Uhhgh. There I was, first job out of college, working as a receptionist, bored out of my mind . . . zzzz. So, what’s a bookgirl to do? Read, obvs. Problem: I had to pretend to be working. I couldn’t just bust out a paperback. Solution: The Literature Network, a nifty lil’ website with hundreds of classic novels and stories. Oh, yeah! I could read right there on the computer and everyone would think I was working. As I browsed book titles, click, click, click, I called my boyfriend and enlisted his help.
“This one sounds interesting,” he said. “The Man Who Was Thursday by Gilbert Keith Chesterton.”
I’d never heard of this dude. Or this book published in 1908. I read the description. Widely considered as Chesterton’s masterpiece … Okay, I thought. Masterpiece is good. I like masterpieces. Turn of the century London …okay, good …
So I gave it a go. Oh! Am I sooo glad I did! Fantastical, magnificent, fun–I’d never read anything like it. I didn’t know stories like that could be written. I didn’t know stories like that even existed.
At long last, the wait was over. I’d found my favorite novel of all time. It still is, years later. I’m pretty sure you’ll love it too!
It’s a cross between a spy novel and a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Gabriel Syme, a passionate young poet, gets recruited by Scotland Yard. His mission? Bring down a secret society of anarchists bent on the destruction of the world.
The story has a ton of delightful ingredients: a gripping plot, a bit of swashbuckling, a car chase, clever characters with quirky personalities, laugh-out-loud fun, shocking twists, and even a fancy costume ball thrown in for good measure. It’s hilarious, thought-provoking, fantastical, captivating, beautiful, phenomenal, surreal, thrilling. I could list many more adjectives, but I think you get the point: I really, really love it!!!
At 180ish pages, you can read it super quick. Better yet, you can take your time. That can be kinda hard, however, because almost every chapter ends with a cliffhanger, so good luck putting it down.
I can never get enough of this book. We have a long-lasting relationship. I reread it every couple of years to remind myself why I love to read, why I want to write, and, well, just for the fun of it!
Oh, and one more thing. It starts off a little bit slow, but don’t freak out. Hang in there. By the end of chapter 1, I was hooked. And I think you will be too, just saying.
Throw it on your Kindle or read it online. Better yet, buy a print version. Either way, curl up on your couch and get ready for, as our anarchic villain Mr. Gregory says, a very entertaining evening.
(Click the link below to purchase the book!)
