DEFIANT JOY--Belmonte

DEFIANT JOY: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G.K.Chesterton
by Kevin Belmonte
Thomas Nelson, 2011, 318pp.
incl. Timeline, Endnotes and Bibliography

***3 stars***
[Disclaimer:  This was not a 'best book' for me, but it did contain some timely quotes.  My recommendation would be to skip this volume and go right to the source, i.e. Chesterton's own writings!]

Though he died 75 years ago “Chesterton is in many ways our contemporary, and our need of his wisdom, art, humor, love, and humanity is as great as that of the age in which he lived—perhaps greater.”  Belmonte has written this thoroughly researched review of Chesterton’s life and works in hopes of encouraging a new generation of readers, particularly scholars, to study Chesterton’s life and writings.

After a brief glimpse of his early life and emergence from agnostic despair to belief in a personal God, Belmonte begins his ‘surveys’ of Chesterton’s most influential writing including a sampling from his critical biographies, literary essays, poetry, and well-known books: Heretics, Orthodoxy and the famous detective Father Brown series.  The author’s extensive use of quotations from past reviewers mark this book as more of a critical biography than one for the average reader.

This is not an easy read and was not the human interest type of biography that I was expecting based on the title. I would likely not have read it in its entirety had I not promised BookSneeze to review this complimentary copy on behalf of the publisher. However, my copy is underlined throughout—I just couldn’t get enough of the wit, wisdom and childlike wonder G.K. Chesterton exuded. His use of paradox to make an idea clear is outstanding.

This joyful and rather eccentric genius was admired even by his opponents because his critiques were winsome.  This type of respectful debate is rare in our day and I’m hooked.  I’ll definitely be digging into Chesterton’s own writing, likely beginning with Orthodoxy—his own philosophical journey to belief in the Christian faith.  So perhaps in a round-a-bout way this book has accomplished its purpose despite its deliberately academic pace.  Chesterton’s tantalizing words, even in snippets,  have done their work—no further introduction needed.  I would recommend this book only to readers with interest in literary critique.  Want to know Chesterton?  Go straight to the source.
--DW