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joshknape's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this novel well enough, and would recommend it, but I nevertheless liked Chesterton's other masterpiece, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, better. This is a strange and mysterious story, with the battle against the anarchists being largely intellectual. I didn't understand the last chapter very well.
Spoiler
The key to understanding the novel (beginning to, at least) is to understand that there is no anarchist cell; the threat protagonist Syme expects to face does not in fact exist. All seven members of the cell except for the leader are undercover police detectives not aware of each other's disguises--meaning the cell is a mysterious facade. Only the anarchist leader is not an undercover detective, and even his true identity is unclear. The reader is left to wonder why the cell existed in the first place.dannisnik's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
emilykatew's review against another edition
3.0
pretty interesting, but a really weird ending. I don’t think I understand the message very well.
grytlock's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
pinj's review against another edition
4.0
I so wish I knew this book was an allegory going into it. It is the first of Chesterton's work I've read, and despite having totally been sidelined by the richer subtext and totally missing the point (unfortunately), I had such a fun time with this book.
As a fair warning, the deeper meanings of this book are only made apparent by the author in the last 30 minutes where things go off the rails. If I knew that was going to happen, maybe I would have better understood just what was meant between the lines. However, you can absolutely enjoy this book despite not understanding the Christian message by the end. It has so much to offer in the way of entertaining literature.
The best way I can describe this book is old British gentlemanly absurdity. It is very much in the vein of Monty Python where absurd interactions are treated with sincerity and lead to some truly hilarious moments. This book had me laughing in the middle of my work many a time. I can't stress just how absurd, truly bizarre, creative, and hilarious this book is. It is well worth the read and it will stick with me for quite some time.
As a fair warning, the deeper meanings of this book are only made apparent by the author in the last 30 minutes where things go off the rails. If I knew that was going to happen, maybe I would have better understood just what was meant between the lines. However, you can absolutely enjoy this book despite not understanding the Christian message by the end. It has so much to offer in the way of entertaining literature.
The best way I can describe this book is old British gentlemanly absurdity. It is very much in the vein of Monty Python where absurd interactions are treated with sincerity and lead to some truly hilarious moments. This book had me laughing in the middle of my work many a time. I can't stress just how absurd, truly bizarre, creative, and hilarious this book is. It is well worth the read and it will stick with me for quite some time.
hcchilders's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ben__reads's review against another edition
3.0
لم أر مراجعات عربية لهذه الرواية لذا سآخذ الزمام ،
الروايةة نموذج تقليدي للبدايات الرائعة والنهايات التي ليست كذلك ، طابع التشويق يغلف القصة مع بعض النقاشات الفلسفية الممتعة غير المطولة بين النظام والفوضى.
تجربة جديدة وغريبة ذكرتني برواية الغريب لأبير كامو من حيث تضارب المشاعر الذي يصيبك عند الانتهاء وعموماً هي رواية لطيفة عن الفوضوية أو الأناركية بمسمىً آخر.
قراءة ممتعة مع تخريب العالم D:
الروايةة نموذج تقليدي للبدايات الرائعة والنهايات التي ليست كذلك ، طابع التشويق يغلف القصة مع بعض النقاشات الفلسفية الممتعة غير المطولة بين النظام والفوضى.
تجربة جديدة وغريبة ذكرتني برواية الغريب لأبير كامو من حيث تضارب المشاعر الذي يصيبك عند الانتهاء وعموماً هي رواية لطيفة عن الفوضوية أو الأناركية بمسمىً آخر.
قراءة ممتعة مع تخريب العالم D:
joshchadbo's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
dumblcnde's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
rh_222006's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0