or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
40 used & new from £2.87

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
A Confederacy of Dunces (Penguin Modern Classics)
 
 

A Confederacy of Dunces (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)

by John Kennedy Toole (Author), Walker Percy (Author) "A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head ..." (more)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
Price: £6.51 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.48 (28%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Thursday, February 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
30 new from £3.35 10 used from £2.87

Frequently Bought Together

A Confederacy of Dunces (Penguin Modern Classics) + The Road + Blood Meridian: or The Evening Redness in the West
Total RRP: £25.97
Price For All Three: £14.99

Show availability and delivery details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Bright Lights, Big City

Bright Lights, Big City

by Jay McInerney
4.4 out of 5 stars (10)  £4.98
The Winter of Frankie Machine

The Winter of Frankie Machine

by Don Winslow
4.4 out of 5 stars (21)  £4.83
The Story of Lucy Gault

The Story of Lucy Gault

by William Trevor
4.2 out of 5 stars (23)  £5.74
London Fields

London Fields

by Martin Amis
3.8 out of 5 stars (38)  £6.28
Portnoy's Complaint

Portnoy's Complaint

by Philip Roth
4.1 out of 5 stars (12)  £5.76
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Classics; New Ed edition (30 Mar 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0141182865
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141182865
  • Product Dimensions: 19 x 12.8 x 1.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 13,313 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > P > Percy, Walker
    #2 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > T > Toole, John Kennedy

Product Description

Product Description

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 …

About the Author

John Kennedy Toole was born in New Orleans in 1937. He received a master's degree in English from Columbia University and taught at Hunter College and at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He wrote A Confederacy of Dunces in the early sixties and tried unsuccessfully to get the novel published; depressed, at least in part by his failure to place the book, he committed suicide in 1969. It was only through the tenacity of his mother that her son's book was eventually published and found the audience it deserved. His long-suppressed novel The Neon Bible, written when he was only sixteen, was eventually published as well. A Confederacy of Dunces won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. Read the first page
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
author suicides
john kennedy toole
funniest book ever

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

A Confederacy of Dunces (Penguin Modern Classics)
89% buy the item featured on this page:
A Confederacy of Dunces (Penguin Modern Classics) 3.7 out of 5 stars (21)
£6.51
A Confederacy of Dunces (Pocket Penguin Classics)
6% buy
A Confederacy of Dunces (Pocket Penguin Classics) 4.0 out of 5 stars (21)
£5.38
A Confederacy of Dunces (Essential Penguin)
3% buy
A Confederacy of Dunces (Essential Penguin) 4.7 out of 5 stars (33)
£5.73
The Winter of Frankie Machine
1% buy
The Winter of Frankie Machine 4.4 out of 5 stars (21)
£4.83

 

Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.7 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Literary Equivalent of Marmite, 15 April 2004
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.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, 26 Mar 2001
John Kennedy Toole created a masterpiece with Confederacy of Dunces and indeed a master, of sorts, in Ignatius J.Reilly. It is indeed a pity that we cannot indulge in more of his books.

Ignatius is a unique hero. He is overweight, superbly rude and self involved and treats his mother despicably - however, I still found myself liking this uncouth character. His high intelligence and fluent eloquence create an amusing sharp wit that everyone wishes for and few people possess. Not only did I find the character rather 'charming' (in his own absurd and bizarre way) I found myself wishing he could emerge real and thus I could 'meet him'.

Ah, truly a book to recommend. Surpasses most, and makes reading a true pleasure!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply put: the funniest book ever written, 6 Mar 2001
Ignatius J. Reilly is the most original fiction character you will ever encounter. Only a true literary genious could come up with the absurd adventures of Ignatious, as he wonders the streets of New Orleans in search of gainful employment, fighting every social and technological development of the 20th century. I couldn't stop laughing from the second I picked up this great novel. Its a shame that the line between genious and insanity is so thin. As a result, we will never enjoy the pleasure of reading another masterpiece from Toole.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Sorry, but I hated it!
I gave up on this book after just 50 pages, so maybe I'm not really qualified to judge it, but the central character is such a thoroughly nasty - not to say repugnant - human... Read more
Published 26 days ago by F. M. M. Stott

1.0 out of 5 stars Truly one of the worst, if not THE worst, book I have ever read.
There's almost nothing more to be said. If you like a loathsome, slovenly, arrogant, lazy, misanthropic and misogynistic protagonist who lives with his harried mother and spends... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Donna M. Bond

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh Fortunata...
Ignatius J. Reilly is a big character - big in girth and in his behaviour, which stems from his inablity to come to terms with the modern world. Read more
Published 7 months ago by LML

5.0 out of 5 stars Choose Your Reading Times Carefully
It's true, many of the reviews on amazon are rated too highly, like anything we've come to like for whatever reason is by default given 5 stars. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Greensides

2.0 out of 5 stars boring
This was the book that made me realize amazon reviews are artificially high.
When i reached the end, I could not understand how anyone could possibly recommend this to... Read more
Published 9 months ago by redlorry

4.0 out of 5 stars Great
A very funny novel that perhaps was let dowbn in the last third when it went off tangent slightly. But all the same Igantius is a classic character that stays in the mind. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Dillinger

5.0 out of 5 stars John Kennedy Toole was a literary genuis!
This is one of the best books I have ever read - it made me laugh out loud from page to page. I cannot understand how anyone could fail to be enthralled by the late John Kennedy... Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2007 by Anne

5.0 out of 5 stars Raw, brilliant and excoriatingly funny...a true work of genius
One-book authors are rare. Harper Lee with "To Kill a Mockingbird" is probably the most famous. John Kennedy Toole deserves just as much recognition and fame for his one-book... Read more
Published on 2 Mar 2007 by Hanglemez Pallaccini

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book I've ever read
I came upon this book through my geeky ways. I am a huge fan of Bill Hicks (American comedian). I read somewhere that this was his favourite book. Read more
Published on 5 Dec 2006 by Kate Tyler

5.0 out of 5 stars A real comedy masterpiece
Having picked up numerous books over the years that have been dubbed 'comic masterpieces' and been disappointed, I was initially wary of 'A Confederacy... Read more
Published on 14 July 2005 by Ian Shine

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.