The THOUGHT GANG

by Tibor Fischer

The THOUGHT GANG

book data

200 ratings, 3.92 average rating, 37 reviews (more data...)

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published

May 15th 1997 by Touchstone

binding

Paperback, 320 pages

isbn

0684830795 (isbn13: 9780684830797)

description

A black comedy in the grand tradition of word-drunk intellectuals-en-dementia, The Thought Gang follows the larcenous adventures of blackout al...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 245)

All ratings | 5 stars (66) | 4 stars (73) | 3 stars (43) | 2 stars (12) | 1 star (5) | avg 3.92

all | this edition

Tosh

Tosh rated it:

03/02/08

I bought this book in London (I think used) and read it on the plane. It went from my eyes to some place lost .... Nevertheless I enjoyed it, but maybe more for the idea of bank robbers who are philosphers. I like the idea of it, which is fantastic. But is the idea better than this book? Perhaps so, but nevertheless I enjoyed the read - which made the travel more... focused on the book then the plan delays, etc.

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Adam

Adam rated it:

06/01/08

"I smell a nosebleed."

I'm always a sucker for great(GREAT), smart writers doing really elaborate lowbrow kick-in-the-nuts/cheap pun type humor. And, TTG has more adjectiveized verbs than any other book I own.

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Brent

Brent rated it:

10/18/07

Read in October, 2007

recommends it for: zambonists, zouaves

Late in this novel, just a few thousand thankful words away from the end, the narrator has this to say: The virtue of self-discipline is a great one, and one of my cheif deficiencies, . . This could be the engine that runs The Thought Gang. Not its plot so much but its style. Fischer doesn't know when to let an outlandish metaphor lie fallow. Or perhaps he does know but ignores good sense. Either way, the result is cacaphony and my inner ear was hurting by page something-teen. I ha...more

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Dane

Dane rated it:

09/21/07

bookshelves: fiction-read

Read in September, 2007

recommends it for: Sort of ...

Tibor Fischer's novel Thought Gang presents, for me, a reader's paradox. On one hand, it is incredibly well written, genuinely funny and the plot premise is incredible.

Allow me a quick synopsis.

A terminal slacker, drunkard, balding philosophy professor/philosopher named Eddie (our protagonist) sets out to flee his native London in the face of professional doom and pending legal action as he is found naked and hung over in a room full of child porn (no explanation on how or why he is ther...more Tibor Fischer's novel Thought Gang presents, for me, a reader's paradox. On one hand, it is incredibly well written, genuinely funny and the plot premise is incredible.

Allow me a quick synopsis.

A terminal slacker, drunkard, balding philosophy professor/philosopher named Eddie (our protagonist) sets out to flee his native London in the face of professional doom and pending legal action as he is found naked and hung over in a room full of child porn (no explanation on how or why he is there is ever provided).

He chooses France as his refuge as W) it is not London, X) he speaks French fluently, Y) there is an ample supply of wine and Z) Eddie is something of a foodie and France is the place to be if one is afflicted of this.

Once there, Eddie loses his luggage and most of his money. While trying to check into a cheap motel, he is the victim of an attempted mugging by an ex-convict named Hubert. Eddie had nothing to give Hubert, and the would-be mugger then becomes a guest Eddie's room.

Note on Hubert: he spent more than a decade in prison for bank robbery after his get-away car was stolen while it was parked outside the bank, and he only has one arm and one leg.

Penniless, Eddie decides to rob a bank with Hubert's guns (against his urging otherwise), and it goes splendidly. Hubert is then enamored by his philosophizing accomplice and subsequently declares himself a study of philosophy. Thus, there bank-robbing crew begins, and Hubert dubs their duo the Thought Gang.

In summary, the book seems compelling. In exercise, it is something else. While the story has all the ammunition for a wild ride through philosophy and literature, the author often becomes mired in his own prose.

Admittedly, this sort of novel requires a length of narrative interjection, and I doubt few authors could pull-it-off better than Fischer. In this regard, the best thing about this novel is that Fischer wrote it.

In terms of the narrative voice, the worse thing about this novel is that Fischer wrote it. He is obviously a capable author, wonderfully verbose and very knowledgeable in the field of philosophy.

So knowledgeable, in fact, that his playfulness with the field of philosophy can easily be considered grand standing - which also does the novel injustice by bringing the narrative to a complete stand still.

This stated, there is something endearing about the Thought Gang and I'd recommend it to others ... sort of....less

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Jordan

Jordan rated it:

06/06/07

Read in July, 1996

recommends it for: Carbon-based lifeforms

This still might be my favorite book. The Lord of the Rings had more impact and Infinite Jest was more ground-breaking but those are the only books that are even in the running, which should tell you how much I love the Thought Gang. Granted, there's hardly a word Tibor Fischer has written that I don't love, but the Thought Gang stands apart even in that company.

It's funny, and sad, and it is though it's the story of everyone, although really it is about a broken-down, middle-aged Cambridg...more

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BFN

BFN rated it:

03/09/08

bookshelves: fiction

Read in March, 2008

recommended to BFN by: Bonnie McDonald
recommends it for: intellectuals

"I contemplate the possibility that I have an indestructible liver, one that will be a medical prodigy for centuries, and that long after the rest of me has melted me away, my liver will be transplanted from patient to patient, like a family heirloom."

This book was recommended to me by a formerly great friend. Though I'm not certain it stands up as a novel, it is an interesting stream of consciousness piece with some quotable quotes.

It's worth a read, but if you're not into ...more

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Deodand

Deodand rated it:

(review of isbn 0749395508)

08/15/08

bookshelves: europe, fiction, humour

Read in August, 2008

There is no dictionary that can accommodate you reading this book; you're just going to have to go with Fischer's context clues to deciper his stunning vocabulary. He does love to get it out.

I didn't like this as much as The Collector Collector, perhaps because I'm not a student of philosophy. There are a lot of in-jokes in there. Fischer is one of a very few authors I read that actually makes me laugh out loud, as opposed to going, "Hm, very funny" and moving along. Let's chee...more

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Andrew

Andrew rated it:

11/13/07

Read in November, 2007

This book sure tries hard to be clever, but only once in awhile was I amused by all the rampant wordplay and puns. The flashbacks are, at times, amusing but don't mean much to the story. The characters are as deep as Bruce Willis in Die Hard (not that there's any correlation between stories... just the first analogy that popped to mind.) As for insight, sure, there's some.

Over-hyped, but entertaining nonetheless.

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Kerstin

Kerstin rated it:

(review of isbn 0749395508)

07/16/07

Don't ever try to read this book on an airplane. People will think you're crazy on accounts of your random bursts of hysterical laughter. It's weird, it's hysterical, it's wrong on many levels and it uses the letter "z" more than any other book in the history of novels. In short, it's perfect.

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Chadwick

Chadwick rated it:

06/28/07

Read in January, 2002

recommends it for: all y'all muhfuckaz

This is one of the saddest, funniest, and wisest books I have ever read. A washed-up hack of a philosophy professor goes on a bank robbing spree in france with a hapless small-time crook, using a different conceit derived from the history of philosophy to structure each job. Hilarity ensues.

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V for Vivacious

V for Vivacious rated it:

03/18/08

bookshelves: all-time-favorites

Read in January, 2004

recommends it for: Those who like the dictionay

Really, really, really hilarious book. Have your favorite search engine rearing to go - filled with philosophical quotes and more z-words than you knew existed, you will truly expand your knowledge if not your vocabulary. All this while laughing your butt off!

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Marsha

Marsha rated it:

08/10/08

Read in January, 2003

This was really tough going for me. I feel guilty saying that because it was recommended by a friend who's artistic opinion I truly respect. I finished it because I had to. In the words of Randy Jackson "it was just aight for me"!

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Robbie

Robbie rated it:

07/05/07

Read in October, 2003

recommends it for: everyone

In my oppinion, the funniest book I have ever read. The basic jist of the story is that a fat Univeristy philosophy professor teams up with a one armed French dropout to rob banks using various philosopies.

READ IT!

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Brian

Brian rated it:

03/26/08

Probably the best novel ever written about a fat, balding, embezzling philosophy professor on the lam in France who embarks on a bankrobbing spree with a one-armed, one-legged petty criminal.

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Peggy

Peggy rated it:

08/14/07

A madcap romp involving a highly unlikely gang who commits robberies based on the principles of various philosophers. The characters are off-center and engaging and the plot is loopy and fun.

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Matthew

Matthew rated it:

08/13/08

This is my favorite book of all time. Were I exiled, this is the one I would take with me. Disorderly, abusive and pompous with a total lack of morals. It read itself for me.

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Ford

Ford rated it:

09/25/07

bookshelves: fiction

Read in May, 2007

recommends it for: brilliant funny people like me

Pretty terrific stuff. I didn't think I was going to like this, but it's actually really smart and really, really funny. A lot like Will Self, but less hallucinogenic.

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Autumn

Autumn rated it:

02/22/08

Read in December, 2007

Absolutely awesome! I'm now trying to introduce it to everyone I know. Hilarious the whole way through. Have you not read it yet? Get zet, people! Get zet.

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Marie

Marie marked it as to-read

08/26/07

bookshelves: to-read

I'm highly skeptical about this one -this sounds like a Woody Allen script in the waiting. Recommended by my brother and as such, willing to give it a go.

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Clint

Clint rated it:

12/19/07

I can't recommend this book enough! Ultra violent without the overly self-conscious cool of that Fight Club guy, really clever and witty.

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