The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare

“The Man Who was Thursday is not quite a political bad dream, nor a metaphysical thriller, nor a cosmic joke in the form of a spy novel, but it has something of all three. it remains the most thrilling book I have ever read” – Kingsley Amis

This hilarious extravaganza presumes the existence of a secret society of revolutionaries sworn to destroy the word.

There are seven members of the Central Anarchist Council, who, for reasons of security, call themselves by the names of the days of the week – Sunday, Monday and so on.

But events soon cast a doubt upon their real identities, for Thursday is not the passionate young poet he appears to be but a Scotland Yard detective.

Who and what are the others? Chesterton unravels the fantasy in his own inventive and exuberant way and then uses this nightmare of paradox and surprise to probe the mysteries of human behaviour and belief.