The Napoleon of Notting Hill · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G. K. Chesterton.

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Chapter 1
Dedication
The poem dedicates the book to Hilaire Belloc, celebrating the heroic and romantic spirit found in small towns and everyday places. It contrasts the mundane, mechanical world with a vision of eternal heroism and liberty, rooted in the poet's childhood dreams on Campden Hill.
Chapter 2
The Napoleon of Notting Hill
Adam Wayne, the Provost of Notting Hill, is introduced as a fanatical defender of his local district. He confronts the developers and the city council over the destruction of Pump Street, declaring war on the larger forces of London. His absurd yet serious commitment to the cause of Notting Hill sets the stage for the conflict.
Chapter 3
Book I
The chapter opens with a philosophical reflection on humanity's tendency to defy predictions, noting that despite many prophecies about the future, London remains largely unchanged. The people have lost faith in revolutions, and society has become a quiet despotism. Three government clerks walk to work; one, Auberon Quin, deliberately falls behind. He later becomes King and, in a whimsical act, puts his coat on backwards, leading a bewildered procession through the streets.
Chapter 4
Introductory Remarks on the Art of Prophecy
The chapter introduces the human game of 'Cheat the Prophet,' where people listen to predictions of the future, wait for the prophets to die, and then do something entirely different. It describes the proliferation of contradictory prophecies in the early twentieth century, from scientific progress to a return to nature, imperialism, and vegetarianism, and notes that despite all predictions, London eighty years later remains essentially unchanged.
Chapter 5
II: The Man in Green
The chapter introduces the setting of a future London where faith in revolutions has been lost, and a quiet despotism has replaced democracy. Three government clerks—Barker, Lambert, and Quin—are introduced, with Quin being a peculiar, nonsensical figure. They encounter a man in a bright green military uniform, a sight so rare it draws a crowd. Barker explains to a visiting Nicaraguan President that England has become a despotism where the king is chosen alphabetically, arguing that democracy naturally leads to despotism and that all men are equally idiotic, making any random man suitable for rule.

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Dedication

The Napoleon of Notting Hill

Book I

Introductory Remarks on the Art of Prophecy

II: The Man in Green