Saturday, February 26, 2011

So much missing

Defiant Joy, by Kevin Belmonte

It seems as though the growing interest among Protestants for more ancient Christian traditions has grown beyond the subtle religious symbolism of Tolkien and the quiet Catholocism of Lewis into the realm of Chesterton's bold religious affections. Orthodoxy is quoted in increasing frequency among the so-called "emergent movement," and a few of these authors are going so far as to list Chesterton among the most influential in their theology. Mr. Belmonte's work is a fair treatment of Chesterton's corpus, but sadly lacking in all that it leaves unsaid.

If you're simply looking for a biography out of casual curiosity (as I was), then this is a good introduction to the man in context. Everything you hope to find in a well written biography is present: date of birth, parentage, early education, rise to stardom among the literati, great works, and ultimate repose. You will see in this book a collection of quotation, strong support for the reputation carried by Chesterton among Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox. What you will not discover is a well crafted biography of the type Chesterton, his contemporaries, or even David McCullough have presented to the literate populace.

Mr. Belmonte's true weakness is that he has written his biography as though it were an undergraduate research paper. Everything is there to get an excellent grade in English Lit 401. He has a clear thesis statement, heavily annotated, and lots of hefty quotations. This has all been said by previous reviewers of this book. The strength of this particular work is that it introduces a very important figure in English (not only religious) literature.

Chesterton's influence is still being felt across the globe, and for the uninitiated, this is a good introduction to this great giant. Read this book, but don't stop here. Find other, more scholarly biographies and read them. More importantly, read the man himself! Both his fiction and non-fiction works are edifying, challenging, and a delight to the senses! Treat this book as a casual introduction at a cocktail party which leads to a lifelong friendship with one of the true literary brains of the 20th century.


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