The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare

At first read, G.K. Chesterton's the Man Who Was Thursday is a zany mystery story filled with often surreal twists that turn more traditional thrillers on their ear. Set in a fantastic London where the ridiculous never nears the sublime, our hero, Gabriel Syme revolts against the status quo and breaks out as-normal. Yet Syme's normalcy provides the perfect foil to illustrate the insanity around him-and for Chesterton to illustrate the insanity he saw in turn-of-the-century London.