The Man Who Was Thursday
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The Man Who Was Thursday
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Narrated by:
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Toby Longworth
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By:
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G. K. Chesterton
About this listen
Exclusively from Audible
Chesterton's allegorical masterpiece is a surreal, psychologically thrilling audiobook that centres on seven anarchists in turn-of-the-century London, who call themselves by the names of days of the week.
The story begins when poet Gabriel Syme is recruited as a detective to a secret anarchist division of Scotland Yard by a shrouded, nameless person. Syme infiltrates a secret meeting of anarchists who are intent on destroying the world and becomes known as 'Thursday', one of the seven members of the Central Anarchist Council.
Narrator Biography
Formerly half a double-act with Bill Bailey, actor Toby Longworth left in order to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. Now a specialist in voiceover, his prominent work includes roles in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) and Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999). He has appeared in audiobooks such as The Wolf Trial and The Lubetkin Legacy. He has also narrated documentaries for the BBC Worldwide Doctor Who DVD range; several of Games Workshop's Black Library audiobooks; and voiced the main character in the video game Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. His television work has included roles in BBC's Extras (2006) and Not Going Out (2013-2014), as well as Channel 4's The IT Crowd (2006).
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Critic reviews
What listeners say about The Man Who Was Thursday
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- S Wood
- 02-01-15
Unusual
Don't expect Father Brown. This is a philisophy thriller very much of the Edwardian era. A great period piece. If you like Wilkie Collins then you would probably get on withthis book. Very enjoyable and a nice surprise.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- NICK
- 08-03-22
A Cut Above
That G. K. Chesterton was a renowned writer and essayist becomes clear in this thought- provoking tale: his writerly touches in setting scenes; the thoughts which pass through his protagonist’s mind; the brief asides; and, above all the unexpected plot and its ironies. Nothing trite here, despite the excitement turn-and-turn-about. (I leave details deliberately vague). Is this a skit on anarchism, when their nest slowly depletes…? Or something much deeper, in the final face- off between light and darkness? Or deeper still in the Ascension of Sunday, who is neither… . His Cosmic laughter.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A B Books
- 29-08-22
Unexpectedly superb
Initially unsure what to expect from this read - possibly influenced by general ambivalence to spy fiction, this approach was fuelled by curiosity at its influence as a forerunner to modern spy novels. What an absolutely wonderful book, and performance of it by Toby Longworth. It is written cleverly, slickly combines story with social commentary and comes alive in the animated and skilful telling. A triumph.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Vivienne
- 30-12-22
So pleased to have eventually listened to this
I’ve started this several times over the years, and didn’t give it a chance. Today, being between books, I downloaded this free book, and now realise how witty and marvellous it is, nothing like what I was expecting! Very well narrated too.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 17-02-20
A strange, delightful book
Witty, funny, and with a lot of profundity under the fun. You think you know where it's going but you're probably quite wrong, and several times. I'm still not quite sure I know what to make of it, but I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- K. Spraggs
- 24-01-24
Almost sereal
surprising I always enjoyed Father Brown books this different the charectors are take into a journey where no one is actually what they seem. I do not want to spoil it for anyone whom has not read it .
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Asil Hindi
- 02-05-25
Amazing
If 6 out 5 exists, this would be the rating of this book 😅
Reads like Alice’s adventures in the Wonderland but for adults and Monty Python stories…
“You've got that eternal idiotic idea that if anarchy came it would come from the poor. Why should it? The poor have been rebels, but they have never been anarchists; they have more interest than anyone else in there being some decent government. The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all. Aristocrats were always anarchists, as you can see from the barons' wars."
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Adrian Clark
- 03-05-20
Multi Layered
I wondered in the first chapter why Kingsley Amis rated it so highly. That became apparent as the story unfolded. I could not have begun to imagine the direction we were taken. A profoundly thoughtful story. commended.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LMC
- 27-05-22
Unusual and delightful
One of Chesterton's best-known works, The Man Who Was Thursday is beguiling, delightful and sometimes very funny. Toby Longworth does a marvellous job; his characterisations are excellent and his accents a bonus. Highly recommended.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Dan Crawford
- 01-02-25
Wasted potential
I started out loving this while it was proceeding in a noirish fashion. The sense of humour and surreal stuff is perfectly balanced.
However, around half way through it spills over into something silly with elephants and motor cars chasing each other. That's when I tapped out.
Wasted potential.
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