Rather, most of the story is mystery and adventure. The opening of the story is not religious at all, and I think anyone who might be put off by the idea that Chesteron was a “‘lay theologian” should note that the majority of the book does not read as if Chesterton is trying to impart some message. Yet I would still say the great strength of the story is that it seems to be both an obvious allegory for humans’ relationship with God and something of an enigma no matter how many times I read it, I think there will always be something more to discover. Enough time has past that I’d forgotten the finer details of the story (indeed, for a while I pondered whether I had even read the book at all, but Goodreads confirms that I have), but the re-read allowed me the opportunity to see more of the nuances of the work and get a better understanding of it. I first read The Man Who Was Thursday about six years ago, but this was a welcome re-read. He animates the forces of chaos and anarchy with every ounce of imaginative verve and rhetorical force in his body. This wouldn’t be interesting at all, though, if he didn’t also show such passion for giving the devil his due. Chesterton’s nutty agenda is really quite simple: to expose moral relativism and parlor nihilism for the devils he believes them to be. Chesterton explores the meanings of their disguised identities in what is a fascinating mystery and, ultimately, a spellbinding allegory.Īs Jonathan Lethem remarks in his Introduction, The real characters are the ideas.

Chesterton’s surreal masterpiece is a psychological thriller that centers on seven anarchists in turn-of-the-century London who call themselves by the names of the days of the week.

The man who was thursday review