The ordinary folk of New Orleans seem to think he is unhinged as well. Ignatius ignores them as he heaves his vast bulk through the city's fleshpots in a noble crusade against vice, modernity and ignorance. But his momma has a nasty surprise in store for him. Ignatius must get a job. Undaunted, he uses his new-found employment to further his mission - and now he has a pirate costume and a hot-dog cart to do it with ...
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It's been hailed as a masterpiece and reviled as trash, but A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole has never been lightly dismissed. By creating Ignatius J. Reilly, a bigger-than-life bag of wind stuffed with some of the most comically outrageous and disturbingly insightful opinions ever put to paper, Toole made an indelible mark on the landscape of American literature--a feat recognized with the posthumous publication of this novel, followed by a Pulitzer Prize. Forced to wade the lower depths of New Orleans society, the gargantuan Ignatius, his poor mother in tow, takes us on a tour de force through the back alleys and juke joints of the French Quarter of New Orleans as he implores the gods, railing against the hypocrisy of contemporary politics and the crushing weight of late capitalism. "The luminous years ... dimmed into dross; Fortuna's wheel had turned ... Having once been so high, humanity fell so low. What had once been dedicated to the soul was now dedicated to the sale." Toole's suicide at 32 silenced a uniquely promising literary voice, denying his critics and fans the opportunity to determine whether his talent was a flash in the pan or a first spark of genius. Read A Confederacy of Dunces and you'll no doubt have formed your own inflexible opinion, which you'll defend tenaciously against all reason. --George Laney, Amazon.com
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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"What a delight, what a roaring, rollicking, footstomping wonder this book is. I laughed until my sides ached, and then I laughed on."
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A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In 'A Confederacy..' Toole created a masterpiece of contemporary writing.Set in the the tense air of 60's New Orleans ,the storyline weaves to and fro among Toole's motley cru cast of pornographers, bureacrats and "communiss" with a cold,honest yet human eye."A Confederacy Of Dunces" stole my undivided attention for all 400 pages;I could'nt stop from giggling at the unfathomable situations in which Ignatius J. Reilly found himself and yet I sighed with delight on reading the climax, one which does total justice to the excellence of the novel.But the book's greatest achievement is Reilly himself.A marvellous orator with a repulsive appearance, a slob and a shameless social critic, Reilly's presence in the novel is simply immense, literally and metaphorically. He shall go down as one of the great characters of 20th century literature."A Confederacy Of Dunces" stands tall above all the rest.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This is one of the funniest novels I have ever read. In my opinion it ranks alongside Catch-22, Breakfast of Champions and A Frolic of His Own in terms of both laughs and the sheer class of its writing. Ignatius J. Reilly is of course a mammoth fictional character, in every sense of the word, but he is only part of a brilliantly etched cast, whose words and actions spring forth from the page. In terms of sheer destructive farce only Don Quixote comes close (but even that classic doesn't feature it's hero selling unhygienic hot-dogs in a ridiculous pirate costume; attracting tourists and homosexual admirers). For years this brilliant book remained unpublished and ignored by that ever-so-sharp rabble that we call agents and publishing houses (yes, the same ones who ignored Catch-22 for over 2 years). Due in part to this ignorance the author committed suicide. And it is this tragedy that, in part, colours Reilly's adventures with a certain sense of sadness. Along with the realization that, as you laugh at this book, the author would never write another. However, before things get too maudlin, let me just say this: buy it, read it, love it.
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By jacr100
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
If anyone is confused by that title, I’d better explain: I’ve been pondering why the majority of previous reviewers have either loved or hated this book. I think one reason is that you have to really engage with the character of Ignatius J. Reilly in order to expose the funny side of the novel. Admittedly his lofty sense of self-importance and heedless misanthropy won’t make this easy, not forgetting his predilection for hot dogs, burping, etc; but if you bear with him, the scorn he pours forth on virtually everyone he comes into contact with does start to make you chuckle, particularly since his anachronistic language and imaginative insults sound positively alien amidst the casual slang of his New Orleans acquaintances.
There are some genuinely funny moments, and the storyline is structured along the lines of classical farce drama, with the unfortunate Ignatius spiralling downwards into an ever more precarious position, both socially and financially. Not that he cares, mind you – he has only entered the world of work temporarily and under coercive pressure from his mother, biding his time until his great social commentary modelled on the philosophy of Boethius propels him to prominence. I agree with one other reviewer that it is this latter project that makes the book a little turgid at times, when Ignatius casts down pages of vitriolic invective in his diary. These sections aren’t boring, but neither are they that funny, and the reader might be forgiven for skipping them to get back to Ignatius loudly criticising the latest film, or condescendingly mocking whomever he encounters that day.
Anyone who is looking for a deep social satire, portrait of New Orleans, or critical insight into the reality of the American Dream probably won’t be too enamoured with this book, since it achieves these very subtly, against a backdrop of farce and characters who in many cases are exaggerated or one-dimensional. But if you approach this book not expecting – or even wanting – to discover the psychologies or ‘truths’ of human existence, and instead begin with an open mind just large to accommodate a near-obese, pompous buffoon with aims to change the society he despises for its ignorance and avarice, you might be in for a pleasant surprise.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ignatious funnyman
The spelling captured my imagination of accents. Ooooo-Weeee! I could see the characters like in a film.Whoa! Ignatious could be everybody's hot dog seller. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sapper
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic
My husband loves this book so much he didn't want to give up his own copy. So we bought another one for his friend to read.
Published 1 month ago by L. Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read it
This book is obviously a modern classic but more importantly it is a hilariously entertaining read.
Each character has a distinctive personality which is depicted in such a... Read more
Each character has a distinctive personality which is depicted in such a... Read more
Published 1 month ago by RR
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dunces top of the cass
Have recommended tio friends, blown away, a fabulous read at lots of different levels.......
6 more words required?... there u go
6 more words required?... there u go
Published 1 month ago by Cheryl Whitelock
5.0 out of 5 stars
Genius
I can understand why some may be bemused or even hate this book but persist and you will realise it is true genius-leave the Confederacy! Five stars.
Published 2 months ago by kevin mousley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic and funny
This book is a masterpiece! Starts a little slowly(give it a chance), but genuinely gets funnier and funnier as the story progresses. J.K. Read more
Published 3 months ago by bugspur
5.0 out of 5 stars
great purchase
very late feedback but ver happy with the book, an old favourite that i'm pleased to have back to read
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. C. M. Cross Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything as planned
The book arrived when they said it would. Like new, like it said. So, i am very satisfied with the service
Published 5 months ago by Manel
5.0 out of 5 stars
the very best comic novel!
I have read this already in book form but it is so fabulous I wanted to have it on my kindle to read again sometime
Published 5 months ago by TMR
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces (Penguin Modern Classics)I have just ordered a copy of this book for my 18 year old son. Read more
Published 6 months ago by WB reader
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