THE MAN WHO WAS THURSDAY

At once a mystery, satire, and farce, this compact book is difficult to pin down and is not what you would expect from the author. The plot revolves around anarchists involved in planning violent acts in Europe. Narrator Simon Vance is up to the task of guiding us through the book’s maze of events and relationships. His crisp British accent and superb characterizations are entertaining and sometimes wildly unpredictable. He uses what seem to be odd voices but then reads the author’s descriptions of the characters, and we recognize that Vance has made a smart choice. He’s also great at pacing jokes and setting us up for unexpected, but very interesting, proceedings. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 05/ JAN 06]