If you are easily insulted and either black, Caucasian, Jewish, Protestant, Buddhist, a mother, a sailor, a policeman, Latino, belong to any ethnic or religious group, a pirate, a business owner, a member of the working class, any member of the lgbtq community, or prescribe to any fervent political group, (really if you are just a member of the human race) then do not read this book. Because the protagonist, Ignatius J. Riley, leaves no one untainted or unscathed while he trips and bullies his way through 1960’s New Orleans.

I listened to the audible presentation narrated by Barrett Whitener who did a fantastic job mimicking New Orleans accents and the multitude of characters voices. The beginning is full of so many insults I do not think I could have stuck with it without Mr. Whitener’s skillful reading.

There is nothing politically correct in this and no person would attempt to write this absurdity in the 21st century. It is almost entirely dialogue that is always influenced by Ignatius’ bellwether pyloric valve, full of scorching satire and exaggeration that knows no limits. Don’t judge me-I loved it.

A Confederacy of Dunces

John Kennedy Toole--perhaps the least prolific of all The Greats--is a wonderful teacher of theatricality, of stage production. He would have been a perfect stage director for an ensemble cast. He is very much aware of the “actant” complexes referred to by narratoligist N. J. Lowe: subject/object, helper/opponent, and sender/ receiver complexes, which fill the narrative with much Oscar Wilde-like frivolity and wit. His poetics are quite attuned to the novel, seen as a Game.

Historically "Dunces" must, as a quintessential work of the French Quarter and New Orleans at large, also be part of the pre-Katrina canon of works left unbroken & untouched by that devastation. Putting on a staged production of the adapted Dunces show in Atlanta in 2010, screenwriter Tom Key admits that “Ignatius is an apt metaphor for New Orleans in the post-Katrina landscape: the crazy relative who is at once glorious, repulsive and essential, fond of culture and fly in the ointment, object of celebration, ribaldry, shame, outrage, pity and a kind of collective abandonment on the part of the national family.” Perhaps this immense character of complexity, unlike the writer’s immense talent for writing, shall see a second light. "A Confederacy of Dunces" is magnetic and truly awesome. It is an organism blessed by serendipity and touched by the Heavens. It is gaining notoriety even as this is being printed out, & second chances, perhaps the most optimistic of all humankind's events, is what the novel, a disinterred treasure, a message sent off in a bottle, is truly all about.

This is the third book I've picked up recently with an anti-hero as its protagonist. I assure you, this is completely random. Ignatius J. Reilly, despite my reading patterns, is very much one of a kind. For the most part, he's despicable. He's a gluttonous slob who will have a spat with anyone. He'll incite the masses simply to irritate his ex. He oozes wit, not quite Wildean, but something far less refined that's entirely his own. Ignatius both irritated and intrigued me, and the same goes for many of the other characters. The intrigue won out and soon I couldn't stop reading. This book had me in fits. The ending sealed the deal: I am in love! I would say more, but I have to pack for our honeymoon! Thanks again, Fabian for convincing me I need this in my life.

Well thank goodness for Thelma Ducoing Toole for getting this comical masterpiece to publication. It’s a tragedy that the author himself committed suicide before he could get anyone to publish. I’m amazed how this could get missed?

Not surprisingly this won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981, a brilliant choice and let’s hope it was not based on sentimentality.

The book is full of wonderful characters and the dialogue so humorous you could read this book more than once still laugh out loud.

I’m not going forget our main character Ignatius J Reilly for the rest of my life but there are so many other characters that add to the splendour of this book.

There is simply too much genius dialogue within this script to mention any as it does not do justice to the entirety of the book. If you want a laugh, go read this magic.

عجیب مزخرف بود این کتابه
با اون شخصیت اصلی عوضیش
بسیار تا بسیار هم حوصله ی آدمو سر میبرد و هِی مکالمات تکراری و بیخود داشت
فی الواقع که خیلی گول خوردم و خریدمش
فکر کنم شخصیت جورج کاستانزای ساینفلد رو از شخصیت اصلی این کتاب الهام گرفتن

Ugh. Most overrated book ever. What a smug pile of overripe garbage.

Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com

There are two stories here, one in the book and one about the book. In his foreword, Walker Percy explains how the book came to be published some twelve years after the author’s suicide following depression at his inability to get the book published. In case you are interested, the title was derived from a quote by Jonathan Swift: “When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.”

I must confess that I found the early chapters challenging. It was impossible to have any sympathy with the extremely vulgar central character, Ignatius Reilly who has no respect for anyone or anything, including social niceties, his long suffering mother and himself. The other challenge was the tiny font used in the paperback for extracts from Reilly’s own jottings.

But somehow, sufficiently intrigued and as the story progressed, I found myself tuning in to John Kennedy Toole’s humour and attitude towards the world as viewed through Reilly’s eyes. One reason for continuing was the various side stories which included more pleasant and believable people. There were Mrs Reilly’s group of friends, intense Myrna the classic 1960’s revolutionary student and the excellent Jones, the struggling black club janitor. Some of his asides are hilarious.

Indeed, as you read the book pay close attention to all the people you meet as most reappear in the dénouement which strung them all together. That ending also suggests further adventures for Reilly which sadly will never be recorded.

I understand that A Confederacy of Dunces has achieved cult status from time to time and I can see why. I cannot recall anything quite like this book which is one that you will either love or hate. There will be no indifference.

However, it does deserve a health warning. Toole wrote the book in the early 1960’s when life was not as politically correct as it is today. There are words and attitudes in this book which would not be acceptable if written now.

As with most books, I was driven to the Internet for further research. For A Confederacy of Dunces it was Boethius’s The Consolation of Philosophy and the stringent Vagrancy Laws that existed at that time in most US states.

A Confederacy of Dunces is a book that I would urge anyone to at least attempt to read. It will not always be comfortable or easy but you will not forget it. For reasons given above I winced a few times and subsequently, have reduced my award from five to four stars.

There are a lot of ways to judge people, but I find that opinion of this book is one of the most accurate and efficient. With very few exceptions, I've found that how much I like someone is strongly correlated with how much they enjoy the book. Is it their favorite book ever, omg? Well, they're probably either a best friend, a comrade whom I hold in worship-approximating esteem, or my cool cousin or uncle or something like that. Do they not "get" it or find it boring? You aren't my type, sorry. To me, this book is like the little yellow canary that you send down a mine shaft to know whether to run the other way or not.

I re-read Confederacy piecemeal on my grinding morning commutes last fall. If you've ever ridden the DC metro at 7:30am you know that the cars are full of serious, silent business people. So, when I couldn't keep myself from cracking up, I was very obviously that weird possibly-schizophrenic girl that every user of public transportation dreads. I tried to be professional, but Christ, this book is FUNNY, and I can't help myself. And really, who cares what those people think anyway -- I'm sure Ignatius would find their mere existence is an affront to theology and geometry.

Hands down one of the funniest books ever!

A Confederacy of Dunces was published in 1980, winning the Pulitzer Prize the following year.

Set in New Orleans, the star of this novel is Ignatius Reilly, a 30-year-old man still living at home with his mother.

This book is irreverent fun and hilarious. Ignatius is a larger-than-life character who is very extra. He has a vast vocabulary and is exquisitely intellectual; however, he has no practical experience (he even wears a green hat) but he also has no filter. I was laughing so much that people would ask what was going on.

Adding to the fun is Patrolman Mancuso who apparently goes around arresting suspicious characters but doesn’t do a good job of identifying who to pick up.

My favorite scene is the part with Dorian Greene which I can’t help but think is a not-so-subtle nod to The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Ignatius is one of those characters that you will never forget.

Sadly, the world will never hear more of Ignatius’s saga. The author committed suicide in 1969 at the age of 31. His mother found his manuscript, discovered that it was actually excellent, and would not stop until it was published.

One last word before I sign off this review. The audiobook is amazing, absolutely incredible! The narrator really gave life to Ignatius. When the character is upset, you can hear the indignation in his voice. Highly recommend!

How much I spent:
Electronic text – Free through Libby
Audiobook – Free through Libby

2025 Reading Schedule
JantA Town Like Alice
FebtBirdsong
MartCaptain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
AprtWar and Peace
MaytThe Woman in White
JuntAtonement
JultThe Shadow of the Wind
AugtJude the Obscure
SeptUlysses
OcttVanity Fair
NovtA Fine Balance
DectGerminal

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Two of my most literate friends have described this book as one of the funniest they have ever read. This makes me feel rather dull and mirthless for not having even chuckled. Am I really such a grouch?
tt
Perhaps. And yet I would like to lodge a few criticisms in this book’s direction. One is that, from what I can see, it offers little to the reader apart from laughter. Now, laughter is a wonderful thing, of course; but I think that the best literary humor must also present something for the reader’s mind. Joseph Heller, Jonathan Swift, Cervantes—they were very funny, but their books are also rewarding even to the most desiccated college professors. In other words, debates about those books tend not to boil down to whether a certain joke was funny or not.
tt
Speaking of which, I would also like to defend my tepid response. For me, humor must have an element of surprise. No joke is funny if the punchline can be seen a mile away. Yet as soon as each of the characters is established, their actions become predictable effects of their various neuroses and manias. Except, perhaps, for the gargantuan Ignatius J. Riley, they are all one-dimensional and over-determined—walking personifications of certain character defects.
tt
To be fair, this is also a good description of Larry David’s show, Curb Your Enthusiasm, which I enjoy very much. And I think Toole would have made a wonderful sitcom writer. But, for me, this material does not work as a 400-page novel.

صد صفحه ی اخرو فقط دیگه ورق میزدم که تموم شه

This book is wonderfully eccentric and weird! The characters are so odd, but are all so oddly endearing. The slapstick, irreverent unbelieveability of the story and antics (especially Ignatius) kept me enthralled and wondering what was next.

The fact that this book was written, hidden away, and then released posthumously is kind of amazing as well. It is hard to believe this book sat hidden for years - the product of a troubled yet creative mind - only to be found by his mother and sent to a publisher for review. She could have easily tossed it, ignored it, etc. - it is a good thing she didn't!

I listened to this book and I think it added to it even more. The reader did a great job and I felt like I was listening to a radio comedy the whole way through. If you like audiobooks, I think you are doing yourself a disservice if you miss this one.