Five Hundred and Fifty-Five by G.K. Chesterton
Five Hundred and Fifty-Five is a collection of short stories written by G.K. Chesterton. The book contains 555 stories, each exactly five hundred and fifty-five words long. The stories are all set in the fictional town of Cloverville, and feature a variety of characters and situations. Some of the stories are humorous, while others are more serious or philosophical. Overall, the collection is known for its wit, imagination, and insight into human nature.
By G.K. Chesterton · First published 1910 · Genre: Philosophical Fiction, Satire, Mystery · 1,111 words
First lines
Life is full of a ceaseless shower of small coincidences: too small to be worth mentioning except for a special purpose, often too trifling even to be noticed, any more than we notice one snowflake falling on another. It is this that lends a frightful plausibility to all false doctrines and evil fads. There are always such crowds of accidental arguments for anything. If I said suddenly that historical truth is generally told by red-haired men, I have no doubt that ten minutes' reflection (in which I decline to indulge) would provide me with a handsome list of instances in support of it. I remember a riotous argument about Bacon and Shakespeare in which I offered quite at random to show that Lord Rosebery had written the works of Mr. W. B. Yeats. No sooner had I said the words than a torrent of coincidences rushed upon my mind. I pointed out, for instance, that Mr. Yeats's chief work was "The Secret Rose."
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Five Hundred and Fifty-Five is listed on Textopian as a short story by G.K. Chesterton, dated 1910 CE.
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- Work type: Short story
- Author: G.K. Chesterton
- Date: 1910 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Philosophical Fiction, Satire, Mystery, Literary Fiction
- Length: 1,111 words
- Structure: 1 section, 8 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for Five Hundred and Fifty-Five by G.K. Chesterton
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Similar titles
- About Glass by Frank R. Stockton
- The Mad Official by G. K. Chesterton
- Some Policemen And A Moral by G. K. Chesterton
- An Accident by G. K. Chesterton
- The Incredulity Of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton
- The Man With Two Beards by G. K. Chesterton
Genres
- Philosophical Fiction — The narrative explores deep philosophical themes such as the nature of coincidence, the role of individual actions in the larger scheme of things, and the interplay between reason and doubt.
- Satire — The text employs humor and irony to critique societal norms and human behavior, particularly through the absurdity of coincidences and the exaggerated importance placed on trivial events.
- Mystery — The story contains elements of mystery, as it delves into the enigmatic nature of coincidences and the symbolic significance of numbers, inviting readers to ponder deeper meanings.
- Literary Fiction — The work is characterized by its sophisticated prose, thematic depth, and focus on character introspection, aligning with the conventions of literary fiction.
Tags
mystery · philosophy · humor · satire · detective · crime · narrative · social commentary · absurdism · paradox · literary fiction · English literature