Manalive

This classic novel by the brilliant G.K. Chesterton tells the rollicking tale of Innocent Smith, a man who may be crazy-or possibly the most sane man of all. Arriving at a dreary London boarding house accompanied by a windstorm, Smith is an exuberant, eccentric and sweet-natured man. Smith has a positive effect on the house-he creates his own court, brings a few couples together, and falls in love with a paid companion next door. All seems to be well with the world.Then the unexpected happens: Smith shoots at one of the tenants, and two doctors arrive to arrest him, claiming that he’s a bigamist, an attempted murderer, and a thief. But cynical writer Moon insists that the case be tried there-and they explore Smith’s past history, revealing startling truths about what he does. Is he the wickedest man in Britain, or is he “blameless as a buttercup”?