A man of unusually large stature and dexterity arrives at a boardinghouse on the wind—literally—while its unsuspecting lodgers look on in shock. The man, Innocent Smith, performs comic, eccentric, and dastardly acts which are examined and put to trial by the residents and renowned experts. Lawyers on both sides of the question of Innocent Smith's guilt bring revelatory correspondence to the trial. In this fast-paced comedy of expansive proportions, Chesterton examines the meaning of life through the lens of the religious idea of the "holy fool." Innocent Smith defies all logic—but perhaps that's just what his new friends need. G. K. Chesterton (died 1936) was a major literary figure of the early 20th century. Their work has endured across generations and continues to be read and studied worldwide. As a work of classic literary fiction, Manalive exemplifies the narrative craft and social insight that defined great storytelling of its era. Literary fiction of this period was characterized by careful attention to character psychology, social milieu, and the moral questions that animated public discourse.
