- Paperback: 416 pages
- Publisher: Penguin; New Ed edition (25 Feb 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140282688
- ISBN-13: 978-0140282689
- Product Dimensions: 18 x 11 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 28,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
'When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him' Jonathan Swift
A monument to sloth, rant and contempt, a behemoth of fat, flatulence and furious suspicion of anything modern - this is Ignatius J. Reilly of New Orleans, noble crusader against a world of dunces.
In magnificent revolt against the twentieth century, Ignatius propels his monstrous bulk amonst the flesh-pots of a fallen city, documenting life on his Big Cief tablets as he goes - until his maroon-haired mother decress that he must work ...
About the Author
John Kennedy Toole was born in New Orleans in 1937 and died in 1969. He received a master's degree in English from Columbia University and taught at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He wrote A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES in the early sixties and tried unsuccessfully to get his novel published; depressed by his failure to do so he committed suicide. It is only through the tenacity of his mother, wholse faith in her son's work never wavered, that his book has found its deserved audience.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
John Kennedy Toole's masterpiece "A Confederacy of Dunces",
By amym_garrett@hotmail.com (Galway, Ireland) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Confederacy of Dunces (Essential Penguin) (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.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Brilliant,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Confederacy of Dunces (Essential Penguin) (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.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic bafoonery!,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Confederacy of Dunces (Essential Penguin) (Paperback)
Without a doubt this book, much like Toole's other work 'Neon Bible', has not had the press and success deserved.It should be revered as a modern classic. Following the misunderstood outlandish genius of Ignatius J Reilly as he stirs and shakes The Big Easy the book paints a wonderfully clear comic picture. I started reading this whilst in New Orleans and whilst on the jubilee line back in London continued reading it, reliving my own experiences of the French Quarter through the excellent descriptive style. I would recommend this to all, but would also recommend a trip to Louisianna too to help understand just who and what we are reading about 10/10 and more
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