G.K. Chesterton
The Man Who Was Thursday (2001)
Author: G.K. Chesterton
Genre: Mystery/Suspense (Christian)
Plot Summary:
A poet, Syme, is recruited to go undercover as a police detective in order to make practical use of his philosophical convictions. Through a quick and unexpected turn of events, he becomes one of the seven members of the global Central Anarchist Council. Each member, upon induction, is renamed as a day of the week, with Syme becoming Thursday and the President being Sunday. However, Syme soon discovers that he is not the only one undercover, with no one actually being who they appear to be. While trying to sort out these identity mysteries, Syme goes from being the hunter, to being the hunted and back to being the hunter again.
Geographical Setting: London, England; French countryside
Time Period: Early 1900s
Series: It is part of a series. The other book in the series is The Man Who Knew Too Much. The Man Who Was Thursday can easily be read independent of The Man Who Knew Too Much.
Appeal Characteristics:
The book is both philosophically and plot driven; the philosophical, religious and political issues that are introduced and examined within the framework of the storyline and the suspenseful plot are what move the reader through the book. The intended audience appears to be those that want to critically examine their own philosophical, religious and political beliefs. However, the book can be enjoyed to a certain extent simply as a mysterious suspense, however it seems that the reader might be left slightly confused/baffled with the “conclusion.” The pace of the book is fast when the action is the dominant feature and slow when philosophical musings are the dominant feature.
Similar Authors: C. S. Lewis
Red Flags: A very few allusions to violence
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