Rating: 
Summary: A Confederacy of Excellence
Review: This was an excellent book; wonderful in everyway imaginable. A Confederacy of Dunces is the only book I've read with an obese protagonist, Ignatius Reilly. And he's as smart as he is large, while also being a giant bastard. Yet, he is a likable character. The book starts out with a police officer trying to arrest Ignatius for looking suspicious. Then, Ignatius's mother comes out of a store and begins to yell at the officer, who was already being reprimanded by Ignatius, which causes a large crowd to gather. An old man accuses the cop of being a Communiss (it's in New Orleans, so many of the characters speak with accents), which creates an opportunity for Ignatius and his mother to flee. They hide in a bar because they think that the officer may follow them, and, while they are there, the mother becomes drunk. When she tries to drive the car (Ignatius does not drive, which is one of his quirks), she crashes into a building, whose owner demands that she pay for the damages. Ignatius's mother, however, does not have the money to pay, and he is forced to work. Excellence ensues. In his first week of work, Ignatius gets fired from his job for trying to start a strike. He then gets a job as a hot dog vendor, but he eats more hot dogs than he sells. Then he tells the owner of the company that he was assaulted by a gang of children that, rather than taking money or the cart, stole several hot dogs. And this isn't even delving half way into the events of the book. Along the way, the reader is introduced to several excellent characters and humorous situations. For example: Ignatius watches those shows where teenagers dance just so he can exclaim in horror because of the program, "Oh dear lord, the filth I am forced to witness! My eyes burn from this vulgarity." If you like books that are excellent in everyway imaginable, including a lucid style that makes for quick reading, then this is the book for you. This book is so wonderful, that if it were to have a female physical manifestation I would force myself on it. "No, what are you doing? I hardly know you and my parents are in the next room! No, please stop! No!" And I would do so albeit the unpleasant ramifications because it's such a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Read between the lines; much more here than comedy
Review: Confederacy of Dunces is satire on a highly sophisticated level. Yes it's hilarious at times, mainly due to the contrast between the twisted genius of Ignatius Reilly, a character incredibly well developed, and the rest of the less developed ones in the book. It's possible to look behind the satire to see some important serious messages also. The new biography, Ignatius Rising, gives some insight into Ken Toole's mind and where he got all the stuff for the book. Though the main inspiration for Ignatius seems to be a Medievalist professor Toole knew, a lot more autobiography seeps into the character than perhaps his creator was conscious of. Ignatius's main motivation--to expose the flaws of the 20th century--is too well developed not to have come directly from Ken Toole's worldview, even if cloaked in Fortuna and Boethius references. By the way I happen to agree in general with Ignatius's critique of the 20th century. His war of wits with Myrna makes for some interesting political thoughts of the time....and politics really haven't changed at all since then. The book is not flawless, in particular the 2nd half seems to be somewhat redundant after the 1st half. The characters aside from Ignatius are relatively undeveloped. Was Gottlieb at Simon and Schuster justified in eventually rejecting the book? But this brilliant creation was the product of a brilliant creator. I hope the eventual movie does the book justice.
Rating: 
Summary: Quirky and Fun
Review: I began reading this book during a drunk driving assembly. I will admit it now - I have no idea what was said during that assembly. I *do* know that "A Confederacy of Dunces" is an entirely absorbing, hilarious novel that entertains from the very beginning. And by "very beginning," I mean the Foreward: ""There was no getting out of it; only one hope remained - that I could read a few pages and that they would be bad enough for me, in good conscience, to read no farther. Usually I can do just that. Indeed the first paragraph often suffices. My only fear was that this one might not be bad enough, or might be just good enough, so that I would have to keep reading" (vii-viii). The characters are addictive and quirky - even the ones you don't like. I actually didn't care for pompous, arrogant Ignatius, but I did enjoy him - it's impossible to read his rants and strange ideas without cracking up. And I became very fond of many of the other characters - and are there a lot of them. Several different plots weave through "Confederacy," each with its own cast, loosely tied together until the end. Patrolman Mancuso and the police department...Dorian Green and his friends...Mr. Levy, Mrs. Levy, and the exercise board ("Leave the board out of this!!!")...the "Night of Joy" bar...and, of course, Jones. My favorite, beloved Jones. "Negro," "vagrant," trying to get people into the "Night of Joy" for a show ("Hey! All you people draggin along here. Stop and come stick your a** on a Night of Joy stool...Night of Joy got genuine color peoples workin below the minimal wage. Whoa!") Jones is, ironically, possibly the only entirely sane character in this book. "Whoa!" Basically, I love this book. It's hilarious, I finished it last week and believe me - if you're hoping for it to be a nice, sane read, I kindly suggest you find a lute string and stab yourself with it. It'll save you a little suffering. Because this book is insane in a way that only Kurt Vonnegut can compare to. And I love every page of it.
Rating:
Summary: A truly incredible read...
Review: 'A Confederacy of Dunces' was by far one of the most original and hilariously funny books I've read in a long while. From the first page, this book has the reader's attention all the way through to the end, and not once was I able to state that I found the book 'boring'. With its complex system of characters and plots, 'A Confederacy of Dunces' is one of the strangest, yet most interesting stories in a long while. Though behind the many dilemmas of Mr. Ignatius J. Reilly, there is a tragedy. If perhaps the overweight, and well-educated man who is the protagonist had decided to do something with his life he might not have been stuck at home with his mother, and trying to inspire a conspiracy of some sort anywhere he goes. Not to mention his ex-girlfriend who he is constantly at war with, Myrna 'Minx' Minkoff. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to any reader. No matter who you are, anyone is able to relate in some way to this wonderful novel.
Rating:
Summary: A true gem - funny, well-written, lovable characters.
Review: Do you have one of those friends that always seems to be getting themselves into the strangest situations? That is just a bit - off? This book allows us to follow an oafish, irritable, hilarious, charming, clueless man as he makes his way from adventure to adventure, job to job. Our hero, Iganacious, has an opinion about EVERYTHING - his jobs, the people he meets, his mother, his bloated body. The normal parts of life - taking a cab, stopping for a bite to eat, shopping - are always fodder for a funny episode with Ignacious. This book is charming. It is funny. It is easy to read. Even though Ignacious is truly a horrible guy - everything he touches seems to lead to problems for other people - you can't help but laugh and enjoy his company. Whether he is leading factory workers on a strike that ends in nothing more substantial than a broken flower pot, or whether he is crashing and ruining a ladies' auxiliary art show, Ignacious always seems to find the world not quite as he expects it to be. As each new day starts, you find yourself wondering "what next?" As you turn the pages, you're never sure what new funny adventure he'll lead you on. The writing is crisp and fun, and you will immediately tumble into the twisted, convoluted, bizarre, obscene, cracked up world that Ignacious lives in. You'll even start thinking like he does a bit if you aren't careful. This book is fun - FUN! - and a quick read. It well deserves the Pulitzer it received. It's a hidden gem. Catch it!
Rating:
Summary: Boethius¿s rota fortunae
Review: Twelve years after John Kennedy Toole committed suicide; he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for "A Confederacy of Dunces." Toole was truly deserving of the prize for his hilarious and captivating story that follows Ignatius J. Reilly's interesting adventures (and misadventures) through New Orleans during the 1960s. Ignatius J. Reilly is a thirty-year-old overweight man that lives with his mother in New Orleans. Ignatius is an interesting figure not only because of his stature, but because he enjoy wearing plaid shirts and a large green hunting cap. Because of the way he dresses, he draws much unneeded attention to himself, which gets him in trouble in more than one occasion. He retells all of his "traumatic" experiences to anyone absurd enough to lend him an ear. His favorite would be the time he rode along in a Greyhound bus that was traveling to fast for his liking. Ignatius believes everyone has lost a "sense of decency" and are too caught up in the material world. He writes down his anger towards the regular dregs of society in his book "A Lengthy Indictment of Our Century." Ignatius never strolls too far from his room where he creates his masterpiece, which leads his mother to demand him to get a job. Ignatius however, believes he is unfit for conventional employment, which would be correct, but he finds a job anyways. Toole exquisitely details Reilly's escapades as a workingman and is nothing short of hilarious. He first finds a job as a file clerk at Levy Pants, a clothing manufacturer. He befriends a elderly woman that has been working there many decades but has not retired because Mrs. Levy believes she would feel not welcome in society. Ignatius's stint at Levy Pants however was cut short when he tried to create an uprising for reforms. Shortly thereafter, he finds a job as a hot dog vendor. However when he his hot dog cart is stolen, he decides that, "The human desire for food and sex is relatively equal. If there are armed rapes, why should there not be armed hot dog thefts?" Throughout this novel Ignatius meets many interesting characters. Mrs. Lee is a very strict and at times insane owner of the Night of Joy Bar; Police Officer Manusco, whose job was to find suspicious characters by dressing like one himself; Miss Trixie, the old lady who works at Levy Pants that tries to retire but is always stopped; and of course Myrna Minkoff, the closest thing Ignatius has had to a girlfriend. Each character at some point in the novel brings in comic relief. A Confederacy of Dunces is a novel I believe everyone should read. It is a very humorous story in which Toole criticizes society through Ignatius. Toole however was incapable of taking his own characters advice: Boethius's rota fortunae. Wait long enough and the wheel of fortune will turn your way.
Rating:
Summary: I Do Enjoy the Negative Reviews
Review: I expect that most readers know that the title is derived from the Swift quote to the effect that you know when there is a genius among us from the confederacy of dunces that rises against him. We can debate whether Ignatius is a genius, but there is no disputing Toole's stature. That's why I enjoy reading the negative reviews: you are the dunces. I scroll past the five stars to get to your proud declarations of duncehood. Please don't let me discourage you. You are performing a valuable service. Thanks again.
Rating:
Summary: Rollercoaster of a ride
Review: Having avoided this book for years (I tend not to buy into hype, whether from the media or my friends) I finally picked up this "classic" novel and started in. Prepared to hate it every step of the way, I instead found myself mesmerized by John Kennedy Toole's marvelous writing, and especially the main character of Ignatius. At once loveable and yet heinously repulsive, this Falstaffian oddity is one of a handful of most-memorable characters to ever grace the written pages of American, and more importantly, southern literature. Why this book isn't required reading in school, along with Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," McCrae's "Bark of the Dogwood," and Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," is beyond me. Not only is this book funny, but the construction, the pacing, the tone, the overall effectiveness of the writing, is truly one of a kind. Forget the fact that Toole did himself in by not being able to get this masterwork published. Forget the fact that this novel won the Pulitzer Prize. Forget the reviews, both good and bad, and simply read this novel for what it is: a great, funny, rollicking journey through the land of insanity, mixed up with the great city of New Orleans and the fleeting beauty of life. Just a great read.
Rating:
Summary: There aren't enough stars in the heavens
Review: There simply aren't enough stars in the heavens for this great book. Laugh out loud funny with a dark underlying and warped underbelly, this rollicking and twisted tale is now a southern classic. The main character of Ignatius has got to be the funniest and most disturbed individual ever to grace the written page. Why this book wasn't made into a movie long ago is beyond me. Would also recommend another great book, similar to this one in its scope, humor, and insight: Bark of the Dogwood by Jackson McCrae.
Rating:
Summary: Ha Ha He He Ha Ha!!.
Review: This book made me laugh. Rather a lot actually. Ignatius Reilly is disgusting in just about every way imaginable, and man is it funny. His extraordinary opinions (about everything), plots, mannerisms, size, hygiene, and friends bring him and the people around him into the most absurd situations imaginable, and it's all you can do to keep from getting a stomach ache laughing at them so hard (the ab exercise this novel offers is truly remarkable). Each of the characters, Jones (my favorite), Ignatius's mother, Trixi (my other favorite), Mr. and Mrs. Levy, Patrolman Mancuso, strikes me as a literary comic marvel. The whirlwind plot ensnaring all of these lives is so brilliant. You can feel the comic tensions building and building until a final explosion hits that is as large as Ignatius himself. The book is also sad. Walker Percy (my favorite author) mentions in the introduction the suicide of the author, and that is part of the sadness. But there's more. The humor in the novel springs from the latent despair in each characters lives and their (for the most part) stuggle to change something. It feels as though the fates are in control of the novel, and they are out to offer a bit of sorrow and a bit of hope. Confederacy of Dunces is a book that can be taken a lot of ways. As entertainment, this is one of the most funny books I've read, but there is a sense of gravity here making this one of the most remarkable novels I've read. It's quite a masterpiece that I'll read again and again.
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