Perhaps the most light-hearted of all Chestertons works, Manalive follows the fun loving Innocent Smith who, after bringing joy to a boarding house, is charged with a series of crimes. Later accused even of murder and denounced for philandering everywhere he goes, Smith prompts his newfound acquaintances to recognize an important idea in most unexpected ways. In this delightfully strange mystery, Chesterton demonstrates why life is worth living, and that sometimes we need a little madness just to know we are alive.