The Club of Queer Trades

The Club of Queer Trades

by G. K. Chesterton

A Collection of Short Stories

The Club of Queer Trades is a collection of stories by G. K. Chesterton first published in 1905.

Each story in the collection is centered on a person who is making his living by some novel and extraordinary means (a "queer trade," using the word "queer" in the sense of "peculiar"). To gain admittance one must have invented a unique means of earning a living and the subsequent trade being the main source of income.

The Narrator, Charlie "Cherub" Swinburne.

The framing narrative by "Cherub" Swinburne describes his quest for The Club of Queer Trades with his friend Basil Grant, a retired judge, and Rupert Grant, a private detective who is Basil's younger brother. Each of the stories describes their encounter with one of the trades.

Contents

Chapter 1. The Tremendous Adventures of Major Brown
Chapter 2. The Painful Fall of a Great Reputation
Chapter 3. The Awful Reason of the Vicar's Visit
Chapter 4. The Singular Speculation of the House-Agent
Chapter 5. The Noticeable Conduct of Professor Chadd
Chapter 6. The Eccentric Seclusion of the Old Lady