Review of The Man Who was Thursday
July 19, 2008
I finally read The Man Who was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton. I say finally because it contains so many elements of great interest to my own character that I should have read it long ago. I think, had I read it as a teenager, it may have set me on the right path sooner. Or maybe I should say, it may have prevented me from stumbling off the path to begin with.
The book makes sense of things that I once felt were at odds, but never believed they should be. Why can’t a poet or an artist be less than reckless? Can’t one love God and his trees? Why should obedience imply lack of soul or imagination?
I struggled deciding how to write a review of this book without giving away the plot. I don’t want to say too much, but I can say that it’s an exhilarating and suspenseful read. It’s intelligent and yet whimsical. It’s political, but only as so far as to point the reader to something greater. It also seems clear to me that Chesterton put much of himself into this book. It shows in the characters and in their warmth and intelligence. And, as a fan of Chesterton, that made the experience even more special to me.
There are many elements of the story that I relate to and want to share, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who has, like me, made the foolish but unintentional decision to not read the book years ago.
SPOILER WARNING!
If you are interested in reading a far more detailed review of this book, please read
Lecture X: The Man Who Was Thursday By Dale Ahlquist. But be warned, he does giveaway some of the plot details.
