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Office Party
Very near fine in a like dustjacket (remainder line) Hardcover first edition - New Linden Press / Simon & Schuster,, 1981.. Hardcover first edition -. Very near fine in a like dustjacket (remainder line). First printing. The author's first novel, a simple but terrifying story. Four people are working overtime on the day after Thanksgiving, when one of them, a quiet, self-effacing 46 year old, takes his three co-workers hostage. 240 pp.
235 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1981
133 people want to read
About the author
Michael A. Gilbert
6 books2 followersDr. Michael A. Gilbert is Professor of Philosophy at York University in Toronto, Canada. He is the author of Coalescent Argumentation (1979), as well as two novels and numerous scholarly articles.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 9, 2021
It's Black Friday, 1981. A third floor office. The boss is pouring Sanka into an orange plastic zarf in the kitchenette. The whole office is decorated in shades of brown. Brown wooden panelling from when the building was erected in the late 50s. Brown industrial carpeting. Brown ashtrays and brown cigarette burns on the brown desks. Wide brown ties. Brown hair combed over the shiny scalp of a thinning forehead, brown sideburns peppered with gray, and brown wings of unkempt locks curled out from above the ears and the back of the collar. The chrome orbs of typewriters bobble away, tapping out the next interoffice memo. The whole place smells of Kools, Brute, and pages fresh off the ditto machine.
This is the scene inside Felton Products in Mattsfield, Ohio, where four employees are working through the Thanksgiving holiday, and one of them is planning to commit a crime. Unbeknownst to his colleagues, the one exit door has been chained with a bicycle lock and in a bulky suitcase at the back of his cubicle, unimposing and gentle Gene Brackin is hiding a pistol and a rifle. But by the time everyone will be punching their time cards, they will learn that they are all Brackin's prisoners.
This gritty thriller was marketed as a horror novel and appeared in Grady Hendrix's "Paperbacks From Hell," and perhaps that is why this book has gotten some mediocre to negative reviews lately. Fans of mass market horrors will be disappointed by this rather quirky and darkly comedic crime drama. There's no serial killer, no demonic forces, no supernatural threat, no brain-eating zombies, no evil dolls, no creepy children, and no sexy vampires. The whole novel takes place entirely in one office and in the parking lot below, where the deputy sheriff runs his negotiations for release of the hostages from a trailer. The vast majority of the story examines the interactions between very different people in the face of threat, how traditional roles get turned on their head by stress, and how politics and the media impact not only perceptions but the outcomes of crisis situations.
So for a full 2/3 of the novel, we are treated to some delightful dialogue between Brackin and his three hostages over the course of just a few days. The whole thing has a Tarantino vibe, with key character development occuring in very nonchalant chitchat while under the sword of Damocles. The result is a suspense-filled psychological drama that I enjoyed immensely. Parallels can be seen to the film "Dog Day Afternoon" featuring Al Pacino. But making it even more captivating is that one of the hostages is perhaps even more disturbed than the guy with the guns.
As short as it is, my main complaint about this book is that there seems to be too much unnecessary filler, which takes the form of characters repeating the same things over and over in different chapters.
"He wouldn't really harm anyone, would he?"
"You can't ever underestimate these kooks."
"But he promised to not hurt anyone."
"But he's crazy."
"I don't think he'll hurt anyone."
"You're crazy."
And on, and on, and on, with multiple variations. Depending on your patience, this sort of thing certainly knocks this book down a star or two.
But overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem that screams to be realized on the screen by a modern talented amateur filmmaker. In fact, it has already been made into the 1988 thriller "Hostile Takeover" starring the awesome Michael Ironside, which I hadn't heard of before discovering this book.
If you find a copy during one of your browsing moments online or in your local bookstore, I would advise you to not hesitate giving it a purchase and a read. Most copies of titles featured in "Paperbacks From Hell" go for a pretty penny these days, but "Office Party" had a good enough run that there are still plenty of affordable copies available wherever books are sold. I was able to get the hardcover edition in prestige condition for only a buck. Happy hunting!
This is the scene inside Felton Products in Mattsfield, Ohio, where four employees are working through the Thanksgiving holiday, and one of them is planning to commit a crime. Unbeknownst to his colleagues, the one exit door has been chained with a bicycle lock and in a bulky suitcase at the back of his cubicle, unimposing and gentle Gene Brackin is hiding a pistol and a rifle. But by the time everyone will be punching their time cards, they will learn that they are all Brackin's prisoners.
This gritty thriller was marketed as a horror novel and appeared in Grady Hendrix's "Paperbacks From Hell," and perhaps that is why this book has gotten some mediocre to negative reviews lately. Fans of mass market horrors will be disappointed by this rather quirky and darkly comedic crime drama. There's no serial killer, no demonic forces, no supernatural threat, no brain-eating zombies, no evil dolls, no creepy children, and no sexy vampires. The whole novel takes place entirely in one office and in the parking lot below, where the deputy sheriff runs his negotiations for release of the hostages from a trailer. The vast majority of the story examines the interactions between very different people in the face of threat, how traditional roles get turned on their head by stress, and how politics and the media impact not only perceptions but the outcomes of crisis situations.
So for a full 2/3 of the novel, we are treated to some delightful dialogue between Brackin and his three hostages over the course of just a few days. The whole thing has a Tarantino vibe, with key character development occuring in very nonchalant chitchat while under the sword of Damocles. The result is a suspense-filled psychological drama that I enjoyed immensely. Parallels can be seen to the film "Dog Day Afternoon" featuring Al Pacino. But making it even more captivating is that one of the hostages is perhaps even more disturbed than the guy with the guns.
As short as it is, my main complaint about this book is that there seems to be too much unnecessary filler, which takes the form of characters repeating the same things over and over in different chapters.
"He wouldn't really harm anyone, would he?"
"You can't ever underestimate these kooks."
"But he promised to not hurt anyone."
"But he's crazy."
"I don't think he'll hurt anyone."
"You're crazy."
And on, and on, and on, with multiple variations. Depending on your patience, this sort of thing certainly knocks this book down a star or two.
But overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem that screams to be realized on the screen by a modern talented amateur filmmaker. In fact, it has already been made into the 1988 thriller "Hostile Takeover" starring the awesome Michael Ironside, which I hadn't heard of before discovering this book.
If you find a copy during one of your browsing moments online or in your local bookstore, I would advise you to not hesitate giving it a purchase and a read. Most copies of titles featured in "Paperbacks From Hell" go for a pretty penny these days, but "Office Party" had a good enough run that there are still plenty of affordable copies available wherever books are sold. I was able to get the hardcover edition in prestige condition for only a buck. Happy hunting!
June 1, 2025
I know Grady Hendrix and company deemed this a paperback from hell, but I would call it a phycological thriller with a touch of philosophy, befitting the author, a professor of philosophy. On the Friday after Thanksgiving in a small town in Ohio, one Eugene Brackin locked the door, pulled out a gun, and declared his three co-workers (one his boss) were now his hostages. The cops soon became involved, barricading the factory and then entering into negotiations with Eugene.
Neat setup for sure. Well, what does Eugene want? He tells the cops nothing, in that he wants nothing. When will he free the hostages? 'Sometime later'. So what is going on here? Gilbert gives us a plunge into nihilistic alienation here and that folks may best sum this book up. Gilbert has no friends, always seen as rather mousey to his co-workers. At 47 or so, he has made very little of his life, rents a two room flat in town, and has worked at the place for 8 years or so. He planned the hostage situation carefully for about a year and then put it into action. Why? Just something he needed to do.
The hostages are an interesting group for sure. The boss, Lawrence, recently transferred from NYC (bit of a story that!) comes off as an asshole for sure. The administrative assistant, age 62 or so, never really had a handle on Eugene, but she is a pro for sure. The final hostage, Sally, works as a junior Vice President at the plant, and would have been the boss if Lawrence did not get fobbed off to Ohio. We learn quite a bit about all three during their time together if you will! The rest of the cast consists of cops and some local big wigs like the mayor.
What was the point of the novel? I am not sure really. A reflection on life in the early neoliberal era? (This was published in 1981). Lots of dashed hopes and sour reflections on life for sure among all the characters. Eugene is the enigma for sure. Why did he do this? Power? Gilbert never really provides an answer. A quick, funky read that more philosophical minded readers may enjoy, but if you come here for horror, you will probably be disappointed. 3 strange stars.
Neat setup for sure. Well, what does Eugene want? He tells the cops nothing, in that he wants nothing. When will he free the hostages? 'Sometime later'. So what is going on here? Gilbert gives us a plunge into nihilistic alienation here and that folks may best sum this book up. Gilbert has no friends, always seen as rather mousey to his co-workers. At 47 or so, he has made very little of his life, rents a two room flat in town, and has worked at the place for 8 years or so. He planned the hostage situation carefully for about a year and then put it into action. Why? Just something he needed to do.
The hostages are an interesting group for sure. The boss, Lawrence, recently transferred from NYC (bit of a story that!) comes off as an asshole for sure. The administrative assistant, age 62 or so, never really had a handle on Eugene, but she is a pro for sure. The final hostage, Sally, works as a junior Vice President at the plant, and would have been the boss if Lawrence did not get fobbed off to Ohio. We learn quite a bit about all three during their time together if you will! The rest of the cast consists of cops and some local big wigs like the mayor.
What was the point of the novel? I am not sure really. A reflection on life in the early neoliberal era? (This was published in 1981). Lots of dashed hopes and sour reflections on life for sure among all the characters. Eugene is the enigma for sure. Why did he do this? Power? Gilbert never really provides an answer. A quick, funky read that more philosophical minded readers may enjoy, but if you come here for horror, you will probably be disappointed. 3 strange stars.
November 6, 2018
Flat, no affect, goes nowhere, but fascinating dive into early horror nihilism all the same.
December 17, 2020
Eugene a straight, hardworking, never swearing type of guy takes three of his co-workers hostage at his office and wants to play a game. Story sounds great, was expecting it to explode but sadly not even a puff. Seems like one of the hostages was more disturbed than Eugene.
September 17, 2016
Very weird book. Unsettling.
June 16, 2021
I quite enjoyed the period detail, although as a novel, the ending didn't really do much for me.
November 6, 2022
Loved the concept and drive but I felt like there was no connection with the main character. The ending also left me unsatisfied.
December 18, 2023
Agree with Grady Hendrix on this one. Pretty terrible characterization. Unrealistic actions and storyline. No resolutions and pretty boring. One of the worst Paperbacks From Hell that I’ve read thus far, but I still love the cover.
August 20, 2024
Flat. Flat. Flat.
April 24, 2023
I thought this book had a good amount of tension; you aren’t really sure what is going to happen throughout the book and it kept my interest throughout.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews