Rating: 
Summary: A masterpiece
Review: This is the best book ever written in my opinion. As simple as that.
Rating:
Summary: Funniest book I've ever read
Review: I don't chase after books squarely labeled "Humorous". This brilliant piece of work elevates the genre into world class quality. I approach books with humor as the predominate theme with less reluctance having read A Confederacy of Dunces. I wonder how many other books I've dismissed because I thought it wouldn't be my cup of tea? It's just one heck of a great read! Toole's characters are perfectly filled out and I'm able to see the action taking place as I read. Treat yourself. Read the book.
Rating:
Summary: Why they misunderstand
Review: This is truly a great book. Humor is much underrated in our lives. The ability to laugh at our selves is important. This is not a book of flowery words. This is a humorously philosophical look at our selves and our condition not a didactic diatribe. For that it deserves serious consideration and respect.Ignatius J. Reilly is not a hero. He is an exaggeration. He is both rigorously, uncompromisingly correct and absurdly tragic at the same time. We have met the enemy and he is us. This book, with its protagonist so heroically intellectual and pathetically tragic, is an exaggerated mirror of our own situation in life. In addition Ignatius is so extremely and precisely developed in his own philosophy, no one could possibly understand him. In truth we are all just as unique as Ignatius J. Riley is but we rarely notice our uniqueness or come to grips with our isolation. We are all misunderstood and frustrated with our inability to express ourselves and our inability to pursuade others of what we know is right. This is not a book about heroes with a happy ending. There is no didactic, simple message here about good vs. evil. Those people, who read this book and reject it because they don't like the characters, fail to see the point, that we are all a crazy mixed up mess of good and bad. There can be no simple message in the mess. We are after all... human, we are fallible. We are stupid about some things, smart about others. We succeed and we fail. We are all industrious and lazy to some degree. We are locked into this absurd existence, but to be human and aware and alive is to endure our absurdity with glee and joy of life wherever we can get it even if it's just a guilty hotdog, to laugh at it all. Because we are all part of it, and if we could stand back and look at it from the outside, we would see it is wonderful. This is a book for beatniks during the rightwing, conformist '50s. A book for anyone who has ever known they were right about something despite being a minority of one in a crowd of thousands of idiots. A book for flawed people who can still be amused by their flaws. A book for outsiders who have retained their dignity in dirty clothes. So just read it and take it for what it is. Enjoy the crazies and clowns while you still can.
Rating:
Summary: Clearly the greatest novel ever written
Review: This book surpasses all other as the greatest novel ever. Hilariously entertaining, A Confederacy of Dunces describes the life of Ignatius J. Reilly, a slob of a man, a rebel against society and a spellbinding character. In no other book have I ever been so pleased by the author. John Kennedy Toole deserves to be placed among the greatest authors of all time.
Rating:
Summary: Absolute joy
Review: As I neared the end of the book I was extremely disaappointed...not by the book...but by the fact that it was almost over. Amazing use of the English language makes this book an absolute joy to read.
Rating:
Summary: Indescribable
Review: Ignatius J. Reilly is a corpulent thirty-year-old who lives with his mother in New Orleans. He deems himself the intellectual master of nearly all those with whom he comes in contact. He has no job as the story commences, but is coerced into finding work by his fed-up mother. The zaniness that follows can only be appreciated first-hand, so further attempt at a depiction of the plot line is neither necessary nor actually possible. John Kennedy Toole demonstrates a touch of genius in this indescribable satire, a genius that never got a chance to flower, as he was already dead when this book was published. His social commentary, although almost always hilarious, carries an undercurrent of despair. The multiple sub-plots and the incredible cast of characters give this novel such a rich and layered texture that a re-reading (or two or three) is almost a must. Truly one of the most unique books I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: Well whats the making of a great novel? Well I laughed out loud many times I got mad many times,and even felt sympathy. In my mind thats the making of a great novel. The preachings and philosophies of Ignatius are out of this world,and the reactions he creates from bosses,people on the streets,friends,and anybody he comes in contact with are madcap hilarious.Its a shame Toole let life get the best of him,He would have been stupendously funny.
Rating: 
Summary: Comedy without meaning
Review: This is a very funny book. The author has an extremely adept comic touch. Most of the humors one finds in fiction are based on irony, witticism, one-liner, and similar "static play", to be able to write a farce, larger-than-life action-oriented comedy is no small feat, and A Confederacy of Dunces does that almost perfectly. The story moves at a nice rythmn, with fresh comical relief just about where one gets a little tired. A page turner for sure. However, to echo another reviewer's comment, I failed to find deep meaning from all the actions. What is the archetype Ignatius represents? What social or whatever profession the author is trying to make and advance? Does it have to do with a over-30 manchild living with his mother? A clock-work society rejecting the eccentric and, in some way, innocent? Some water color of New Orleans? The book can be said to touch on all these, plus several other subjects (the strike, the porno trade, etc), but does not do a deep enough job for the reader to get it. As a Seinfeld sort of comedy, the novel is very accomplished and a model for this genre. However, compared to a similarly funny and riotous Catch 22, Mr. Toole's offering reveals its defect.
Rating:
Summary: Entertainingly meaningful
Review: Occasionally I will read a book that causes me to chuckle out loud once or twice. This book made me laugh out loud so often my roommates started worrying about me. The comic relief aside, a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Confederacy
Review: I fell in love with Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces from the first page I read. I literally couldn't put it down. The main character Ignatius J. Reilly, a 30 year-old medivalist who lives at home with his mother and works as a hot dog vender, will either crack you up or seriously disgust you through his frequent loud belches. I found it humorous instead of offensive.
The book has many different subplots of very diverse characters that all tie together by the end of the novel; a classic comedy. The book reflects various characterisitcs of "The Big Easy" through the different scenes and character's "habitats".
Eventually all of the different scenerios tie together at the end through who else, but Ignatuius J.
I would recommend reading this book simply for pleasure. It will literally make you laugh out loud.
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