“The Blue Cross. The Father Brown Stories”
By G.K. Chesterton
E-book, Interactive Media. Originally published between 1910-1936. Complete set, 1,084 pages. The Blue Cross short story is approximately 29 pages, depending on format. Grade 9 and above.
G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) wrote plays, short stories, philosophical texts and hundreds of essays. His writing was prodigious, as was his well-known appetite. He was a larger-than-life figure and once said that he was the only man in England able to give up his bus seat to three young women.
When musing on religious and philosophical topics, Chesterton’s writing can be meandering and maddening to some modern readers. Then, in the midst of our frustration, he will give an insight so profound that readers will be left in stunned amazement. His short stories about Father Brown are the easiest to access and extremely interesting. In these mysteries, we see Father Brown solving crimes with ingenuity and humor. “The Blue Cross” is one of his best short stories.
Flambeau, an international criminal, departs from a ship at an English port. His goal is to steal the priceless relic, “The Blue Cross.” Hot on his trail is the famous French detective, Valentin.
Flambeau is wanted by several countries in Europe because of his daring thefts of rare objects. He particularly likes to steal religious objects. At a Eucharistic Conference in England, he plans to strike by stealing the holy relic, “The Blue Cross.”
Valentin is a skeptical Frenchman, with little use for priests or the Catholic Faith. Though his French logic has repeatedly failed him in catching Flambeau, he is sure of an arrest this time. Taking a train to London, the detective meets an unassuming, portly priest, carrying several packages wrapped in brown paper. The priest carelessly mentions the importance of the packages. Valentin realizes the priest has no idea of the importance of this information and cautions him to be more careful.
Knowing that Flambeau is a master of disguises, the detective thinks the thief will disguise himself as a priest going to the Eucharistic Conference. He will then find the clueless priest and steal the “The Blue Cross.” Sure enough, Valentin soon learns that a very tall priest has joined the short hapless priest. Confident he will finally catch his prey, he follows them with intensity. What happens?
Is Flambeau the tall priest in disguise? Is the short, plump priest as unaware as he appears? How are Flambeau and Valentin both tricked? Who really solves the mystery of “The Blue Cross”? To find out, go to the library and check out the “Complete Stories of G.K. Chesterton” or the short story, “The Blue Cross.” Some of these stories may only be available in E-book format.
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, some of Chesterton’s writing is complicated and difficult to follow. He is very wordy and changes his thoughts frequently. The Father Brown stories are quite different. They are interesting, sophisticated and enjoyable. High school students and adults will appreciate his humor and twists in plot structure.
The strengths of a great short story writer like Chesterton is that he can write an interesting tale in 30-40 pages. I hope you get a chance to read some of the Father Brown Stories. They are well worth it.
