Without any sense of hyperbole, I think it is fair to say it is an absolute tragedy that most Christians don’t know much about G.K. Chesterton. Chesterton was considered one of the leading literary figures of his age, the man who re-popularised Charles Dickens with his landmark book on him, the man C.S Lewis credits as having a huge impact on his own journey to faith, and a man described by fierce opponent George Bernard Shaw as a “towering genius.”
Chesterton was a leading authority in the literary world, writing breathtaking poetry and prose with ridiculous ease, and was also a leading Christian apologist in the early part of the 20th century - he provided an intelligent Christian response to an age dominated by pessimism and nihilism. Kevin Belmonte’s biography on Chesterton entitled: “Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G.K. Chesterton” seeks to introduce readers to a man that history seems to have tragically sidelined.
Chesterton, like many geniuses, did not really bother with formal education but wrote himself at a prodigious rate, at one stage releasing almost two books a year. He also wrote constantly for newspapers and magazines in his role as a journalist. In between all of this Chesterton saw it as his mission to fight against the prevailing philosophy of the age which was dominated by an overwhelming sense of meaninglessness - which Chesterton termed 'thought suicide'.
After enduring a very dark period of his own in his youth, Chesterton embarked on a spiritual journey that gradually brought him into Christianity. After that Chesterton lived his life with the most remarkable joy and zest, and became famous for the religious debates he engaged in with other leading literary philosophers such as George Bernard Shaw. Chesterton was a physically big and overweight man, and became a loved figure in London, renowned for his ‘large’ and joyful presence. Even during debates he would greet any personal jibes by his competitors with an infectious laughter that won him many friends. Chesterton also sought never to allow personal animosity to build up between his opponents and himself, and became close friends with figures such as Shaw and H.G. Wells, even if their worldviews differed sharply.
I would recommend Belmonte’s book to you, just because I think it is so important the world rediscovers Chesterton, but sadly, I don’t think this is a particularly good biography. After covering Chesterton’s fascinating early life, Belmonte shifts his focus to Chesterton’s books and we learn almost nothing about him personally from then on. While this was wonderful in terms of opening doors for me into Chesterton’s writings (and definitely made me want to read even more of him), I would have loved to find out more what made the great man tick. Belmonte uses a lot of quotes, including many from Chesterton himself, which enables you to see just why his writing gained so much fame, but also results in the book losing flow. At the end of the day, I would have greatly appreciated hearing more of the stories behind the man who was Chesterton.
Chesterton was (and through his writings still is) a tremendous gift to the Christianity, and I would highly, highly recommend getting to know him better. Belmonte’s book is a good place to start, but unfortunately won’t give you the kind of comprehensive introduction that is so important. For an even briefer, yet excellent introduction to Chesterton, try Phillip Yancey’s ‘Soul Survivor,’ which includes a whole chapter on the man.