The Ball and the Cross: A Quick Read edition E-BOOK

Discover a new way to read classics with Quick Read.

This Quick Read edition includes both the full text and a summary for each chapter.

- Reading time of the complete text: about 7 hours

- Reading time of the summarized text: 18 minutes


"The Ball and the Cross" is a novel by G. K. Chesterton that delves into the clash between rationalism and Christianity. Serialized from 1905 to 1906 and published in 1909, the story begins with debates between Professor Lucifer and a monk named Michael. The narrative then unfolds into a duel, both figurative and somewhat literal, between a Jacobite Catholic named Evan Maclan and an atheist Socialist named James Turnbull. The novel is argued to be more sympathetic to Maclan, although it also portrays him as somewhat extreme. Similarly, Turnbull is presented in a sympathetic light, and the dueling duo develops a partnership that evolves into friendship. The real antagonist is the outside world, which tries to prevent the duel over religious beliefs. Many have drawn parallels between the novel and Chesterton's public debates over religion with his friend, George Bernard Shaw. The novel is available as an etext at G. K. Chesterton's Works on the Web and at Project Gutenberg. Dale Ahlquist has also delivered a lecture on "The Ball and the Cross" as part of the "Chesterton 101" series by the American Chesterton Society.