I really didn't enjoy this for so many reasons but I will keep it brief. The Basil Grant character was an insufferably pompous, mercurial in his dispensing of his insights, over zealous, moralizing buffoon. Meanwhile the other characters were largely idiotic 2D straw men designed to reflect Basil's greatness. As for the "queer trades" they were in the most part decidedly disappointing. Chesterton, in his (clearly declared in this work) staunch religiosity, conservatism and bull headed disregard for reason and science, was utterly unpersuasive. This work seems to have been written as an attempt to criticize Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes character and his dedication to science and reason and for me failed utterly in this object. I am sorry but archaic morality, intuition and subtle mysticism are not believable devices by which mysteries can be solved. 2/5.

I like it Vocation people get involved in that only they could ever carry out. A nice ending to the whole story.

This book is one of GK Chesterton's lesser known works, a collection of short stories centered around an interesting organization, the "Club of Queer Trades", which is a club made up of people who make a living out of doing things that nobody would expect can earn someone a living. This book is part mystery book, part short story collection and part social commentary. Chesterton comments as much on the queer people of turn-of-the-century London as he is commenting on the queer trades that they practice. And his detective/hero Basil is perhaps the queerest of all the characters, a sort of Sherlock Holmes style recluse and genius. The situations encountered in this work are fascinating but are not exactly relatable to modern readers, in this sense the work is dated. Still, I would recommend it for fans of Chesterton and turn of the century British works of humor.

Zauvek ću svima da preporučujem!

Not anywhere as funny as the author thinks it is, characters constantly laughing and much tedious morality. Once you have heard the first story you know where each one is going.

Se penso che stavo quasi per rimuoverlo dalla lista dei to-read per fare spazio ad altri titoli mi prenderei a righellate le mani da sola.
Chesterton è geniale e geniale è il suo personaggio Basil, uno Sherlock Holmes molto più sociale di quello vero.
Ottima anche la presentazione in copertina: Le apparenze sono sinistre; il mistero agli inizi della vicenda è dei più cupi e inquietanti; l’evidenza dei fatti sta lì a indicare che una mente criminosa è al lavoro o ha già condotto a termine il lavoro.. Citate il rasoio di Occam o Dylan Dog, ma il concetto rimane lo stesso: anche la situazione più strana ha una spiegazione, basta cercarla senza fermarsi alle apparenze.
Secondo me è ottimo anche l'ordine in cui i sei racconti sono proposti, perché portano il lettore ad accettare situazioni leggermente sempre più strane. Quando sono arrivata all'ultima storia, in cui Basil e un quasi professorone del British Museum saltellavano serissimi per il giardino, ho dovuto posare il libro e ridacchiare.

Another Librivox recording.

The Librivox volunteer was fabulous! The same volunteer did all chapters and was just one of the best I've listened to.

Here's the official summary:

A collection of six wonderfully quirky detective stories, featuring the ‘mystic’ former judge Basil Grant. Each story reveals a practitioner of an entirely new profession, and member of the Club of Queer Trades. (Summary by David Barnes)

The book starts off with the tremendous adventures of Major Brown that leads us to the first queer trade. Each chapter thereafter is a little story on it's own, detailing another queer trade.

The club of queer trades itself is an exclusive club where the members must have their own trade that is unusual and has not been thought of before. Also, they must make their living at this trade in order to join the club.

I listened to this while driving and doing chores. I loved it!

Librivox recording
Gutenberg Text

The first story is so good; it is probably understandable the others have less impact. Good, on the whole, if a bit uneven.