As a Chesterton fan Manalive is one of my all time favorite novels of his and really one of my all time favorite novels. This story Innocent Smith seems to me to often be the story of G.K. Chesterton. Chesterton was a man deeply thankful for all things and would go beyond stopping and smelling the roses, but stopping and noticing he had two legs. This novel also reminds me of some aspects of his The Napoleon of Notting Hill in the court that occurs in the house. His idea of neighborhoods becoming sovereign translates in to the same for homes.

This is my second read of the novel and even though I was quite aware of how the plot would resolve itself, it was still great fun chocked full of Chesterton's wisdom and his view of life. Innocent Smith is such an interesting character who shows that he is not the oddball and the one crazy, but ourselves as we settle down to life not seeing things afresh.

I listened to the just released Audiobook version of Manalive as put out by Ignatius Press. Chestertonian and actor Kevin O'Brien is wonderful as usual as once again he acts as a whole cast of players and gives us a version of Manalive I think Chesterton would have liked.

As with most of Chesterton's books they are available on Project Gutenberg.