What’s Wrong with the World
First published in 1910, this is Chesterton at his most combative, a sweeping complaint against the drift of modern industrial society. He takes aim at capitalism and socialism alike, at the schools, the reformers, and the bureaucrats he nicknames Hudge and Gudge, arguing that both parties have forgotten the ordinary person they claim to serve. The home, the family, and the dignity of common life stand at the center of his defense, and he insists that fixing the world has to begin with knowing what it is actually for. The prose runs on paradox and provocation, funny and stubborn by turns. Available here as a free PDF and EPUB edition.
About the Author
G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936) was an English writer, critic, and Christian apologist famous for the Father Brown mysteries and sharp, paradox-loving essays. His playful intelligence made him one of the most quotable authors of his age.
See all books by G. K. Chesterton →
Listen to What’s Wrong with the World Audiobook Free
Listen to What’s Wrong with the World by G. K. Chesterton free online. The full audiobook (6 hr 55 min, 48 chapters, read by volunteer narrators) streams free on this page.
What’s Wrong with the World (1910) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dedication | 3:02 | |
| 2 | The Medical Mistake | 7:43 | |
| 3 | Wanted, an Unpractical Man | 10:29 | |
| 4 | The New Hypocrite | 13:06 | |
| 5 | The Fear of the Past | 9:22 | |
| 6 | The Unfinished Temple | 12:06 | |
| 7 | The Enemies of Property | 9:51 | |
| 8 | The Free Family | 8:05 | |
| 9 | The Wildness of Domesticity | 8:54 | |
| 10 | History of Hudge and Gudge | 11:03 | |
| 11 | Oppression by Optimism | 6:36 | |
| 12 | The Homelessness of Jones | 9:21 | |
| 13 | The Charm of Jingoism | 8:21 | |
| 14 | Wisdom and the Weather | 14:12 | |
| 15 | The Common Vision | 7:11 | |
| 16 | The Insane Necessity | 14:37 | |
| 17 | The Unmilitary Sufragette | 6:50 | |
| 18 | The Universal Stick | 13:55 | |
| 19 | The Emancipation of Domesticity | 10:06 | |
| 20 | The Romance of Thrift | 11:36 | |
| 21 | The Coldness of Chloe | 8:35 | |
| 22 | The Pedant and the Savage | 6:24 | |
| 23 | The Modern Surrender of Woman | 8:03 | |
| 24 | The Brand of the Fleur-de-Lys | 6:42 | |
| 25 | Sincerity and the Gallows | 6:49 | |
| 26 | The Higher Anarchy | 8:25 | |
| 27 | The Queen and the Suffragettes | 3:44 | |
| 28 | The Modern Slave | 7:12 | |
| 29 | The Calvanism of To-day | 5:20 | |
| 30 | The Tribal Terror | 5:59 | |
| 31 | The Tricks of Environment | 4:35 | |
| 32 | The Truth About Education | 6:03 | |
| 33 | An Evil Cry | 6:25 | |
| 34 | Authority the Unavoidable | 10:02 | |
| 35 | The Humility of Mrs Grundy | 8:15 | |
| 36 | The Broken Rainbow | 11:04 | |
| 37 | The Need for Narrowness | 5:11 | |
| 38 | The Case for Public Schools | 15:47 | |
| 39 | The School for Hypocrites | 12:32 | |
| 40 | The Staleness of the New Schools | 6:42 | |
| 41 | The Outlawed Parent | 7:20 | |
| 42 | Folly and Female Education | 8:26 | |
| 43 | The Empire of the Insect | 14:17 | |
| 44 | The Fallacy of the Umbrella Stand | 8:34 | |
| 45 | The Dreadful Duty of Gudge | 6:16 | |
| 46 | A Last Instance | 2:34 | |
| 47 | Conclusion | 8:45 | |
| 48 | Three Notes | 8:06 |
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