Defiant Joy

Biography of G. K. Chesterton

Defiant Joy is subtitled "The Remarkable Life & Impact of G. K. Chesterton". Although I was aware of him as the author of the Father Brown mysteries and knew him to be a Christian apologist, I admit I had never read anything else he had written. Therefore, I was delighted to get the chance to have a good overall portrait of the man and his written works. Not only did I meet a man in these pages whom I would have enjoyed knowing personally, I now look forward to learning more about him by reading his books. It is easy to understand why he has avid fans even today-- nearly 75 years after his death.

 I was pleased to see that Chesterton was the type man that could disagree with his peers, yet it did not interfere with his friendships. To have the courage to stand staunchly by your convictions in an unwavering manner, without compromising relationships with those who disagree, can be a tightrope walk.  He certainly had the respect of his peers. One of the people whom he had a profound influence over, especially in his search for faith in Christ, was author C. S. Lewis. Lewis already admired the writing of G.K.C., but said that "Everlasting Man" was the book he most highly recommended.

My favorite quote:  
"The wise man will follow a star, low and large and fierce in the heavens, but the nearer he comes to it the smaller and smaller it will grow, till he finds it the humble lantern over some little inn or stable. Not till we know the high things shall we know how lovely they are." ~G.K. Chesterton (William Blake)

Author Kevin Belmonte has certainly put a lot of research into this biography and goes into much detail of the literary works published by Gilbert Keith Chesterton. At times I felt a bit weighted down with many of the details, but I would recommend this book to any who want to learn about the marvelous G. K. Chesterton. This book, published by Thomas Nelson, is a 318 page paperback that is full of information!

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."