The Collector Collector by Tibor Fischer

Released: 1997

The Collector Collector by Tibor Fischer is definitely one of the odder books I've read lately; too bad the story took a nosedive, causing me to give up.

The Collector Collector is narrated by a bowl, which makes the novel one of a kind. The bowl is a priceless antique that has been in existence for thousands of years, and shares its history tidbits throughout the book. The bowl tells us stories about how the novel's current characters remind it of people who have owned itself in the past.

In addition to the bowl being the main character, we get to know a con-artist cum nymphomaniac named Nikki and an art appraiser named Rosa who has current ownership of the bowl. Among Nikki and Rosa are other wacky and zany characters who I'm sure just add craziness to the book's plot.


Readers who decide to tackle The Collector Collector must DEFINITELY be in the mood to apply themselves to understand what the hell is going on. It's not an easy, light read, and is disturbingly vulgar in some parts, especially when we read about Nikki. I will say that the bowl's vocabulary is top-notch and I learned dozens of new words just in the first 10 pages alone. I suggest keeping a dictionary nearby to help translate. Don't allow the bowl's vocabulary to be intimidating though; the words are so fun that you won't mind checking the dictionary for them.

Overall, the plot was just too busy for me. Best of luck to readers who decide to take on Fischer's The Collector Collector!