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marc129's review against another edition
2.0
I don't like allegorical literature, and I'm not particularly crazy about murder and detective stories, nor absurdist stories. This book is all these in one, so this clearly wasn't my thing. I can hear you think: "My God, what a dull person this reviewer is!", and perhaps I am. Now, I must concede there’s much to laugh about in this 'nightmare' tale, because Chesterton has turned it into a really hilarious satire. And certain action scenes are darn well written and keep you captivated, like a breathtaking roller coaster. But that is about it: the story has too many unbelievable twists, it contains too many slapstick elements, and regularly turns into an absurd grotesque. What irritated me the most is how ostentatious Chesterton inserted spiritual references into the text. Now, I'm not against deeper layers and even spiritual ones in novels. On the contrary, when it's done properly and subtle enough, it surely can be a plus. In the few Father Brown stories I read of Chesterton, this worked really nice. But in this novel all subtlety has disappeared and the references are way too obvious. Therefore, it is absolutely unjustied to compare this book with 'Alice in Wonderland', as is often done.
What is interesting about this book is of course that Chesterton has taken a group of (alleged) anarchists as main characters. In his days, early 20th century, they were 'hot', as the feared terrorists of that period (who successfully carried out numerous of bloody attacks on heads of state and government). I wonder to what extent this book by Chesterton was an elaborate parody of Joseph Conrad's book, [b:The Secret Agent|86658|The Secret Agent|Joseph Conrad|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1171075859l/86658._SY75_.jpg|3876535], which was published a year earlier, and which also poked fun at the anarchists, but in a much more serious way. I'm definitely going to give Chesterton another chance, but then it really has to be better than this book.
What is interesting about this book is of course that Chesterton has taken a group of (alleged) anarchists as main characters. In his days, early 20th century, they were 'hot', as the feared terrorists of that period (who successfully carried out numerous of bloody attacks on heads of state and government). I wonder to what extent this book by Chesterton was an elaborate parody of Joseph Conrad's book, [b:The Secret Agent|86658|The Secret Agent|Joseph Conrad|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1171075859l/86658._SY75_.jpg|3876535], which was published a year earlier, and which also poked fun at the anarchists, but in a much more serious way. I'm definitely going to give Chesterton another chance, but then it really has to be better than this book.
toedryer's review against another edition
challenging
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
5.0
catecardoso's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
christinahill's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
lastbraincell's review against another edition
3.0
Exciting as a detective/mystery story, with a few touches of humor, but the whole allegorical/metaphysical/philosophical/socio-political thing was lost on me.
I feel like a child brought to watch a critically-acclaimed play, and my only take away was that "the bad man was scary" and "the costumes were pretty".
Read for free on Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1695
I feel like a child brought to watch a critically-acclaimed play, and my only take away was that "the bad man was scary" and "the costumes were pretty".
Read for free on Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1695
writing_badger's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
penguin_emperor_of_the_north's review against another edition
5.0
I have occasionally read a book, watched a movie or listened to a song and walked away suspecting the author was on something. I recall joking about the books from high school that there was something in the author's water.
Reading Chesterton, though, gives me the opposite impression. That maybe he had the only clean water source on the planet and I'm the one drugged.
Now, if you're anything like me, you've reread that sentence three times and agreed that I am drugged but remain agnostic on Chesterton's water source. But I always walk away from Chesterton certain that he has a great point to make and that I've missed all but a glimpse.
That's not to say that it's an overly grim, dark and serious novel. The book is actually quite fun and delights in paradox. It's truly a pleasure to read but I still walk away thinking that I've missed the treasure Chesterton buried in there.
Reading Chesterton, though, gives me the opposite impression. That maybe he had the only clean water source on the planet and I'm the one drugged.
Now, if you're anything like me, you've reread that sentence three times and agreed that I am drugged but remain agnostic on Chesterton's water source. But I always walk away from Chesterton certain that he has a great point to make and that I've missed all but a glimpse.
That's not to say that it's an overly grim, dark and serious novel. The book is actually quite fun and delights in paradox. It's truly a pleasure to read but I still walk away thinking that I've missed the treasure Chesterton buried in there.
sarahetc's review against another edition
4.0
Be careful to whom you entrust your civilization. Man is smart and capable of reason. Men are fools and, in mobs, capable of great and meaningless acts of violence. Exempli gratia from this novel about radical anarchists: “Thieves respect property; they merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it.”
An interesting read and fast if you can catch Chesterton's flow. I never quite got it but liked the story, nonetheless. Many twists, plenty of action. As my Goodreads buddy Dan says, "The Man Who Was Thursday reads like P.G. Wodehouse writing from a Phillip K. Dick plot while on a Nyquil bender. "
An interesting read and fast if you can catch Chesterton's flow. I never quite got it but liked the story, nonetheless. Many twists, plenty of action. As my Goodreads buddy Dan says, "The Man Who Was Thursday reads like P.G. Wodehouse writing from a Phillip K. Dick plot while on a Nyquil bender. "
sydtravis's review against another edition
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0