The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare

G.K.Chesterton'ssurrealmasterpieceisapsychologicalthrillerthatcentersonsevenanarchistsinturn-of-the-centuryLondonwhocallthemselvesbythenamesofthedaysoftheweek.Chestertonexploresthemeaningsoftheirdisguisedidentitiesinwhatisafascinatingmysteryand,ultimately,aspellbindingallegory.AsJonathanLethemremarksinhisIntroduction,Therealcharactersaretheideas.Chesterton'snuttyagendaisreallyquitesimple:toexposemoralrelativismandparlornihilismforthedevilshebelievesthemtobe.Thiswouldn'tbeinterestingatall,though,ifhedidn'talsoshowsuchpassionforgivingthedevilhisdue.Heanimatestheforcesofchaosandanarchywitheveryounceofimaginativeverveandrhetoricalforceinhisbody.