Good For A Laugh

The kind soul who passed Tibor Fischer's The Thought Gang to me compared it to A Clockwork Orange. I can see the basis of the comparison in that the sociopathic nature of Eddie Coffin, its philosopher-narrator, holds the novel together as does Alex in Burgess's tale. But Eddie is a genuinely likable and amusing sociopath, which gives the work a flavour all of its own. I find myself thinking of P.G. Wodehouse as its most obvious progenitor, odd as that may sound. Its farcical qualities match those of the great Master of Farce in the English novel, and, like Wodehouse, Fischer is good for a laugh out loud on every page. To be honest, as I reached the final pages of the story I got a bit worried it might turn serious, and I suppose it did, but in an entirely comical manner. Not so sunny as Wodehouse, but certainly brightened the darkness.