# The Thursday Club explained — The Three Hostages

> Chapter companion for The Three Hostages by John Buchan.

## What happens

Hannay attends a dinner at the Thursday Club, where he meets Medina among other distinguished members. After dinner, Medina invites him to his library for a late-night conversation. There, Hannay experiences a strange hypnotic episode, losing several hours of memory. The next day, he recalls fragments of the event and grows suspicious of Medina, resolving to feign compliance while investigating further.

## Themes in this chapter

### Psychological Warfare

Medina attempts to hypnotize Hannay, using psychological manipulation to control his memory and will.

### Identity and Deception

Hannay questions Medina's true nature and considers that he might be an enemy rather than an ally.

### Loyalty and Friendship

Hannay seeks Sandy's counsel after the incident, highlighting the trust between them.

## Character check-ins

### Richard Hannay

Narrator and protagonist; attends the Thursday Club dinner and later experiences a hypnotic episode at Medina's library.

### Dominick Medina

Host of the Thursday Club dinner; invites Hannay to his library and appears to attempt hypnotic control over him.

### Sandy Arbuthnot

Attends the dinner; watches Medina with interest and is greeted warmly by the club members.

### Burminster

Chairman of the dinner; a plump, jolly man and former pal of Archie Roylance.

### Leithen

Attorney-General and member of the Thursday Club; a toughly built man with keen eyes.

### Pugh

Member of the Thursday Club; contributes to the conversation about missing people.

### Odell

Medina's servant, a former boxer; lets Hannay into the house and later escorts him out.

### Dr. Newhover

Mentioned by Hannay as a name that came to him during the hypnotic episode; Hannay makes an appointment to see him.

## Key lines

> I was specially interested in Nightingale, a slim peering fellow with double glasses, who had gone back to Greek manuscripts and his Cambridge fellowship after captaining a Bedouin tribe.

Hannay found Nightingale fascinating—a man who led Bedouins before returning to academia.

_Highlights the eclectic and accomplished members of the Thursday Club._

> His face, brilliantly lit up by the lamp, seemed to be also lit from within. It was not his eyes or any one feature that enthralled me, for I did not notice any details. Only the odd lighting seemed to detach his head from its environment so that it hung in the air like a planet in the sky, full of intense brilliance and power.

Medina's face appeared to glow with an inner light, making his head seem separate and powerful.

_Describes the hypnotic effect Medina has on Hannay._

> I was as afraid of the light before me as a child of a bogey. I thought that if I said something I should feel better, but I didn’t seem to have the energy to get a word out.

Hannay felt a childlike fear of the light and was unable to speak.

_Illustrates Hannay's helplessness during the hypnotic episode._

> I had got thus far in my reflections, when I recollected that which put a different complexion on the business. Suddenly I remembered the circumstances in which I had made Medina’s acquaintance. From him Tom Greenslade had heard the three facts which fitted in with the jingle which was the key to the mystery that I was sworn to unravel.

Hannay realized that Medina was the source of the clues Greenslade had shared, casting doubt on his intentions.

_Key moment where Hannay begins to suspect Medina's involvement in the conspiracy._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_three_hostages_se/chapters/v-the-thursday-club
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_three_hostages_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_three_hostages_se/chapters