often produces odd paradoxical statements, which defeat the purpose as everyone then badgers him into telling the whole story. His closest friends are a pair of extremes. Sir Hubert Wotton, a colleague in Pond's nameless department, has no nonsense about him. Gahagan, on the other hand, has a robust '18th century' turn of phrase, and plays up to the image of a colorful Irish wit as definitely Wotton plays to that of English stolidity.

"The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse" The Prussian marshal had both feet firmly on the ground, espousing the principle that the world is affected not by what people believe or say, but by what is *done*. Observing the practical effect of a great poet and musician upon the conquered citizenry, the Marshal paid his greatest compliment to the arts in sending a courier with a sentence of death. His plan might have worked just fine, if he hadn't had not one, but *two* soldiers who obeyed orders.

"The Crime of Captain Gahagan" Gahagan is popularly supposed in love with Joan Varney, but he's been spending an awful lot of time hanging around Olivia Malone Feversham, the actress. Her husband is 'something worse than an unsuccessful actor; he was one who had been successful'. In sort, Feversham doesn't bother with his career anymore, but only cares about suing people in the law courts for spoiling his chances. Not a good man to cross - and someone fatally stabbed him in his own garden. What looks worst for Gahagan is that 3 young ladies - among them the Varney sisters - have reported 3 different stories he told them of where he was bound that night.

"When Doctors Agree" Talking shop - international politics - with his friends, after Gahagan chaffs Wotton, saying he thinks everyone who isn't English is as alike as Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Pond steps in, saying that how lucky it is that people generally go on disagreeing, and how he once knew two men who came to agree so completely that one murdered the other.

"Pond the Pantaloon" The background of this story is very cool: a conspiracy aiming at a coup d'etat, which was so widespread that Pond and company had to smuggle important documents from a northern port to a government department in London, while on the surface life was just as usual. In an unusual turn, Gahagan, after becoming entangled in Pond's talk of red pencils leaving black marks, goes to Wotton for the story. Pond, in charge of seeing that the documents arrived safely, said he shouldn't show any particular care in this case.

"The Unmentionable Man" Mr. Pond recollects a visit to one of those little monarchies that, when it became a republic, didn't magically solve all its problems. In fact, they acquired a lot of Marxist revolutionary types that the government tried to suppress, including some almost professional agitators. One of the government's most troubling problems was that they couldn't deport a desirable alien. 'You mean an *un*desirable alien.' Here we go again...

"Ring of Lovers" Gahagan tells of an incident at a stag party he attended the previous night, where the distinguished guests appeared to have nothing in common, involving the disappearance a valuable ring bearing a romantic inscription. The incident would be enough for a story, but here it is wielded beautifully to make Gahagan realize that he's taken a wrong turning in his life. (He doesn't lose his sense of humor, thank God.)

"The Terrible Troubadour" This, the third time Gahagan is mixed up in a mess, shows Chesterton's talent for dealing with continuing characters: talk is beginning to spread about Gahagan's suspicious previous history. :) The incident happened some years back, when Gahagan was on leave from the Great War - a holiday from hell, as he puts it - and flamboyantly competing with a rival to impress a vicar's daughter, climbing balconies and so on. The rival disappeared...

The biologist Paul Green, an expert on natural selection, is a recurring type in Chesterton's stories - G.K., speaking through Pond, disagreed with the science on religious principles.

"A Tall Story" This begins with an echo of the oncoming Holocaust; the story itself is set in a major seaport, like Brighton, during the WWI rather than WWII. Mr. Pond had an office there, and kept track of secret plans and possible spies. The paradoxes here are that a man too tall to be seen murdered one of Pond's colleagues, and that a tiresome woman, seeing spies under every bed, provides the key clue. The German governess in the story is contrasted with a certain type of Latin; the other half of the comparison can be found in the beautiful young Italian actress in "The Actor and the Alibi", in _The Secret of Father Brown_.

G. K. Chesterton, a contemporary of Sir Conan Doyle, is known today for his delightful short stories, especially those involving Father Brown, a priest with a penchant for solving crimes.

Like myself, most readers of Father Brown stories are less aware of Chesterton's other collections of mystery tales. Following the advice of previous reviewers, I recently introduced myself to Mr. Pond and his friends, Captain Gahagan and Sir Hubert Wotton, in "The Paradoxes of Mr. Pond".

Once again Chesterton pleasantly surprised me. Mr. Pond, a quiet, mild mannered, obscure English bureaucrat relates an odd mix of adventures. All stories are initiated by some paradoxical comment that he unwittingly utters. After some confusion, Mr. Pond is persuaded to explain himself. The tales are usually a little convoluted, but in the end we have a solution that is logically possible, but not necessarily probable. (Many Sherlock Holmes cases share this characteristic.)

In "The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse" Mr. Pond mentions that a Prussian Marshall Van Grock failed his mission "because the discipline was too good". His plan failed "because his soldiers obeyed him. Of course, if only one of his soldiers had obeyed him, it wouldn't have been so bad." Failure couldn't be avoided "when two of his soldiers obeyed him".

Mr. Pond's statements were equally incongruous in "When Doctors Agree". "Funny things agreements. Fortunately people generally go on disagreeing, till they die peacefully in their beds. Men very seldom do fully and finally agree. I did know two men who came to agree so completely that one of them naturally had to murder the other."

While I completely enjoyed Mr. Pond's tales, I am unsure whether this collection is the best introduction to G. K. Chesterton as his stories can be a bit eccentric. In some ways Chesterton's style is an acquired taste. His stories move at a more leisurely pace than many readers are now accustom, often involve improbable events and unusual characters, and occasionally digress to consider a moral issue.

If you are already an admirer of Chesterton, definitely acquire this inexpensive Dover edition. If you are new to Chesterton, consider meeting Father Brown before taking on the challenge of the paradoxes posed by Mr. Pond. But do return and visit Mr. Pond. You won't be disappointed.

Each story in this collection is the gradual and entertaining explanation of some paradox stated by Mr. Pond, such as this one from "When Doctors Agree:" 'I once knew two men who came to agree with each other so completely that one of them, naturally, murdered the other, but as a general rule...." The story that follows is convoluted, thanks to Pond's digressions on society hostesses and what he calls 'the sanctity of really futile conversation,' but more than lives up to the high promise of that opening paradox. "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" is nearly as good and just as clever; the rest of the stories are good and clever, and would shine in nearly any other collection, but those two are so outstanding that they make the merely good look ordinary. Buy it! Read it! Read parts of it out loud to your helpless friends and convert them!

I loved this book, however there is one little thing that I'd like to point out. The editors, when reviewing this book, did a very poor job in overlooking a very obvious mistake. The title is The Saint and Mr. Teal. However, if you look on the spine, the title reads, The Saint and Mrs. Teal.

This book contains three stories; "The Gold Standard", "The Man from St. Louis" and "The Death Penalty".

The first story seems to be a continuation to "The Saint vs Scotland Yard" in which the Saint stole illicit diamonds and ran away to Europe. In "The Gold Standard", the Saint is involved in a murder at Paris and goes back to England to be a headache for poor Inspector Teal. The second story is a continuation to the first story, but the third story has little connection with the previous two stories and Mr. Teal doesn't appear on the stage.

All the three stories are much better plotted than earlier Saint novels (such as "Knight Templar" and "Alias the Saint" I read before). The stories are fast-paced and action-packed. And the endings are sophisticated; the Saint gets rid of the evil illegally as always, but he exhibits various solutions, not only simply kill the evil.

This book is that kind of "beloved jewels" that if you have ever liked thrillers, it deserves a place in your bookshelf. The Saint personality is the "ideal" way of behavior that every man had had at least once in his life. I have been involved in such dangerous adventures with my friend Simon Templar, that I encourage you to join us... Deliciuos reading, suspense, and the illusion of accomplishing impossible tasks utilizing methods that only true gentelmen are capable to perform. Do not miss this book!!!

Mr. Williams' story is filled with rollicking humor, wit, and wisdom. Vividly written, the reader is drawn into 18th century Charleston, and into the lives of two families, the Dorsets and the Symthes. Each and every character is memorable. You will laugh and cry reading this book. It has a permament place in my personal library. I loved it so much, I rushed out and bought several copies to give to friends and family. Mr. Williams deserves far more credit for his writing genius!

Williams' ambitious novel The True & Authentic History of Jenny Dorset is a refreshing medley of life in Charleston's 18th century, seasoned tastily with charming wit and intriguing characters. A truly enjoyable read, the tale is written with a sincere flare and comes alive to the reader.

More notably is the method in which Williams characterizes each member of the families involved in the story's plot - from the dueling heads, Mr. Dorset and Mr. Smythe, to Old Bob in his amusing stages of senility, and the ostentatious Jenny Dorset herself.

The reader will undoubtedly find the rich story line is highly entertaining, and written in a very lively manner. The tale is penned from the perspective of Henry Hawthorne, the Dorset's discerning and subdued family man servant. Hawthorne patiently abides by the family's somewhat eccentric and unruly lifestyle, and writes about his experiences first-hand, in memoir-like style.

Indeed, this novel is a great story-tellers' delight! The True & Authentic History of Jenny Dorset manifests very engaging humour with every flip of a page - more than once have I been in the throws of violent chuckles over it's whimsical comments and situations. It has quickly grown to be one of my favorites. I highly recommend it.

This book is funny and I loved it.

I read this when I was 8 or 9 years old, that was close to 25 years ago. I can still remember this book and how much I enjoyed it back then. I am now buying this for my niece. Highly recommended, fun stories for children.

A gerat fantasy book for kids, with a few ideas on how to behave!! Mr. Pinkwhistle was part-elf/part-man and was often invisible. He was part of the 'fairfolk' who were often guardians of children and good at dispensing with injustice!!

I read this book about 30 years ago and was so delighted by it that I now want to get it for my niece. It is a totally magical book full of mischief and fun while also, if memory serves me well having a few moral ideas for the young. I absolutely loved the book and would recommend it highly. As each chapter tells of a new adventure it makes it easy to read especially at night. Bedtime stories would not be a chore with this.

Happy reading.

My cat's breath smells like cat food. Chocolate microscopes. The leprachaun told me to burn things. If this is not helpful, then go milk a cow. I'm baking a cheescake. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Bye kids. If you like Cathrine Zeta-Jones clap your hands.... Yes that's him officer. Yummy fish taco. The Earth is 96 million miles away from the sun. I think. I'm goin' on a picnic. Grandma, don't eat the T.V. remote! All done. Post-It. Adios mother f*****. I'm just kidding. You don't have to take it so seriously.

"look at that cheeseburger. awesome."

this book is great.

Although the book is farely thin and inconclusive, "Breakdancing: Mr. Fresh and the Supreme Rockers Show You How" is definately a classic breakdancing title. Mr. Fresh and company serves up a platter of BAD (That means GOOD) move descriptions, instructions on how to talk like a breakdancer, dress like a breakdancer, and even what music is the best to breakdance to. Although this book is out of publish and I have spent a very long time trying to contact either Mr. Fresh, King Tut, Supreme Rocker, or any of the Supreme Rockers with no avail, I would have to say this book describes very well the early-'80s Hip-Hop culture.

My sons & I are long-standing fans of Mr. Magee and Dee since they took their boat out for a day on the sea. We were surprised when we found this new book where they go camping (or try to). Chris Van Dusen's art "makes" the stories. Every time we read this new story (& we have re-read it night after night), we comment on the sunset, the view through the trailer window, the poor raccoon getting out of the way all the time, the car heading down the hill the "other way", the view from the falls, and the freshly-cut lawn back at home. The story is delightful and fun to read time after time. And for those of you growing up in the 60's, the trailer in this book brings back memories of the one I always begged my parents to buy. I hope Mr. Van Dusen's working on his next Mr. Magee book.

I just happened to read a story on Chris Van Dusen in DownEast Magazine and thus became intrigued. I, also, bought Down To the Sea with Mr Magee and my 3 year old and I love them both. I love the illustrations and the stories are delightful. I hope he plans on doing more books!!

Van Dusen has done it again ... this time Mr. Magee and Dee get into hilarious trouble with a near-sighted bear. My kids LOVE this new book. And I don't mind reading it over and over. Illustrations are brilliant and colorful and FUN. The story is exciting, silly and the characters in this book are endearing. Mr. Magee for President!

This book is great and certainly not just for medical boffins. I almost felt guilty for being so entertained - almost. Quite literally couldn't put it down. What a great writer - I want him to do more and more and more please!

Bert Keizer has written this wonderfully reflective book for those of us who may not have the privilege of spending time in intimate contact with people aware that they are near the end of their life. I found it thouroughly enjoyable and truly inspiring. If you have any interest in medicine, euthanasia, bioethics or what it is to be mortal I warmly recommend that you read it. Congratulations Dr.Keizer.

This sardonic look at death and dying and the medical establishment by a Dutch M.D. who works in a nursing home is the best book I've read all summer. Very entertaining, funny, thought provoking and poignant. He talks about his feelings in helping terminally ill patients take their own lives. This doctor majored in philosophy as an undergraduate and ponders life's big questions in this slender volume.

Mr. Murder is the first Dean Koontz novel I have read and I am now a dedicated fan! He has taken me back to my roots in Orange County. He has shown me all the evil hiding in the shadows that I never knew was there. Makes you wonder just what the powers that be are really capable of, doesn't it? Maintaining the relationship with the wife and little girls in this story in the face of the killers onslaught are interesting. The Santas Twin story was charming and wicked and will be on the Christmas list for my Granddaughters this year!

This is the greatest. I especially loved Mr. Murder, for the ingenious way Dean kept flowing between scenes and personalities until it was almost unbearable. It lent to the overall mystery of the story and toThe Other's (Alfie) origin.
He made the intelligence of Emily acceptable just by linking it to her father's wizardry in writing.

GREAT STORY!!!

What would I do without Dean?????? His books are bone chilling. If you are weak of heart don't read. After reading Night Chills and Whispers trying to sleep was useless, visions from his book kept jumping out at me in the dark. He writes with so much intensity that you wonder, could this realy happen? Has it happened?And could it happen to you ??????? I love them

This is a fascinating book of letters to Abe Lincoln by people from all walks of life. Some are terribly moving as the one by the widow of a veteran asking for a referral. Some are eye openers filled with hate that are comical until one pauses to think of the consequences. There are even mundane letters such as the one from ex-president Buchanan asking for a set of his history books to be returned. In reading this book one can often be transposed to a different era, a different mindset, and a different century. This is the grist mill of history. I am so saddened that this book is out of print. Thank goodness I ordered my copy from Amazon.com about 1.5 years ago. If you can possibly get this volume somewhere grab it. Well worth your perusal.

I found "Dear Mr. Lincoln" to be facinating because it contains correspondence Lincoln received from the famous to the unknown; from the educated to the illiterate; from wealthy white men, to poor ex-slaves and women. It also includes letters from children, and many other people during Lincoln's era. Much of this material is funny, some sad, but always interesting. "Dear Mr. Lincoln" is a definite buy for serious Lincoln fans.

From the distant cousin who, based upon Abe's knowing him so well, "wulda thot I culd a gaht a job!" to the ministers who sought to pray to the political leaders who sought to have their advice taken to heart, this is a wonderful view of Civil War America. The letters are of course the focal point of the book. But it is what they say in their totality rather than individually that impresses. Lincoln heard from all facets of his nation. (And this was before e-mail and telephones!) He heard little of approval and much of dis-approval from critique to hatred. A great mass of mothers seeking draft exemptions, fathers wanting postmasters' jobs, and preachers seeking to show him the light bombarded the Presidential desk. Some were poignant. A few were even wise. All, in total, were America. Equally fascinating is the first portion of the book which is a thumbnail but thorough history of the Presidential "staff" which eventually grew to three people in number! A great book!

When I purchased this book, I expected it to have the script of the show. Now, I know that it is a nice biography about Cameron Mackintosh. You can learn about his life. I expected a bit more about the concert of Hey, Mr. Producer. I expected a program or something. I enjoy reading it.

When I first saw this book in a store here in Australia, it hit me that the producers had some style. A very classy coffee table book and spectacular photographs of stunning Mackintosh Productions, Hey!, Mr. Producer is what you have to have. Written in a passionate style toward musical theatre, once you pick it up - you won't put it down.

This is a really great companion book to the popular PBS program celebrating producer (duh!) Cameron Mackintosh and his endless contributions to musical theatre. It has fascinating little tidbits about show after show, including "Les Miserables", "Miss Saigon", "Cats", and "The Phantom of the Opera".