Review: "Defiant Joy"

I have read a little of G. K. Chesterton’s writings, and I have bought others, intending to read more, but I had never read a biography of Chesterton until now. Kevin Belmonte’s Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G. K. Chesterton is an energetic and thorough overview of the life and writings of Chesterton. In fact, since this book is primarily concerned with his writings, I would call it a literary biography.

The format of the book is not unexpected: it begins with his birth and ends with his death. What was unexpected and a great joy for me, as I believe it is how biography’s of authors ought to be written, is that about one-third of the book is quotations from Chesterton and his works. This forms an extraordinary introduction to the life and character of Chesterton – from his mouth and pen. There is no wondering if the author has misunderstood, because he is quoting the subject himself.

Another highlight of the book is that Belmonte includes quotations from people who knew and interacted with Chesterton, which also adds to an understanding of who this writer was. There is no white-washing of Chesterton’s limitations and imperfections, but there is a revealing of, as the book titles it, “defiant joy.”

Chesterton was a man of joy because he had received the answer to the puzzle of the universe through receiving Jesus Christ. And Chesterton had a mind and a whit to interact substantially with his opponents, yet remain on good terms with them.

It was interesting to learn of the high regard and influence Chesterton’s writing had on C. S. Lewis and his conversion to Christianity. (I have read a good deal of Lewis, but hadn’t picked that up somehow...) This all the more endears Chesterton to me, as I highly regard Lewis.

The book ends with a chronology of important dates in Chesterton’s life, including the publication dates of his major works. Finally, there is a bibliography of works which one, like me, would find worthwhile to follow up on.

Belmonte’s book is very readable, engaging, and makes this reader hungry and joyful to read more of Chesterton.

[This review appears on Amazon.com and my blog. I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson Publishing Group for this review.]