Philadelphia Chesterton Society

Belloc's "The Four Men" and the Four Men Feast!

10/17/2017

Our next reading project is Hilaire Belloc's The Four Men: A Farrago. Published in 1912, this delightful book follows the narrator, Myself, on a walking journey across Sussex as he revisits the land of his birth and tries to recover and keep its memory preserved in his mind (and in the tale). He is joined on the journey by three companions: the wizened old man, Grizzlebeard; the raucous and ribald Sailor; and the wistful Poet.

All four men are aspects of Belloc himself, and the novel - peppered with hilarious tall tales, boisterous drinking songs, and madcap antics - contains deeper reflections on mortality, morality, and manhood.

The Southeast PA Chesterton Society will meet and discuss this work on Sunday, November 19th. The book is also the focus of the upcoming annual Greater Philadelphia Area Four Men Feast to be held on October 28th. Details about the November meeting as well as the Feast are below the "read more" break.

The book can be purchased in paperback from the American Chesterton Society in a lovely recent edition, with annotations and commentary.

It is also available in sundry formats from Archive.org including Kindle (MOBI) and PDF download, as well as full-text.

The Annual Greater Philadelphia Area Four Men Feast

PLEASE NOTE:
This is a men's-only event. For information on the SEPA Chesterton Society meeting and discussion of The Four Men, please scroll below.

The annual Greater Philadelphia Four Men Feast will take place at Ivy Hall on Saturday, October 28th beginning at 7:30 PM.

While it is not essential or necessary to have read The Four Men to attend the gathering, it certainly makes the experience more fruitful.

The Feast consists of a program that runs as follows:

Gathering and welcome.
The Meal - comprised of bacon and eggs, bread and cheese, and beer to drink: the menu having been taken from the feast described in the novel.
Traditions and toasts.
Singing of the drinking songs.
Bonfire and readings - guests are invited to bring a favorite passage from Belloc, Chesterton, or anyone else in the spirit of the feast, to offer to the group at the bonfire.

In order to ensure cost-effective provisioning and planning, we are selling tickets for the feast this year, rather than accepting the usual free will offering or potluck donation of victuals. Please pre-register thru the event page to attend!

For more information on the Feast, visit the website, and if you have questions or concerns please use the contact form there to get in touch with the organizers.