The first American book published about Matt
Talbot (http://cnp.stparchive.com/Archive/CNP/CNP04041947p40.php) was Matt Talbot, Alcoholic: The Story of a
Slave to Alcohol who Became a Comrade of Christ’s (1947) by Fr. Albert H.
Dolan, O.Carm. (1892-1951). This quotation is from that book:
“What I remember best of
Matt Talbot’s story as I heard it first years ago is the astounding character of
the books he possessed, books found in his room after his death. This man, with
practically no schooling, read and digested some of the most advanced and
profound treatises of mystical theology. The lives of the saints reveal that
very holy souls with no education read books, the understanding of which would
require light directly infused by the Holy Ghost. Once Matt told a friend that
he was reading Newman’s ‘Apologia.’ The friend replied that a book like that was
over Matt’s head, that he himself had found it beyond him. Matt answered that
whenever he read a book he always prayed to God to give him light to understand
it and that he thought he received enough light to understand most of what he
read.”
Matt
Talbot also discussed what he read with spiritual directors (see http://www.matttalbot.ie/new-matt.htm).
More information about Fr. Dolan can be found at Fr.
Albert H. Dolan.