I struggled to get through this. I think Chesterton expresses the ideas he espouses here (in heavy-handed moral fiction) better in other writings, particularly Heretics. The localism/patriotism was cool, but nothing I haven't seen elsewhere in his works. However I do think this is his first novel, so I'm willing to give him some grace. It was a necessary step on my journey toward reading everything he's written (ha. maybe before I die?).