God's Fool: The Life of Francis of Assisi

by Julien Green

This warm, richly detailed biography brings the beloved saint alive in all his human and profoundly spiritual dimensions.

Genres: Biography, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, History, Christian, Christianity

273 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 1987

About the author

Julien Green was an American writer, who authored several novels, including Léviathan and Each in His Own Darkness. He wrote primarily in French.

Reviews

[Dhanaraj Rajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and Half Stars.

First Admission: Prior to reading this biography on the 13th century mendicant saint by Julien Green, I had read one other biography - Saint Francis of Assisi by G. K. Chesterton. And it was a dense work with lot of rationalizations thrown in in a way that could disarm an inquiring mind. Other than that, I had seen two films on St. Francis of Assisi and had visited Assisi twice or thrice. To tell you straight, I did no have the complete knowledge about the saint's life. My knowledge was shallow as far as St. Francis of Assisi was concerned.

God's Fool: I am happy to have read this book on the life of St. Francis of Assisi at this stage. For besides hearing the hagiographical details and minor legends concerning the saint's life, the real human person of the saint missed me. I am as interested in the human side of a saint as the spiritual side. This book was thus a great help in knowing the great saint in his human and spiritual selves.

That is the great merit of the book. St. Francis of Assisi appears in his flesh and blood. It is not a hagiography in the strict sense. Yet, Green was a great devotee of St. Francis of Assisi (he had taken this name on his conversion/baptism day). So, a saint is not just reduced to everything human and mundane. The other element is also duly acknowledged, but the human nature is never forgotten. A man of 20th century, he tried to present the saint to his audience in an accessible way. He did not want to keep him on the far away pedestal, a person far away from the human crowd. He wanted to make the saint walk among us. He succeeded in it.

The language is lyrical. The chapters are short. The biggest chapter is 4 or 5 pages long. And they are not many. In fact, the events given in short stimulating passages reward the reader with both literary beauty and tangible saint. The fact that I had visited Assisi all the more helped in my savouring of the narration. The historical events and the main constructions of the city come alive in Green's word. His eye for details is very visible in his enumeration of the historical events. A reader is never left in the darkness. The reader is made sure to be armed with the sufficient fodder to understand the happenings of Francis's life at a particular time. I loved that.

To end with: It is not a typical hagiography. It is not a typical biography even. It is a creative rendering of the life of a saint, only a literary genius drunk with love for Francis could do. A Must read book for anyone interested in St. Francis of Assisi.

Some Lovely Quotes from the Book:

1. "Doesn't each one of us have the makings of both a saint and a hardened sinner?"

2. "It takes a saint to understand a saint."

3. "There is no defense against the assaults of memory."

[Padraic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in the middle of much religious turbulence when I read this book back in the 1980s. But its presentation of this most appealling of Christianity's saints was just what I needed at the time. Francis comes across not as someone telling you what to think, but as someone who keeps walking with you and pointing out the common beauty of the created world. To shun him would feel like a blind man kicking his guide dog.

[Laura Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book to prepare for an upcoming trip to Italy. I believed it would be helpful to know more about Saint Francis prior to visiting his basilica. I enjoyed reading the known facts and the legends of “God’s Fool”. The author, Julien Green, utilizes interwoven stories to present a comprehensive tale of the wealthy child and young adult who had a conversion experience that changed not just his life but the lives of countless men and women who emulated ( and continue to emulate) him. Mr. Green’s work clearly reflects his devotion to Saint Francis.

The book is more than the story of Saint Francis. It is a snapshot of life in and the history of the late Middle ages. The book highlights the ways pagan beliefs were still followed within communities. It also demonstrates how similar some of the traditions followed by the medieval church are to those still in place today. I was not expecting the book to be as rich in history as it was. While I was primarily looking to learn more about Saint Frances, it is clear that he was shaped by both his faith and the time and
place he was raised in.

I reside in the US. It was interesting to hear of the many travels of St. Francis and his followers prior to the time of automobiles and airplanes. The book follows him as he travels not just thru Italy, but thru other areas of Europe and the Middle East as well. Again this was an unexpected part of the book for me.

The chapters vary in length but most of them are short and highlight a specific interaction or part of Saint Francis’ journey. The writing style makes it easy to read a bit and then put the book aside to consider what was just read.

The book is heavy on history, much of which was surprising to me. I would recommend it for those wanting to learn more about Saint Francis, the early church or the late Middle Ages.

[Jennifer Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

In intermingling biography and lore, culture and history, and sympathy with academic examination, Green accomplished a beautiful and impressive biography of Francis of Assisi. In short straight-forward chapters, Green examines Francis' short life, from beginning to end, bringing to life the world he lived in at the beginning of the thirteenth century. The end result is a beautiful examination of a man and his belief--not only in God, but in the wonder of the world around him and in the goodness of people. More related to simple goodness than to religion, the book explores what belief means by centering on the transformation that occurred in Francis' life, and whether the book finds readers who believe or disbelieve in the possibility of miracles, it will find a way to touch the spirit of any reader through this straight-forward and careful depiction.

Touching, smart, and detailed, this book is, very simply, worth reading.

Absolutely recommended.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't often find myself so emotionally attached to biographies, but this one struck me. The graceful and simple language of the author does more for St. Francis's legacy than all the garden statues on earth.

[Zach Gortler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author makes one fall in love with this absolute lunatic. The 'Poverello' is at once entirely relatable and a complete alien, and the book takes you along for the charming insanity from impulsive youth to venerated (and still impulsive) evangelist.

Francis is portrayed as recklessly romantic, all heart, and deeply human. The major mountains and valleys of his biography give a captivating glimpse into an internal life/religiosity that is the antithesis of stuffy or legalistic. He is radical, simple, and bewitching in his love for God and fellow human (to say nothing of animals) - his joy comes through the pages. The author doesn't shy away from dark/disappointing/painful times and invites you into what the man may have been feeling at every point.

If you have even a passing interest in this (quite literally) poor Italian madman, you'll enjoy this book!

"Pace e bene!"

[BJ Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many biographers fill their books with lots of dry details that sometimes make the biography a boring read. Not so here - the author converted to Catholicism as an adult, and fell in love with the ideals and goals of Francis of Assisi. He writes the results of his research/pilgrimage of Francis' life in a series of short vignettes, as if he were having a conversation with the reader.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this! I found the chapters accessible and well written, and the author to have done his very best to separate truth from legend. I came away with a much deeper portrait of the saint than just the man who preached to the birds and tamed a wolf.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this slowly, but enjoyed watching the spiritual growth of one of the most well known saints in our day. I knew so little about this man. Green does an excellent job researching St. Francis' life and reports it in such a reader friendly way.

[Toby Brennen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"God's Fool - The Life and Times of Francis of Assisi" by Julien Green, translated from French by Peter Heinegg is a biography of Giovanni Bernardone, more commonly known as Francis of Assisi. I've heard the name most all of my life but knew nothing of his life story, nor what amounts to his 'saving of Christianity' during the early 13th century.

Not the easiest book to read. Syntax and structure are often a bit odd, probably due to being a translation from French. In addition, there are numerous references to the reader's assumed knowledge of Catholic theology and practices. Additionally, I honestly looked up more unfamiliar words than any book I've ever read.

"God's Fool" starts as many biographies do, the beginning, Francis's youth. The collected tales illustrate a young man who had worldly goals as most men do, including love of his mother, conflict with his father, and a cadre of friends he could influence. The pages continue through his conversion experience through the continual challenges he faced up until his death. The perspective is one that many current day readers will find archaic and anachronistic. In the end, the story of Francis of Assisi is about love - pure love, love of God, love of fellow man, love of self. [4/5]

[Br. John Mary Lauderdale OFM Cap · Rating 5 out of 5]

God's Fool is the first biography of St. Francis of Assisi that I read, and you might be able to tell it was quite impactful by the initials after my name. God's Fool made me fall in love with St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis of Assisi is a saint like none before. St. Francis knew nothing of lukewarmness. Before his conversion he lived in the heights of pleasure and luxury, and after his conversion he totally abandoned himself to the love and will of God. St. Francis did not seek to establish a religious order. His absolute radicality in his holiness inspired both men and women (and eventually a third order for laity) to leave everything and follow him. In the midst of a wounded and crumbling Christendom, a poor, holy idiot repaired it brick by brick (first, literally!) in accordance with Christ's command to "Rebuild my Church, which as you see is falling apart." God's Fool is a wonderful combination of being robust without being dry, and poetic without being flowery. I highly recommend this book to all who want to learn more about the life of this dearly beloved saint.

[Ari's library · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐

This book is a gem !

I red the french translation because I found it in an absolutely beautiful edition and, even through the translation, I swooned a little bit at how well it is written...I love Saint Francis so much and I feel like I learned to know him a little better through this biography.

I loved when there were citations coming from him, how deeply the author tried to depict and the context and historical facts he gave through all of it. I was also elated to have presentations and snipets of the first franciscan brothers, and through them I found new saints to cherish... There was actually very little that I did not love about this book. I, of course, advise any and every catholic to read it.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read, and paints a clear and enchanting image of one of the most famous saints to ever live. St. Francis lived on the edge: absolute poverty, absolute chastity, absolute humility. He suffered greatly and loved even greater. His presence was such that he couldn’t help but inspire people wherever he went.

The book is written in a form reflecting the subject - friendly, uncomplicated language, with lots of short chapters. Green’s love for the subject matter comes through clearly. It is reminiscent of a children’s fable. If I knew someone interested in learning more about St. Francis, I would point them to this book without hesitating.

[Michelle Toohey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used Greene's book as background to write my own historical novel, Moon and Stars over Assisi: The Women Who Loved St. Francis. Because Greene was so effective in linking the the Assisan time period to St. Francis as a man, I was inspired to do the same for the women in Francesco's life. I would recommend this book as well as my own to anyone looking beyond the books written to glorify sainthood to the possibilities of lives we can all emulate.

[Jacob Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read four biographies of Francis before this one, and yet Green's masterful rendering of Francis' life captured my heart like none other. While relating essential details about the cultural, political, and religious situations surrounding the saint in his time, Green applies the wordcraft he honed as a novelist so that one grasps why we connect so profoundly with the Poor Man of Assisi many centuries later. In the end, I slowed my reading pace considerably so I wouldn't finish so quickly. I didn't want to part from the Francis that this book portrayed.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up at a used book sale and caught my attention given the current pope's name. Realized I had little clue who the original Francis was. This is a unique bio, broken into short tidbits spotlighting selected observations, events, and interpretations of pieces of St. Francis's life. Can't say it was a great read, but it kept my interest. Perhaps as interesting was the illumination of medieval times.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, sweet, sad. I cried when he dies at the end (spoiler, sorry).

My favorite part is when he says, just briefly before dying, after years of mortification: "Rejoice, Brother Body, I am now ready to let you have everything you want."

Extremely human and extremely holy. Kinda like Christ.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was AMAZING! I was hesitant to read it because the language initially felt a little dated. But, once I started I loved it. I loved how well the history of the era was interwoven. The faithful believe of the author shines through.

[Sally Ann Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth reading. Great to get an intimate portrait of the life of Saint Francis in a lyrically written biography.

[Skybo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving it a five based on what I understood :) It was so clear and engaging I couldn't believe it was written before the Great War.

[Mommcgee · Rating 3 out of 5]

SLOW going but I finally finished it!
I feel as if I now know St Francis much better!

[Laurel Guillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the many bios of Francis and the Franciscans I've read, this one was the one that touched me the most and gave me the best insights into Francis's nature.

[Atwalys Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

La vie d'un homme remarquable, la vie du saint le plus aimé de l'église catholique écrit de manière sublime...avec une maestria certaine

[Marie-Jo Fortis · Rating 5 out of 5]

FRÈRE FRANÇOIS de Julien Green – finished rereading on August 14. 2023

In English the title is God’s Fool: The Life and Times of St Francis of Assisi. But Julien Green, an American author born in Paris, wrote in French. It is the French original version that I have read a second time. The first time, I read it with my husband Pierre. While the American title is a condensed synopsis of the biography, I prefer the French one, Frère François (transl. Brother Francis), simple like the subject himself, yet more mystic, more mysterious.

More embracing. Because for Francis, all is brotherhood. The wind is his brother, the sun is his brother, the sea is his brother, the wolves are his brothers, the birds are his brothers, his friend Saint Claire is his brother, the monks who follow his path are his brothers. Poverty, which he will carry like a burden and a joy, is his brother.

Because of his connection with humanity and nature and because of his dialogues with the animal world, St Francis may be the most popular of all saints, and not only for Catholics. He is the stuff of legends whom Green describes as a formidable presence that goes well beyond Francis’s era. That era is the Italian 13th Century where few can read, and many are story tellers who know no border between fables and reality.

Green guides us into this itinerary where he will try to find the truth about this personage who gets the name Francis because his father, a draper, admires France, a country where he often goes to acquire new wools and silks. Francis will later accompany his father and fall in love with the French language. He speaks it, he sings in it.

Francis’s early years show a young man preoccupied with elegance, good times with food, friends and women. Among the excess of pleasure and indulgence, there is no hint of the man about to remove his rich clothes and embrace misery for the love of God.

And yet this is the portrait that Green chisels like a sculptor working in stone, chunk by chunk until forms are revealed -- through history and under the legend. It looks as if what the reader discovers Green discovers at the same time, that everyone participates in the shaping of this little man dreaming of becoming a knight, and ending in a misery that elevates him yet further and into a nobility that belongs to the beyond. Francis’ humility is so intimidating and his influence so wide that he has been compared to Jesus. He communicates to growing crowds, he attracts enough followers to create an order, the Franciscans, born in the 13th Century and very much alive in the 21st; he meditates and prays in solitude and in the midst of nowhere, into heights and Italian landscapes beautifully painted by Green’s pen. While Francis and his followers (apostles?) repair churches and service people, they only accept food as a payment. They sleep on boards.

Yet this humility is devoid of modesty. Francis is aware that the heights he attains cannot be reached by most. It might be a common denominator of saints. While I read Saint Thérèse de Lisieux’s autobiography, it was clear that she realized she was one of the chosen able to get in close contact with God. Yet, like Francis, she underwent immense pain. What makes the difference between them and us is the way they suffer – in full acceptance, as a unification with the Spirit that leads to joy. Many would call this madness. Between madness and genius, the border is vague and on occasion, movable. So what do we call saints? The fools of God? Those are the words traced on the American title. How about the geniuses of God? The ones who have reached an understanding beyond our own comprehension? I like the latter.

In a condensed and passionate prose, Green has searched through a physically small man who became, almost in spite of himself, a saint whom we simultaneously wish to hug and in front of whom we must bow or kneel. He talks to the birds, but he flies too.
8.17.23

[Amy Moritz · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Ash Wednesday approaching, I was drawn to pick up this biography of St. Francis off my bookshelf. It's been on my "to-read" list since I was accepted to St. Bonaventure University (now about a million years ago) when I received from the Office of Admissions "The St. Bonaventure 39" - a list of suggested reading, both fiction and non-fiction, compiled by the university faculty. I've long wanted to read all the books on the list and thought of dedicating a year to trying just that. But there's too much I want to read. So we're knocking it off bit by bit.

More specifically about Julien Green's work. To be honest, I remember only the bare bones about the life and times of St. Francis -- his love of animals and nature, his rule of love, his simplicity, his poverty and his ability to make even the simplest meal into a feast.

This work gives a more complete view of the time of St. Francis -- what Italy was like in the Middle Ages along with the political strife of the church. I don't think I understood how common place war was between rival cities or the extent of theological debate, the mingling of pagan ideals/rituals with Christian ideals/rituals and the fear of heretics.

That being said, Green's work assumes a lot of facts not in evidence. I have not read St. Bonaventure's work on Francis nor do I have solid knowledge of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. Routinely I read next to my phone so that I could look up issues he brings up matter-of-factly as if everyone understands the intricacies of Catharism.

I would not necessarily suggest this as introduction to St. Francis, but I did enjoy the book, learning much about the times of St. Francis and quite a bit about the man who struggled against the politics of his time.

My favorite lines, the ones which offer me the biggest takeaways:

"Francis listened and then did everything his own way, or tried to."

"He wanted to save the world; in the end he saved hope."

[Donovan Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had a fascination with Francis of Assisi for some time and have only read a few articles that refer to him or those that follow him.
I found this book insightful and have a little better understanding of Francis. I find his desire to serve only Christ and to live in poverty a real challenge. The simplicity of his life was anything but simple.
The book's format was extremely helpful. Most chapters are small bite size portions of the larger picture of Francis. It was easy to read at a slow pace and at times quickly, since putting it down and picking it back up, even after a week or more of not reading it, didn't involve having to re-read sections. It built nicely and was easy to follow.
The author's bias for Francis was not hidden and that allows me to read and enjoy, and not worry if I was being secretly duped into believing something. Green was presenting the life of a man he revered. That was evident. What I do with the story is up to me. Green loved Francis. He presented him in that light, but not without showing the struggles of the man as well. Francis was not perfect in Green's eyes. Francis sought to be faithful and to point people to the God whom he served. What people do with us after we're gone is of little concern.
Anyway. This is a poor review from a Protestant who knows little about a man who had less, and more. Worth the time to read.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this the same summer I read An Arrow Pointing to Heaven, a biography of Rich Mullins that made me curious to learn more about St. Francis of Assisi, who had so profoundly influenced him.

A favorite part:
But what in the world did Francis have to fear? Without a word he tore off his clothes in hot haste and threw them, one item after another, at his father's feet--everything including his breeches, and, to top it off, the damned purse that he had simply brought with him, hidden in one of his pockets. Now he was as naked as on the day he was born. Naked today for his second birth.

[J. Alfred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saint Francis is sort of a hobby of mine-- he's one of the great characters, so to speak, in all of Christian history. This book is a poetically written account of his life which nevertheless attempts to be scholastically conclusive.

[Otto Schaefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on one of the greatest saints, St. Francis of Assisi.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my fav's of all time!