“Foucault’s Pendulum” (1988) by Umberto Eco

Undoubtedly the best written piece of utter nonsense I’ve read in a long time.   Short version: three friends decide to create their own conspiracy theory loosely based around events pertaining to the Knights Templar (“The Plan”), and become increasingly obsessed by it.  Their “Plan” eventually catches up with them with tragic consequences.  

If you decide to waste your time reading this parody of the arcane be sure to have the Oxford English Dictionary (not the compact version) close at hand.  And please don’t ask to borrow my copy.  Due to an unwillingness to devote shelf-space to Rosicrucians, gnostics, Masons, Illuminati, Cabalists, etc, etc, etc, I tossed it into the garbage.