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1 of 1 members found this review helpful.Mysterious Anarchy
“More than one hundred years ago in 1908 Gilbert Keith Chesterton wrote a mysterious fantasy called The Man Who Was Thursday. Sixty years later while I was a student at The University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin I discovered this wonderful book.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-11-04.
Part metaphysical, part philosophical, Chesterton's creation fascinates me as the policeman from Scotland Yard, Gabriel Syme, poet extraordinaire, battles with "anarchists". The conspiracy he discovers and the way that Chesterton tells the story is both mysterious and profound. While the story is at times dreamlike, even nightmarish, it also is filled with humor. A great chase closes the book, as if Chesterton were using the Keystone cops to make philosophical points. The novel must have seemed daring in 1908 and it remains fresh and compelling.” -
2 of 2 members found this review helpful.
G.K. Chesterton, Lost Master Writer?
“The Man Who Was Thursday has a terrific, somewhat fantastic plot. The twists and turns are headed somewhere, but the writing keeps you on edge throughout. The story concerns "anarchists" setting about to do some circa 1912 mischief; or are they?
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-09-29.
The writing in this story is simply fantastic. Things like "we came out on a full-moon lit night, which ordinary circumstances would find romantic; for us, however, the landscape was more as if lit by a dead sun" make the hairs on your neck stand on end. This is the kind of writing---evocative, provocative, eloquent---that is so rare today. G.K. Chesterton's style is indeed elegant, yet follows the mannerisms of the characters active at different points of the story. He always lets us in on that part of the secret.
The reading is, quite honestly, a little winding at times; stick it out. You will learn new words! I can not recommend this book enough. I've already given out three copies and sent another to my sister-in-law for her Kindle.
Whichever side of the anarchy/anti-anarchy, too-much-government/too-little-government, government-as-evil-controller/government-as-saviour you may be on, you will find comfort and kindred souls here. A masterpiece. G.K. is a master of the written word as well as of human thought and emotion; our current troubled times deserve to re-discover this great talent. I urge you to find him at [...] at once.
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0 of 2 members found this review helpful.
unimpressed
“I found this book to be very unimpressive. I know that it's supposed to be this great allegory and whatnot, but they story was mediocre and the ending, well I'm not sure that I'd call it an ending. In fact, I'm still not sure of what exactly happened at the end. Perhaps if I had read a better edition than the one I did, it would have explained it for me. Maybe I'm too dense for this book.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-09-07. -
2 of 2 members found this review helpful.
The Man Who Was Thursday
“A very interesting tale by an author who obviously was a genius. It is not a quick read for those who are interested in a modern spy story, but it is a well-written and thought-provoking allegory for the more discriminating reader.”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-09-05. -
0 of 3 members found this review helpful.
The Man Who Was Thursday
“This book which was written in the early 1900s is about a Policeman/Poet that infiltrates a group of anarchists who are bent on breaking down society. There is some witty dialogue and satire in this but for the most part I couldn't get into it.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-08-27.
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