A wonderful, fun, sincere portrait of an extraordinary Catholic saint.

 It was a nice introduction to who Francis of Assisi was but only in broad strokes. After reading this I feel like I kind of know the man, but don't really know a lot about his life. I just wanted more from it. 

Interesting sketch of an interesting saint. For my tastes too much ink was spilt on allusions, characterizations, opinions, and judgements; and not enough on the saint himself. 

 St. Francis loved God's creatures. Not creation in the abstract, but each creature in particular. I am sure that he would have loved our dogs. Indeed, St. Francis has inspired me to regularly remind my puppers, "God loves you." But, I digress. This work by G.K. Chesterton (whose name alone should recommend it) is not a proper "biography." He calls it an essay. One writer says it reads like "a eulogy for a very old and dear friend" (153). However we conceive of the work it is at least this, "an introduction for the intelligent but sympathetic skeptic" (153). Chesterton himself expresses the hope that "this thin and scratchy sketch contains a line or two that attracts men to study St. Francis for themselves" (130). I wonder, in fact, whether Chesterton's goal may have been even a little more ambitious. I wonder whether he might have hoped that by writing of St. Francis some might come to see Jesus Christ. He writes, "[I]f St. Francis was like Christ, Christ was to that extent like St. Francis ... Now in truth while it has always seemed natural to explain St. Francis in the light of Christ, it has not occurred to many people to explain Christ in the light of St. Francis. Perhaps the word 'light' it not here the proper metaphor; but the same truth is admitted in the accepted metaphor of the mirror. St. Francis is the mirror of Christ rather as the moon is the mirror of the sun. The moon is much smaller than the sun, but it is also much nearer to us; and being less vivid it is more visible. Exactly in the same sense St. Francis is nearer to us, and being a mere man like ourselves is in that sense more imaginable" (108-109). Could this biographic essay be as apologetic as Chesterton's better known "Orthodoxy"? After all, when Chesterton gave his own reason for converting to Catholicism he reportedly said it was because "only the Roman Church could produce a St. Francis of Assisi." Perhaps he was right.