No one is eligible to this club unless he has invented a brand new occupation by which he earns a living. The members include a man who offers himself to dinner hosts as a butt for repartee, another who guarantees to provide any commonplace soul as well as the more gifted, with a suitable romance. The founder of the club earns his livelihood by seeking out new members and has all sorts of unique experiences.

“It is neither here nor there; neither veritable romantic extravaganza, true detective literature, nor consistent satire upon either of those forms of fiction.” H. W. Boynton.

+ —Bookm. 21: 614. Ag. ‘05. 930w.

[*] “Clever and amusing as the stories are, the book is not altogether happy.”

+ —Critic. 47: 453. N. ‘05. 260w.

“Funmaking of the most fantastic kind characterizes the six short stories.”

+ +N. Y. Times. 10: 332. My. 20, ‘05, 610w.
+N. Y. Times. 10: 392. Je. 17, ‘05. 190w.

“Mr. Chesterton is undeniably clever. These stories are whimsical and ingenious rather than humorous. The stories are uneven in merit.”

+Outlook. 79: 1058. Ap. 29, ‘05. 80w.
+Pub. Opin. 38: 796. My. 20, ‘05. 80w.

“Utter and unredeemed extravaganza.”