G.K. Chesterton, also commonly referred to as the prince of paradox, was a legendary British writer in the early twentieth century. Chesterton was a very prolific author and his writing is distinguished due to its sharp wit. Chesterton's books cover a wide arrange of topics but his most famous works centered around religious topics and the short stories on the priest-detective Father Brown. Manalive, published in 1912, is a mystery novel with the themes of Christianity and philosophy. The book centers around a group of young people pitted against Mr. Innocent Smith, an energetic gentleman.