The Napoleon of Notting Hill

The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G.K. Chesterton is set in a fictional future England, where the King is chosen by sheer chance. Terrible consequences ensue when one Auberon Quin is recruited as the country's new monarch - he in turn subjects the entire city to ridiculous rituals and costumes, which thoroughly bore and frustrate everyone under his rule. The exception however is Adam Wayne - the titular Napoleon - who takes up the King's rule with a fervent devotion to his antics and tomfoolery. Battles and revolt ensues as the farce rises to a dramatic crescendo. Behind the silliness and humour within the text are some philosophic questions about man's place in society and the world, and the nature of respecting one's enemies. Although not as popular as Chesterton's other novels, this book established the writer as a commentator capable of melding serious thought with farce. Characterised by his easily digestible style, ready use and exposure of paradox, and his use of wit and humour to advance argument, Chesterton's fiction and non-fiction writings on the topics of human behaviour and wider society remain relevant and poignant to this day.