The Man Who Knew Too Much

I liked this book a lot because of the ability this author has shown in the use of the English language and in developing plots with a clever twist at the end. This is a book of short stories which are pithy and fast moving, with very engaging descriptions of the range of quaint characters GK Chesterton seems to delight in portraying. A good read for those who like to read well written literature but also like to have their imaginations stirred.

This is not an easy read, but for mystery fans -- the ending is quite a twist that you won't see coming. Chesterton is hard to follow and indeed it is work to keep up with him. The ending is worth the work and it is a classic. That's why I gave it four stars.

I went back and forth about whether or not I liked this book. I liked it sometimes, when the stories were longer and more involved, when they went more into the time and place of the story. Some of the chapters/stories were only a page or so long, and to solve a mystery so quickly feels like it was either not much of a mystery, or it wasn't worth telling since there's no detail. But the longer stories allowed Chesterton's talent to shine through. His mastery of words really shows up in the longer passages, as does his understanding of politics. The journalist character was much more compelling to me than the man who knew too much. He just seemed too smug, and cynical. It's hard to like a character that knows everything. Unlike Hercule Poirot, another character that seems to know everything, Fisher is not developed as a likable character. He is meant to be nebulous, a specter that you never really understand or get a hold on, and I'm sure it's some sort of metaphor, but for what? I don't know that it's worth knowing, either.

I felt blase about the entire book, and in the middle, I thought about not even coming back to it. I left this one to read two others, and it was a chore to return. But still, I waver between two and three stars because the parts that were good were really good, and absolutely worth it. It just seems that there are a few stories that could have been omitted to make it a better book. Also, I think I would have liked it even better had Chesterton taken the longer stories and made them novella length, omitting the others

Surprising stories by Chesterton in that the main character seems to be blasé about the evils he encounters in the upper echelons of society, but, as always, there is a twist. Worth it for those that persevere to the finish.

I haven't read much of it yet but so far it seems interesting how the main character (the man who knows too much) SPOILER ALERT always finds the truth but never is able to convict the criminals simply because of the status that the various criminals have. Another excellent book written by G.K. Chesterton.

The man who knew too much has an excellent plot with colorful characters that are indelibly etched in my memory. This entrancing mystery with its many casual forays into the lives of high level power brokers will pique your suspicious nature and confound you with a powerful and unexpected conclusion.

G.K. Chesterton proves that the enjoyment of a well crafted short story has very little to do with time and place. Even though the majority of the stories relate to upper class society in the Edwardian era they still bring the satisfaction of a good narrative reaching a neat and definite conclusion.

The story behind the stories insightful of humanity and reflects the nature of Christian grace. The surface story is engaging with some hummer.
Easy reading with depth of thought inside it. Good fun.

Chesterton makes the point about the political influence of the rich in this story of a man who was connected with them.Using as a foil a brash young reporter who had learned much, but not the true facts of the back room cospiracy of the VIPS and their immunity from charges against them.

This fascinating story is of a young fisherrnan, who knows about facts which could cause the discredit of some prominent people. The sale of honours - that is, titles. (coronets) was a particular scandal, but an unknown fact to most people. The aristocracy in England, according to the author, included some men who borrowed a great deal of money to buy social position, thus being bought by money-lenders. They were therefore under obligation to promote their interests...The young man in the story does not reveal what he knows because of the harm it would do to the country.They were tooi important to the welfare of the British Empire to be brought to justice..
This makes the story relevant to politics in the US today,

I bought this to clear out a squirrel problem and have yet to get it properly sighted in.

The scope needs to be shimed to match the "barrel-droop" .

It is plenty powerful, punches holes through 1/2 inch plywood.

I bought the Kindle version if TMWKTM in September 2015 for $2.99 then I find several versions of the kindle download for free-$3.99!! And I'm not able to use the audible version unless I pay again. I'll be searching for another way to read books on my kindle without having to use the store.

Took me several pages to realize that this was a compilation of short stories with one continuing character. Did not realize that it does not have a relationship with the old movies that were made. Lots of British politics from the 20s - good read.

Not the worst book I've ever read, but these stories haven't aged well. Chesterton writes in the breezy style of many early novelists, coupled with occasional staggering racism (the fourth story, The Bottomless Well, ends with an anti-semetic rant from the protagonist that comes from seemingly nowhere). It's free, but maybe not the best free book to spend your time on.

Chesterson was very well thought of by one of the senior professors in college lit class and he does write well in a presumptive way. I think that TMWKTM IS TOO PRESUMPTIVE AND NOT GKC AT HIS BEST. Somewhat an amalgam that was not to my liking very much....

If you believe this is the movie root for Hitchcock presentations, this will surprise you. It is most unusual and the stories evolve into plots and twists that reveal an author who is also a theologian, hymn writer and author of Father Brown detective stories.

This was a wonderful series of short mystery stories. In an age when we have become accustomed to fanciful plot twists the purely logical solutions to these cases seem new and refreshing. This book is perfect for a short bit of reading on a stormy autumn night, or anytime for that matter.

Monotonous and boring, the characters aren't compelling or interesting in any way and the reveal of the mysteries are very unfulfilling...there is no way for the reader to become invested in the mystery or it's unravelling since the man who knows too much simply goes along pulling all the answers out of thin air! Avoid or read at your own risk.

Harold March, the rising reviewer and social critic, was walking vigorously across a great tableland of moors and commons, the horizon of which was fringed with the far-off woods of the famous estate of Torwood Park. He was a good-looking young man in tweeds, with very pale curly hair and pale clear eyes. Walking in wind and sun in the very landscape of liberty, he was still young enough to remember his politics and not merely try to forget them. For his errand at Torwood Park was a political one; it was the place of appointment named by no less a person than the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Howard Horne, then introducing his so-called Socialist budget, and prepared to expound it in an interview with so promising a penman. Harold March was the sort of man who knows everything about politics, and nothing about politicians. He also knew a great deal about art, letters, philosophy, and general culture; about almost everything, indeed, except the world he was living in.

I found I was just not into the older genre of writing. Chesterton has had a following for way too many years and hardly resonates with more modern audiences. I couldn't get into it. Put it aside after about 20 pages.

The style of writing is dated, making it seem superficial and the characters lacking in any depth. This is one of the few books that I haven't been able to keep reading, even when I had nothing else on my kindle.

If you think you're a cynic about politics (or more precisely, about politicians) you've got nothing on GK Chesterton. This is another of his episodic novels in which a series of short stories that stand alone end up making up one single story with the last one bringing all of the threads together and raising them to a climax and resolution.

The eponymous man who knew too much is Horne Fisher. And what he knows is all of the key people of the ruling class in England, the tawdry secrets of their personal lives, and the odd and indirect ways that these deform the laws, policies, and administration of justice in the realm. Hypocrisy and gentlemanly corruption are the air they breathe. He knows that most of what you read in the papers is nonsense. In his own words, he knows "everything that isn't worth knowing."

In these eight stories of mystery and crime, Fisher's peculiar knowledge allows him to discover who committed each crime and why. Often enough the criminal must go unpunished lest worse things follow. Sometimes the victim is in fact more guilty than the criminal. The other main character is an honest but naive reporter, Harold March, whom Fisher meets and befriends in the first story. March plays Dr. Watson to Fisher's Sherlock Holmes in all eight stories. Until the redemptive climax, Fisher is a sort of tragic figure, upright, honest and unwilling to participate in the wrongdoing, but also unwilling, seemingly unable, to expose his family and their plutocratic circle.

I doubt whether England was quite as rotten in 1922 as Chesterton believed. I'm quite sure that America in 2010 is not. But then perhaps that just makes me the man who knows too little.

One way or the other, this is a delightful book and highly recommended.

G.K. Chesterton was happy to do some spoofery of the deductive detective genre -- his detectives seemed to depend more on the knowledge of human nature. One good example is Horne Fisher, the star character who solves bizarre little mysteries because he "knows too much... and all the wrong things."

The first story opens with a reknowned book critic stumbling across a dead man with his head bashed on. Fortunately Fisher is fishing nearby, and is able to deduce who killed the poor man, when, and cleverly figures out the best (and most theatrical) way to get results.

In each story, Horne deals with another strange mystery -- the framing of an Irish "prince" freedom fighter, the vanishing of a priceless coin, a man killed off in the Middle East, an eccentric rich man dies during an obsessive fishing trip, another vanishes during an ice skate, a bizarre dispute over an estate, and most shockingly, a statue crushing his own uncle...

Chesterton was a good mystery writer. He could spin up bizarre little crimes (murder, theft, treachery) for a variety of colourful reasons, from the political to purely psychological. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a good example of that, and it shows Chesterton veering into more politically-charged territory than in his other mysteries, with the Irish-English conflict, spies and impending war.

But these mysteries also have Chesterton the philosopher/theologian/thinker. He writes in colourful, poetic prose ("as if the world were steeped in wine rather than blood"), and has brief moments where Horn muses on human nature.

"Patriotism is not the first virtue. Patriotism rots into Prussianism when you pretend it is the first virtue," he remarks at one point, as an example. Through him, Chesterton gives us brief little insights into what he knows too much of -- a worldview remarkably simple, but very insightful.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is an odd kind of detective -- instead of the quirky detectives or deep thinkers, Horn is rather melancholy and plaintive, almost tormented by his own knowledge. This comes to a peak in the bittersweet final story, where Horne finds himself in a wretched situation, with shocking results.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a solid collection of detective stories, but underlying the mysteries are Chesterton's deeper looks at human nature. Excellent reading.

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1922) is a collection of eight very loosely linked short stories about various kinds of crimes. The main two characters who provide the linking are Harold March, a rising journalist, and Horne Fisher, a failed politician who "knows too much" ... about thousands of topics, but chiefly about the corruption of high-placed politicians, some of whom he is related to.

My late friend Martin Gardner (an American Chestertonian) thought this was one of Chesterton's two worst books and hated it. In contrast, I'm giving it a B+ rating (4 stars) because of the book's psychological and political insights and its rather touching ending.

Let's be clear about several things: these are not "real" detective stories; they're mostly semi-successful adventures that do not (except for the last one) have the guilty people caught and punished. This is largely owing to Fisher's willingness to sit on his hands and DO nothing most of the time. There's no "fair play" with the reader about clues. Horne Fisher usually just happens to "know" some obscure fact that is not available to his friend Harold March or anyone else, and the "solutions" are virtually pulled from the air.

Despite this, the stories can hold a person's attention IF he or she is willing to focus on the author's premises about what is causing the main problems of British society. For many readers in the 21st century, these premises will seem nearly identical to what many people believe is causing the problems of their own society. (A major exception is Horne Fisher's anti-Semitic tirade at the end of "The Bottomless Well," the fourth story.)

The eighth (last) story is unique in several ways besides the two I've already mentioned. To say more would provide unwanted "spoilers" to readers.

Finally, Chesterton's manner of telling his stories is often wry and witty and VERY often "poetic": about a third of the time his sentences are filled with six or more words that alliterate with each other. This may please some readers but may annoy others.

I'm a big Chesterton fan...have almost all his stories. I really enjoyed these, but they are different from his other works. The "bad guys" are never really brought to justice, even when they richly deserve it. Still the writing and ideas are excellent and I love his style. I'd give it 5-stars, except...

My complaint is the format of the book. It's about 8 1/2" x 11", a fairly small type face and a single column of text. It's hard to read because the lines of text are so long and it's easy to lose track of where you are on the line. If I can get a different format, I will, because I really like the book and like to reread his stories from time to time.

Apart from knowing that The Man Who Knew Too Much was a detective story and that it was written by G.K. Chesterton, I didn't know much about this book going in. I've read some of the Father Brown stories by Chesterton and really enjoyed them so I was looking forward to sinking my teeth into a Chesterton novel. Sadly, this isn't a novel in the proper sense. Rather, this book is a collection of short detective stories centered around Horne Fisher, the "man who knew too much." Even though it wasn't a complete detective novel, I was still excited to have fun reading the stories.

As mentioned, the main protagonist in the stories is a man named Horne Fisher. At the beginning, we know very little about Fisher but as the stories progress, we learn more and more about him and find out he is related to or family friends with a number of very influential people in politics and business. It is presumably through these connections that he obtains a fair amount of his extra knowledge. The rest of his "knowing too much" comes from being hyper-observant in the same sense as another famous detective, the illustrious Sherlock Holmes.

I'm sure plenty of people have made the comparison and I'll just repeat it here. Horne Fisher and his stories bear a striking resemblance to the style and format of Sherlock Holmes and his stories. Through each of the stories in the book, Fisher is accompanied by a journalist friend named Harold March. This character acts like Watson in some sense by being asking questions and helping unravel the clues of the mystery. Unlike Watson's narration, the stories in this book are written in 3rd person rather than by March himself. Also, March seems a little more competent a companion to Fisher than Watson is to Holmes. No offense to Watson, but in many of the Sherlock stories, it seems like Watson's primary purpose is to tag along, pay the bills and ask "how could you possibly know that" in order to shine the light on Holmes's brilliance. While March does question Fisher's abilities at times he also has a journalistic flair that allows him to ask more pointed and driving questions that help elaborate some of the political and social problems that Fisher faces.

Each individual story is fun and interesting. Some (especially some of the latter in the book) got a little bogged down in political specificity for my taste but they were still fun. As with many detective stories, and more so with a detective like Horne Fisher (or Sherlock Holmes), there are times where the reader feels a little cheated by the conclusion comes by the revelation of some bit of evidence that the reader was never given. Granted, it's difficult to give the reader all of the facts with sufficient detail to allow the reader to solve the mystery while still making sure the details stay obtuse enough to ensure the mystery is tricky to solve and allows the protagonist to show some panache. Detective stories have to straddle the line between giving too many clues and bombarding the reader with red herrings or giving too few clues and making the reader feel a little cheated at the end. It's a tough balancing act.

These stories were definitely fun and entertaining. They weren't quite as humorous as Chesterton's Father Brown stories but they weren't overly heavy or dull either. They definitely had that Holmesian feeling while still being different enough to stand on their own. Each story is fairly short and stands entirely on its own which makes for a nice concise bit of reading while still having some meat on its bones. It is written with some of that same formal feeling and style as Sherlock Holmes so if you're looking for a fast-paced mystery novel, this may not quite be what you're looking for. Still, it's a refreshing batch of smart, well crafted mysteries that make for a nice entertaining read.

****
4 out of 5 stars

I paid nothing for this Kindle download and still feel horribly cheated. I plowed through the thing mainly because I hate to give up on a book before the end; also because a couple of the reviews in the store were reasonably positive. I should have given in to my instincts and stopped reading after a hundred, or so, pages when I realised I had no clue what was going on.
Bottom line for me was that this is arguably the biggest load of twee tripe and rubbish ever to get into print. Groups of empty-headed aristocratic types getting murdered with an arch-typal, aristocratic, anti-hero solving the cases with no reasonably available clue. It's amazing how this fellow is always 'Johnny-on-the-spot' whenever a murder takes place; either in the parlour, or in the grounds of the old baronial hall.
I simply have no idea what the book was all about. I saw no logical way that the murderers were exposed. It is not a whodunnit that you should read imagining that you might come up with the answer before the hero. Mostly you will not even understand the clue, that ultimately gave out 'hero' the solution, when eventually explained. It really is a gigantic load of old codswallop!
Do yourself an enormous favour and don't waste your time or money downloading this free book!
Now I feel horribly cheated because the store won't let me give this garbage no stars at all!!!!

G.K. Chesterton was happy to do some spoofery of the deductive detective genre -- his detectives seemed to depend more on the knowledge of human nature. One good example is Horne Fisher, the star character who solves bizarre little mysteries because he "knows too much... and all the wrong things."

The first story opens with a reknowned book critic stumbling across a dead man with his head bashed on. Fortunately Fisher is fishing nearby, and is able to deduce who killed the poor man, when, and cleverly figures out the best (and most theatrical) way to get results.

In each story, Horne deals with another strange mystery -- the framing of an Irish "prince" freedom fighter, the vanishing of a priceless coin, a man killed off in the Middle East, an eccentric rich man dies during an obsessive fishing trip, another vanishes during an ice skate, a bizarre dispute over an estate, and most shockingly, a statue crushing his own uncle...

Chesterton was a good mystery writer. He could spin up bizarre little crimes (murder, theft, treachery) for a variety of colourful reasons, from the political to purely psychological. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a good example of that, and it shows Chesterton veering into more politically-charged territory than in his other mysteries, with the Irish-English conflict, spies and impending war.

But these mysteries also have Chesterton the philosopher/theologian/thinker. He writes in colourful, poetic prose ("as if the world were steeped in wine rather than blood"), and has brief moments where Horn muses on human nature.

"Patriotism is not the first virtue. Patriotism rots into Prussianism when you pretend it is the first virtue," he remarks at one point, as an example. Through him, Chesterton gives us brief little insights into what he knows too much of -- a worldview remarkably simple, but very insightful.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is an odd kind of detective -- instead of the quirky detectives or deep thinkers, Horn is rather melancholy and plaintive, almost tormented by his own knowledge. This comes to a peak in the bittersweet final story, where Horne finds himself in a wretched situation, with shocking results.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a solid collection of detective stories, but underlying the mysteries are Chesterton's deeper looks at human nature. Excellent reading.

G.K. Chesterton was happy to do some spoofery of the deductive detective genre -- his detectives seemed to depend more on the knowledge of human nature. One good example is Horne Fisher, the star character who solves bizarre little mysteries because he "knows too much... and all the wrong things."

The first story opens with a reknowned book critic stumbling across a dead man with his head bashed on. Fortunately Fisher is fishing nearby, and is able to deduce who killed the poor man, when, and cleverly figures out the best (and most theatrical) way to get results.

In each story, Horne deals with another strange mystery -- the framing of an Irish "prince" freedom fighter, the vanishing of a priceless coin, a man killed off in the Middle East, an eccentric rich man dies during an obsessive fishing trip, another vanishes during an ice skate, a bizarre dispute over an estate, and most shockingly, a statue crushing his own uncle...

Chesterton was a good mystery writer. He could spin up bizarre little crimes (murder, theft, treachery) for a variety of colourful reasons, from the political to purely psychological. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a good example of that, and it shows Chesterton veering into more politically-charged territory than in his other mysteries, with the Irish-English conflict, spies and impending war.

But these mysteries also have Chesterton the philosopher/theologian/thinker. He writes in colourful, poetic prose ("as if the world were steeped in wine rather than blood"), and has brief moments where Horn muses on human nature.

"Patriotism is not the first virtue. Patriotism rots into Prussianism when you pretend it is the first virtue," he remarks at one point, as an example. Through him, Chesterton gives us brief little insights into what he knows too much of -- a worldview remarkably simple, but very insightful.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is an odd kind of detective -- instead of the quirky detectives or deep thinkers, Horn is rather melancholy and plaintive, almost tormented by his own knowledge. This comes to a peak in the bittersweet final story, where Horne finds himself in a wretched situation, with shocking results.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a solid collection of detective stories, but underlying the mysteries are Chesterton's deeper looks at human nature. Excellent reading.

Eight short stories with a detective unlike many others, because this one knows a little too much about the matters that he finds himself in, and that sometimes can be a problem, believe it or not!

With his usual fluid and clean style, G.K. Chesterton gives us different tales as he did in his many Father Brown stories – this is a terrific read and since they are short tales, you can read them over breakfast, commuting, at lunch or a quiet moment when you’re just need a little something special for yourself – a treat – for that is what they are – and you know you DESERVE a treat today…and tomorrow, too, right?

Understanding the quiet thoughts of a thoughtful man is something that we rarely get a really good glemps at. It slowly winds around to show that extraordinary people can commit acts of inhumanity and the effects of them can change the course of world events. In the smallest of detection and the lack of assuming that usually occurs with lesser men the man who knew too much show what observation patience and bravery can achieve.
This is a great book for the ages. I enjoyed every word.

This was pretty entertaining. There was a bit of a Sherlock Holmes feel to many of these stories.

They were very well written and quite witty and inventive. Many of the stories had quite unexpected elements to them. They were certainly quirky and different.

There was a slightly strange and melancholic feel to some of them, especially the last one. There was a certain amount of xenophobia as well.

Horne Fisher is a great and unusual character and there were also quite a few other interesting characters.

There were some fantastic lines and even the odd bit of philosophy in this collection of stories.

G.K. Chesterton was happy to do some spoofery of the deductive detective genre -- his detectives seemed to depend more on the knowledge of human nature. One good example is Horne Fisher, the star character who solves bizarre little mysteries because he "knows too much... and all the wrong things."

The first story opens with a reknowned book critic stumbling across a dead man with his head bashed on. Fortunately Fisher is fishing nearby, and is able to deduce who killed the poor man, when, and cleverly figures out the best (and most theatrical) way to get results.

In each story, Horne deals with another strange mystery -- the framing of an Irish "prince" freedom fighter, the vanishing of a priceless coin, a man killed off in the Middle East, an eccentric rich man dies during an obsessive fishing trip, another vanishes during an ice skate, a bizarre dispute over an estate, and most shockingly, a statue crushing his own uncle...

Chesterton was a good mystery writer. He could spin up bizarre little crimes (murder, theft, treachery) for a variety of colourful reasons, from the political to purely psychological. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a good example of that, and it shows Chesterton veering into more politically-charged territory than in his other mysteries, with the Irish-English conflict, spies and impending war.

But these mysteries also have Chesterton the philosopher/theologian/thinker. He writes in colourful, poetic prose ("as if the world were steeped in wine rather than blood"), and has brief moments where Horn muses on human nature.

"Patriotism is not the first virtue. Patriotism rots into Prussianism when you pretend it is the first virtue," he remarks at one point, as an example. Through him, Chesterton gives us brief little insights into what he knows too much of -- a worldview remarkably simple, but very insightful.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is an odd kind of detective -- instead of the quirky detectives or deep thinkers, Horn is rather melancholy and plaintive, almost tormented by his own knowledge. This comes to a peak in the bittersweet final story, where Horne finds himself in a wretched situation, with shocking results.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a solid collection of detective stories, but underlying the mysteries are Chesterton's deeper looks at human nature. Excellent reading.

G.K. Chesterton was happy to do some spoofery of the deductive detective genre -- his detectives seemed to depend more on the knowledge of human nature. One good example is Horne Fisher, the star character who solves bizarre little mysteries because he "knows too much... and all the wrong things."

The first story opens with a reknowned book critic stumbling across a dead man with his head bashed on. Fortunately Fisher is fishing nearby, and is able to deduce who killed the poor man, when, and cleverly figures out the best (and most theatrical) way to get results.

In each story, Horne deals with another strange mystery -- the framing of an Irish "prince" freedom fighter, the vanishing of a priceless coin, a man killed off in the Middle East, an eccentric rich man dies during an obsessive fishing trip, another vanishes during an ice skate, a bizarre dispute over an estate, and most shockingly, a statue crushing his own uncle...

Chesterton was a good mystery writer. He could spin up bizarre little crimes (murder, theft, treachery) for a variety of colourful reasons, from the political to purely psychological. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a good example of that, and it shows Chesterton veering into more politically-charged territory than in his other mysteries, with the Irish-English conflict, spies and impending war.

But these mysteries also have Chesterton the philosopher/theologian/thinker. He writes in colourful, poetic prose ("as if the world were steeped in wine rather than blood"), and has brief moments where Horn muses on human nature.

"Patriotism is not the first virtue. Patriotism rots into Prussianism when you pretend it is the first virtue," he remarks at one point, as an example. Through him, Chesterton gives us brief little insights into what he knows too much of -- a worldview remarkably simple, but very insightful.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is an odd kind of detective -- instead of the quirky detectives or deep thinkers, Horn is rather melancholy and plaintive, almost tormented by his own knowledge. This comes to a peak in the bittersweet final story, where Horne finds himself in a wretched situation, with shocking results.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a solid collection of detective stories, but underlying the mysteries are Chesterton's deeper looks at human nature. Excellent reading.

Eight short stories with a detective unlike many others, because this one knows a little too much about the matters that he finds himself in, and that sometimes can be a problem, believe it or not!

With his usual fluid and clean style, G.K. Chesterton gives us different tales as he did in his many Father Brown stories – this is a terrific read and since they are short tales, you can read them over breakfast, commuting, at lunch or a quiet moment when you’re just need a little something special for yourself – a treat – for that is what they are – and you know you DESERVE a treat today…and tomorrow, too, right?

Understanding the quiet thoughts of a thoughtful man is something that we rarely get a really good glemps at. It slowly winds around to show that extraordinary people can commit acts of inhumanity and the effects of them can change the course of world events. In the smallest of detection and the lack of assuming that usually occurs with lesser men the man who knew too much show what observation patience and bravery can achieve.
This is a great book for the ages. I enjoyed every word.

This was pretty entertaining. There was a bit of a Sherlock Holmes feel to many of these stories.

They were very well written and quite witty and inventive. Many of the stories had quite unexpected elements to them. They were certainly quirky and different.

There was a slightly strange and melancholic feel to some of them, especially the last one. There was a certain amount of xenophobia as well.

Horne Fisher is a great and unusual character and there were also quite a few other interesting characters.

There were some fantastic lines and even the odd bit of philosophy in this collection of stories.

The Man Who Knew Too Much is a collection of eight short mystery stories which reminded me greatly of Chesterton's Father Brown stories, except these were not quite as good. I dislike mystery stories where the main character solves the mystery with the aid of a clue that the reader did not have access too. That was one of the reasons why I really like Chesterton's Father Brown mysteries, because if you pay close enough attention and think enough, you can come to the correct conclusion yourself before the answer is announced. Unfortunately, Chesterton does not write all of these stories in that way (though a few of the eight are), and it makes them not as much fun to read, though they are still very good.

In terms of content, Chesterton does a fabulous job of bring up moral issues (for example, do we tell the public the truth about murder if it will be harmful to the public?) in these mysteries, and they really make you think. As always, Chesterton has also intersperced the stories with witty yet deep phrases which also make you think, and if you are an underliner you will find many things to underline.

In conclusion, this is a good book, but if I were you, I'd read his Father Brown stories before I read these.

Overall grade: B+

I throughly enjoyed this book! You should buy it while its free. You will become intrigued by Harold March and and the elusive Prince Michael and the mysterious and quiet Long Adam and the disappearing Bulmer and by all of the Fishers but especially Horne Fisher...the man who knew too much. You will not be disapointed! And you have to read all eight of the short stories because the last one is the best!

I liked this one, a bit off the cuff and different from the norm, but enjoyable all the same. To compare this against other detective books, definitely nothing like them, full of intrigue, suspense and mystery, seat gripping stuff?

Surely in another era, G. K. Chesterton was a popular writer. These tales haven't worn so well, however, in my opinion. At any time I could have closed the book and never thought again about continuing to read it, but I persevered. That's a few hours of my life I'll never get back, but it was a relatively painless way to learn that I don't care for G. K. C.

I had read various Chesterton stories before, so I snapped up this kindle edition of "The Man Who Knew Too Much." Well, what I didn't know was that, for all of his supposed spiritual wisdom, Chesterton turns out to have been a vicious anti-Semite whose ever-so-rational hero spouts off at length in the story "The Bottomless Well" about the Jewish conspiracy to control and ruin British foreign policy because British politicians had borrowed money from Jewish money-lenders or married American-Jewish heiresses for their fortunes. Of course, the English literate class in the 20s found these beliefs unremarkable, not so different from Kipling's theory (in "Puck of Pook's Hill") that Jews have a particular affinity for money. I, however, do not have to put up with this sort of proto-Nazi garbage. I will be deleting this book from my kindle. If it were a paperback, I'd throw it in the wood stove. Maybe future editions of this book should come with a warning ... or omit that story altogether. It's a weak story, anyway.