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4harrisons's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting story. I'm not a great reader of fiction, so take my view with a pinch of salt, but the story feels a little confused until you realise that it's essentially an allegory for an individuals progress towards a Christian faith. So intriguing, different, and a bit odd.
crzydjm's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED this book. Once it sucked me in, it had me completely. I had no idea Mr Chesterton had this in him. Highly recommend this one.
pained_creations's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Imaginative and funny!
zahra_'s review against another edition
4.0
I couldn't begin to explain or even understand this absurd book but I enjoyed it all the same. Definitely worth a read, especially if you enjoy poetic imagery and amusing witticisms.
aliceofx's review against another edition
4.0
So as I was perusing the Recent Updates on Goodreads a book caught my attention – The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton. The title is practically designed to catch one’s interest. And if you spend enough time in certain circles you’ll not read a hundred words without someone throwing in a quote from G.K. Chesterton. So I decided to go ahead and read this book.
The story’s central character is Gabriel Syme, a poet turned policeman turned spy in an anarchist movement. The book is his attempt to bring down the movement and its frightening leader.
The full title of this book is The Man Who Was Thursday: a Nightmare. That last word is very important. My reviews are rarely spoiler free so this is one of the exceptions because how do you talk about a plot that has the logic and consistency of a fever dream?
At times it was very funny, one of the few books that made me LOL. At times it seemed like a philosophy treatise cross-dressing as a fiction novel. Themes and allegories definitely take the front seat in this book. And then there were all those moments that made you go “Whaaa... what just happened?”
But at the end I felt overwhelmed, like I’d just been shown something great and my uneducated mind missed the importance of half of it. Or maybe this book is like one of those images where if you stare long enough you’ll definitely see something.
So should you read it? Eh... maybe, I don’t know. This is not one of those books that I found easy to read so it would be hard for me to recommend it to anyone. But take a shot, you might it enjoy. But you might not so don’t say I didn’t warn you.
The story’s central character is Gabriel Syme, a poet turned policeman turned spy in an anarchist movement. The book is his attempt to bring down the movement and its frightening leader.
The full title of this book is The Man Who Was Thursday: a Nightmare. That last word is very important. My reviews are rarely spoiler free so this is one of the exceptions because how do you talk about a plot that has the logic and consistency of a fever dream?
At times it was very funny, one of the few books that made me LOL. At times it seemed like a philosophy treatise cross-dressing as a fiction novel. Themes and allegories definitely take the front seat in this book. And then there were all those moments that made you go “Whaaa... what just happened?”
But at the end I felt overwhelmed, like I’d just been shown something great and my uneducated mind missed the importance of half of it. Or maybe this book is like one of those images where if you stare long enough you’ll definitely see something.
So should you read it? Eh... maybe, I don’t know. This is not one of those books that I found easy to read so it would be hard for me to recommend it to anyone. But take a shot, you might it enjoy. But you might not so don’t say I didn’t warn you.
jamesrmarshall's review against another edition
3.0
A comic novel that hasn't aged well. It's dated in its prose and ideas.
hawkia75's review against another edition
3.0
This is one strange book. It starts out as a standard Victorian genre novel - a gripping spy thriller, but then, as the subtitle indicates, turns into a spiritual fever dream. Along the way, Chesterton's wit makes it a pleasure to read (even when you're not sure what's going on). One little gem: "Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it." It reminded me in places of "The Master and Margarita" because of the way the writers are able to evoke exactly the feeling of being trapped in a nightmare.
makoshark13's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0