The Complete Father Brown Mysteries (Illustrated) - G. K. Chesterton

I picked this book up because I'd watched BBC's version of Father Brown (starring Mark Williams) and enjoyed it thoroughly.  I knew a bit about Chesterton, but hadn't read anything written by him.  I'd mostly heard about him at church.  Normally, I wouldn't read something that's related to TV/movies.  I usually try to do one or the other: read the book or watch the movie.  Less chance of being disappointed.  With this, I had the feeling it wouldn't be the same anyway, so I wasn't judging it based on the TV show at all.

This collection includes 24 short stories, but they're not the kind of relaxing reading where you can be doing other things as you read.  You really have to pay attention to keep up with what's going on.  There's long paragraphs of descriptions, sometimes to the point of being a bit too much.  Knowing these were written in the early 1900s, this makes sense.  The language also comes across as a product of its time.  There's some language in there that is considered highly prejudiced now, and it wasn't really that nice back then.  Just be aware it's in there.

I wouldn't read this if you're expecting it to be like the TV show.  You'll be disappointed.  While a few of the stories are represented in episodes, most aren't and the only secondary character you'll run into is Flambeau, and he changes quite early on from what you're accustomed to seeing on TV.

If you want to read through this, expect Father Brown to pick up on things you're not noticing and solve the mystery for the police.  The writing definitely reflects the period in which it was written, making it a bit tedious at times.  Also be aware, the "illustrations" are a collection of random photographs and drawings, and they're located in the back of the book.  I enjoyed some of the stories, and others I felt like I was slogging through.  Overall, I'd give it 3 stars.  It is what it is.