God's Fool

Up front, I disclose that I am neither a historian nor Catholic and offer these comments as someone who simply read the book. Green, an early convert to Catholicism, offers a simple rendition of the life of Francis. The book is well-crafted; easy to read and to keep reading. There is enough of the history surrounding the subject to position it in time and place, but the reader is not bogged down in the details. There is no offer of defense for the miraculous events attributed to Francis. Rather, Green simply describes them as matter-of-factly as he does the Italian contryside.Francis was as a young man over-indulged in its pleasures, but suddenly did an aboutface and spent the rest of his life serving God and attemping to remove ANYTHING from his life that might distract him from that service.The example of single-minded determination that Francis lived serves us all well. Were we to apply the same energy to our own pursuits, who know what may be accomplished.An inspiration to us all.

Paints a picture rather than lists his accomplishments. This book gives you the flavour of the time that Saint Francis grew in. A lot of books just gives you snapshots, this book goes into as much detail as the references will allow. It shows just how saints are meant to be seen; as devout people whom God decides to work through.

There are few books that deserve a full five stars as much as God's Fool. I love this book. Julien Green has written a compelling, thoughtful, and moving picture of St. Francis. Green lovingly synthesizes a ton of material about Francis into a story about what can happen to a fully human, fully sinful person when they are touched by the love of God. God's Fool was a joy to read. There are not many books that I have enjoyed more. I recommend it wholeheartedly to everybody.

This book is one of the best written about St. Francis of Assisi. Unlike many saint biographies that make their subjects so virtuous they are stripped of their humanity, "God's Fool" gives us an inspiring, human role model to which we can all relate. This book inspired me and countless others to become secular Franciscans and attempt to follow his example.

God's Fool brings depth and color to one of the Church's most beloved Saints. Julien Green does so much more than just describe the events of Francis's life. He describes the daily life of his medieval family, friends and neighbors. This, in turn, really helped me feel just how much Francis was sacrificing by abandoning a future of knighthood, nobility and wealth. I could feel the anguish in his mother's heart, the anger of his father's fist and the confusion in his brother's mind. This illustration of one of the most remarkable spiritual journeys since the original apostles, can be contageous. The desire to run to the nearest Franciscan monastery is almost overwhelming, even for a traditional Protestant