Friday, May 16

Fantastic Realism

In writing about the life and legacy of King Alfred the Great, G.K. Chesterton quipped, “King Alfred is not a legend in the sense that King Arthur may be a legend; that is, in the sense that he may possibly be a lie. But King Alfred is a legend in this broader and more human sense, that the legends are the most important things about him.”

Chesterton was simply acknowledging that sometimes that which appears to be most realistic is actually most fantastic and that which appears to be most fantastic is actually most realistic.

No comments: