The Man Who Knew Too Much (book)
| Company type | Publisher |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Books |
The Man Who Knew Too Much: And Other Stories (1922) is a detective story anthology authored by English writer G. K. Chesterton, released by Cassell and Company in the United Kingdom and Harper Brothers in the United States. This volume contains eight linked narratives centered on "The Man Who Knew Too Much," along with several unrelated detective tales. The American edition features "The Trees of Pride," whereas the British version includes three additional shorter stories: "The Garden of Smoke," "The Five of Swords," and "The Tower of Treason."
Initial publication
These stories were first published serially in Harper's Monthly Magazine between April 1920 and June 1922:
- April 1920: "The Face in the Target" (vol. 140)
- August 1920: "II. The Vanishing Prince, A Story"
- September 1920: "III. The Soul of the Schoolboy" (v. 141)
- March 1921: "IV. The Bottomless Well" (v. 142)
- June 1921: "V. The Fad of the Fisherman"
- October 1921: "VI. The Hole in the Wall" (v. 143)
- May 1922: "VII. The Temple of Silence" (v. 144)
- June 1922: "The Vengeance of the Statue" (v. 145)
Additional stories included
Supplementary tales featured in the collection are:
- "The Trees of Pride"
- "The Garden of Smoke" (exclusive to the U.K. edition)
- "The Five of Swords" (exclusive to the U.K. edition)
- "The Tower of Treason" (exclusive to the U.K. edition)
The Man Who Knew Too Much narrative series
Horne Fisher, who appears as the lead character in the initial eight stories, maintains close ties with prominent political figures, granting him access to confidential political information that complicates his investigative efforts. His extensive awareness enables him to uncover injustices behind certain homicides; however, genuine perpetrators frequently avoid punishment to avert broader societal disturbances such as political unrest or war.
In "The Fad of the Fisherman," for instance, a Prime Minister resorts to murder to thwart a conflict provoked by a manipulative financier, exemplifying political sacrifice aimed at preserving national peace.
"The Vanishing Prince" depicts a dishonest police officer who falsely implicates an Irish insurgent in a murder case to enhance his own career prospects, compelling Fisher to apprehend an innocent individual to prevent a governmental crisis.
Fisher’s associate, Harold March—a political journalist—functions more as a philosophical interlocutor for Chesterton’s ideas than as a conventional detective partner. These stories are narrated in third person and are not bound by strict chronological order, permitting readers flexibility in their sequence.
Other narratives within this compilation exhibit stylistic resemblances to Chesterton’s Father Brown series but introduce different protagonists and plots, typically ranging from 20 to 30 pages in length, except for the extended "The Trees of Pride," which comprises four chapters totaling 67 pages in its original edition.
Film adaptations
Neither the 1934 film nor its 1956 remake, both helmed by Alfred Hitchcock, directly adapt the book’s content beyond sharing its title. Hitchcock chose this title due to his ownership of rights to some stories from Chesterton’s collection.
Additionally, the 1979 Soviet movie The Face in the Target () draws partial inspiration from The Man Who Knew Too Much as well as Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries.
External links
- Audiobook version of The Man Who Knew Too Much available at Librivox
- Access to The Man Who Knew Too Much via Project Gutenberg
- The Trees of Pride accessible through Project Gutenberg