The Catholic Book Club discussion

1. Chesterton described his biography as less a true biography and more an introduction. Do you agree with Chesterton? How did you appreciate his approach to relating the life of St. Francis?

To me it is more of an in-depth reflection rather than a biography. The biographical details are road markers, and then, often in a long-winded way, he puts them into perspective. For anyone who has no knowledge of St. Francis's life this book is not the place to start. More than once did I think while reading it that I wished I had read one of the better biographies of him in preparation. I would have gotten more out of it.
What Chesterton does rather well is addressing the modern approach to men like St. Francis and how in the modern mind-frame much crucial detail is missed.

I see it as a character analysis. And yes, There is deep reflection. From other Chesterton writings, his essays and what I consider one of his most profound works, The Everlasting Man, I am awed by his ability to render both analysis and reflection in beautiful prose. The English teacher in me often has to stop, breathe, and admire how he can turn irony and parallelism into something lyrical.

The only other biographical information I had, beyond our parish grammar school, was the film, Brother Sun, Sister Moon. Our pastor when our kids were growing up showed it every Good Friday. For some reason I could never put my finger on, that bothered me. Maybe I sensed doing that trivialized the Passion? A better way to spend the day would have been the Stations? Those were held earlier but still....

Very well put, ladies! I especially appreciate Chesterton's boldness in addressing friendly non-believers, or perhaps those who admire Francis for all the wrong reasons and miss the heart of what he was about.
But it isn't a very comprehensive biography, and even the incidents on which he tries to shed light (from different, sometimes unexpected angles) seem somewhat distorted.
If anyone hasn't read the Little Flowers of St. Francis, that would be a good place to go from this book, not to fill in historical/biographical details but because it has a similar "flavor", though only accessible to believers or those willing even to suspend skepticism.
I love some of the ways he characterizes Francis, e.g. he knew no middle point between stillness and swiftness; once he conceived something, he acted on it immediately. That his actions were "always unexpected but never inappropriate." That he wasn't a lover of "nature" but of individuals.