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Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare
  
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Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare (Hardcover)

by G. K. Chesterton (Author) "The suburb of Saffron Park lay on the sunset side of London, as red and ragged as a cloud of sunset ..." (more)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Amazon.com

In an article published the day before his death, G.K. Chesterton called The Man Who Was Thursday "a very melodramatic sort of moonshine." Set in a phantasmagoric London where policemen are poets and anarchists camouflage themselves as, well, anarchists, his 1907 novel offers up one highly colored enigma after another. If that weren't enough, the author also throws in an elephant chase and a hot-air-balloon pursuit in which the pursuers suffer from "the persistent refusal of the balloon to follow the roads, and the still more persistent refusal of the cabmen to follow the balloon."

But Chesterton is also concerned with more serious questions of honor and truth (and less serious ones, perhaps, of duels and dualism). Our hero is Gabriel Syme, a policeman who cannot reveal that his fellow poet Lucian Gregory is an anarchist. In Chesterton's agile, antic hands, Syme is the virtual embodiment of paradox:

He came of a family of cranks, in which all the oldest people had all the newest notions. One of his uncles always walked about without a hat, and another had made an unsuccessful attempt to walk about with a hat and nothing else. His father cultivated art and self-realization; his mother went in for simplicity and hygiene. Hence the child, during his tenderer years, was wholly unacquainted with any drink between the extremes of absinthe and cocoa, of both of which he had a healthy dislike.... Being surrounded with every conceivable kind of revolt from infancy, Gabriel had to revolt into something, so he revolted into the only thing left--sanity.
Elected undercover into the Central European Council of anarchists, Syme must avoid discovery and save the world from any bombings in the offing. As Thursday (each anarchist takes the name of a weekday--the only quotidian thing about this fantasia) does his best to undo his new colleagues, the masks multiply. The question then becomes: Do they reveal or conceal? And who, not to mention what, can be believed? As The Man Who Was Thursday proceeds, it becomes a hilarious numbers game with a more serious undertone--what happens if most members of the council actually turn out to be on the side of right? Chesterton's tour de force is a thriller that is best read slowly, so as to savor his highly anarchic take on anarchy. --Kerry Fried --This text refers to the Paperback edition.


From AudioFile

At once a mystery, satire, and farce, this compact book is difficult to pin down and is not what you would expect from the author. The plot revolves around anarchists involved in planning violent acts in Europe. Narrator Simon Vance is up to the task of guiding us through the book's maze of events and relationships. His crisp British accent and superb characterizations are entertaining and sometimes wildly unpredictable. He uses what seem to be odd voices but then reads the author's descriptions of the characters, and we recognize that Vance has made a smart choice. He's also great at pacing jokes and setting us up for unexpected, but very interesting, proceedings. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
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59 Reviews
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4.3 out of 5 stars (59 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars On Thursday, Feb 22 2007
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Man Who Was Thursday (Paperback)
For a book that's as short as this one is, "The Man Who Was Thursday" is pretty packed.

G.K. Chesterton's classic novella tackles anarchy, social order, God, peace, war, religion, human nature, and a few dozen other weight concepts. And somehow he manages to mash it all together into a delightful satire, full of tongue-in-cheek commentary that is still relevant today.

As the book opens, Gabriel Symes is debating with a soapbox anarchist. The two men impress each other enough that the anarchist introduces Symes to a seven-man council of anarchists, all named after days of the week. In short order, they elect Symes their newest member -- Thursday.

But they don't know that he's also been recruited by an anti-anarchy organization. And soon Symes finds out that he's not the only person on the council who is not what he seems. There are other spies and double-agents, working for the same cause. But who -- and what -- is the jovial, powerful Mr. Sunday, the head of the organization?

Hot air balloons, elaborate disguises, duels and police chases -- Chesterton certainly knew how to keep this novel interesting. Though written almost a century ago, "The Man Who Was Thursday" still feels very fresh. That's partly because of Chesterton's cheery writing... and partly because it's such an intelligent book.

He doesn't avoid some timeless topics that make some people squirm. Humanity (good and bad), anarchy, religion and its place in human nature, and creation versus destruction all get tackled here -- disguised as a comic police investigation. And unlike most satires, it isn't dated; the topics are reflections of humanity and religion, so they're as relevant now as they were in 1908.

But the story isn't pedantic or boring; Chesterton keeps things lively by having his characters act like real people, rather than mouthpieces. From Symes to the Colonel to the mysterious Sunday himself, they all have a sort of friendly, energetic quality. "We're all spies! Come and have a drink!" one of the characters announces cheerfully near the end.

And of course, once the madcap police investigations are finished, there's still a mystery. Who is Sunday? What are his goals? And for that matter, WHAT is Sunday -- genius, force of nature, villain or god? The answer is a bit of a surprise, and as a reflection of Chesterton's beliefs, it's a delicate, intelligent piece of work.

"The Man Who Was Thursday" is a wacky little satire that will both amuse and educate you. Not bad for a book often subtitled "A Nightmare."
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5.0 out of 5 stars On Thursday, Jan 11 2009
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Man Who Was Thursday (Paperback)
For a book that's as short as this one is, "The Man Who Was Thursday" is pretty packed.

G.K. Chesterton's classic novella tackles anarchy, social order, God, peace, war, religion, human nature, and a few dozen other weight concepts. And somehow he manages to mash it all together into a delightful satire, full of tongue-in-cheek commentary that is still relevant today.

As the book opens, Gabriel Symes is debating with a soapbox anarchist. The two men impress each other enough that the anarchist introduces Symes to a seven-man council of anarchists, all named after days of the week. In short order, they elect Symes their newest member -- Thursday.

But they don't know that he's also been recruited by an anti-anarchy organization. And soon Symes finds out that he's not the only person on the council who is not what he seems. There are other spies and double-agents, working for the same cause. But who -- and what -- is the jovial, powerful Mr. Sunday, the head of the organization?

Hot air balloons, elaborate disguises, duels and police chases -- Chesterton certainly knew how to keep this novel interesting. Though written almost a century ago, "The Man Who Was Thursday" still feels very fresh. That's partly because of Chesterton's cheery writing... and partly because it's such an intelligent book.

He doesn't avoid some timeless topics that make some people squirm. Humanity (good and bad), anarchy, religion and its place in human nature, and creation versus destruction all get tackled here -- disguised as a comic police investigation. And unlike most satires, it isn't dated; the topics are reflections of humanity and religion, so they're as relevant now as they were in 1908.

But the story isn't pedantic or boring; Chesterton keeps things lively by having his characters act like real people, rather than mouthpieces. From Symes to the Colonel to the mysterious Sunday himself, they all have a sort of friendly, energetic quality. "We're all spies! Come and have a drink!" one of the characters announces cheerfully near the end.

And of course, once the madcap police investigations are finished, there's still a mystery. Who is Sunday? What are his goals? And for that matter, WHAT is Sunday -- genius, force of nature, villain or god? The answer is a bit of a surprise, and as a reflection of Chesterton's beliefs, it's a delicate, intelligent piece of work.

"The Man Who Was Thursday" is a wacky little satire that will both amuse and educate you. Not bad for a book often subtitled "A Nightmare."
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5.0 out of 5 stars On Thursday, May 27 2008
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare (Paperback)
For a book that's as short as this one is, "The Man Who Was Thursday" is pretty packed.

G.K. Chesterton's classic novella tackles anarchy, social order, God, peace, war, religion, human nature, and a few dozen other weight concepts. And somehow he manages to mash it all together into a delightful satire, full of tongue-in-cheek commentary that is still relevant today.

As the book opens, Gabriel Symes is debating with a soapbox anarchist. The two men impress each other enough that the anarchist introduces Symes to a seven-man council of anarchists, all named after days of the week. In short order, they elect Symes their newest member -- Thursday.

But they don't know that he's also been recruited by an anti-anarchy organization. And soon Symes finds out that he's not the only person on the council who is not what he seems. There are other spies and double-agents, working for the same cause. But who -- and what -- is the jovial, powerful Mr. Sunday, the head of the organization?

Hot air balloons, elaborate disguises, duels and police chases -- Chesterton certainly knew how to keep this novel interesting. Though written almost a century ago, "The Man Who Was Thursday" still feels very fresh. That's partly because of Chesterton's cheery writing... and partly because it's such an intelligent book.

He doesn't avoid some timeless topics that make some people squirm. Humanity (good and bad), anarchy, religion and its place in human nature, and creation versus destruction all get tackled here -- disguised as a comic police investigation. And unlike most satires, it isn't dated; the topics are reflections of humanity and religion, so they're as relevant now as they were in 1908.

But the story isn't pedantic or boring; Chesterton keeps things lively by having his characters act like real people, rather than mouthpieces. From Symes to the Colonel to the mysterious Sunday himself, they all have a sort of friendly, energetic quality. "We're all spies! Come and have a drink!" one of the characters announces cheerfully near the end.

And of course, once the madcap police investigations are finished, there's still a mystery. Who is Sunday? What are his goals? And for that matter, WHAT is Sunday -- genius, force of nature, villain or god? The answer is a bit of a surprise, and as a reflection of Chesterton's beliefs, it's a delicate, intelligent piece of work.

"The Man Who Was Thursday" is a wacky little satire that will both amuse and educate you. Not bad for a book often subtitled "A Nightmare."
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


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 		 Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars only 5 stars because it doesn't go any higher...
This book is definitely a nightmare, and one of the greatest books ever written! Although Chesterton said, "A thing worth doing is worth doing badly" I doubt he took that advice... Read more
Published on Oct 16 2007 by Nicholas D. Carvalho

5.0 out of 5 stars On Thursday
For a book that's as short as this one is, "The Man Who Was Thursday" is pretty packed.

G.K. Read more
Published on Mar 4 2007 by E. A Solinas

4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling setup, lax ending
Chesterton is indeed a double-crossing secret agent, for he sets up the reader for quite a fall in this novel of spies, anarchists, betrayal and backstabbing, and some readers may... Read more
Published on Oct 16 2006 by Krypter

3.0 out of 5 stars As entertaining as thinly veiled Christian allegory gets
When I was in middle school, I started reading C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. Somewhere during the end of the second book, though, I got the strange feeling that the book had... Read more
Published on Jun 13 2004 by Gulley Jimson

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought-Provoking Novel
Chesterton writes a fascinating novel that seems to be about faith in the end, although one would not have suspected that at the beginning. Read more
Published on May 6 2004 by Steve Fast

5.0 out of 5 stars Commentary on the Extraordinary
In his work, The Man Who Was Thursday, Chesterton grabs the reader by the vital organs and does not let go without leaving the reader breathless, intrigued, and starstruck. Read more
Published on Jan 3 2004 by Moosetrotter

5.0 out of 5 stars A NIGTMARE IN THE KEY OF JOB
The thing that strikes me most abut this book is how relevant it is to today even though it was written almost a century ago. Read more
Published on Nov 30 2003 by NotATameLion

5.0 out of 5 stars Bemusing. Spellbinding.
This novel is an odd sort of a marvel. It's a little bit of a mystery, a touch of a fantasy, and a tad of a biography. Read more
Published on Sep 19 2003 by Joshua M. Clark

5.0 out of 5 stars A Weird Masterpiece
If only all Christian apologists were as eloquent and brilliant as Chesterton. He never hides the fact, he never uses silly rhetorical tricks to try to convince you, "See, you... Read more
Published on May 2 2003 by Jack Fortune

5.0 out of 5 stars Genius!
A group of anarchists dedicated to the destruction of the world? Get prepared for a scary and amusing adventure! This book reveals in an amazing way the genius of G.K.C. Read more
Published on Mar 14 2003 by gonsil

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