A Confederacy of Dunces

Rating:
Summary: It is the best book that I have ever read...
Review: When I started to read this book I was suprised to read on and on. Not only did it make me laugh but it made me see so many truths of what is happening around us. Life is not so beautiful as we want it to be and Ignatius is a true seer of reality. He may be stuck in his own world but he takes his readers into fantastic adventures of life. He truly is the New Orleans Don Quixote. All the characters were extremely fascinating as we learned litttle by little about their lives and how they all slowly become connected to one man. The man who is Ignatius Reily and who makes this whole book very funny.

Rating:
Summary: Astonishing
Review: Four years ago, my secretary said to me, "Ignatius and you would have been friends." I had no idea what he meant. He told me to buy this book. I did, that day. I read it all night long. And when I finished late the next morning, I turned back to the first page and read it again. Today, I started reading it for the third time. And I have to say, I find it even more astonishing than ever. If you've read it once (or twice) I can tell you from my personal experience, you can read it again and still find yourself stunned by the brilliance of this novel. At the end of the book, I am always left with this dark sadness. A sadness that the writer, who attempted to get the book published, never knew that thirty years after his death by his own hand, his "unpublished failure" would be, at this writing, #543 on Amazon, nearly twenty years after winning the Pulitzer prize for literature. He never knew the internet, let alone Amazon. I can't help but wonder what he would think if he could see what happened to those 400 some-odd pages he left in his dresser drawer for his mother to find. There's a message here. A message to people who face rejection at first, and then again and again. And that message is that you never know what is around the next corner. Suicide is a bad choice. No matter how hopeless things look. Certainly, part of the interest in this book is because of this very fact; that the author killed himself before knowing how famous the reason he killed himself ever became. But the true brilliance of this book is in black and white, on the page. Page after page. Certainly there are people who don't like or "get" this book. But personally, I wouldn't want to live next door to them.

Rating:
Summary: The animal references are the finishing touch
Review: What kind of pet? JKT's take on the world is different from anyone else's, and this book gives an idea of how things can be at the opposite end of the scale compared to most people today.

Rating:
Summary: Greatest Satirical Work Ever
Review: No words can describes this...hahahahahaha!! I just can not stop laughing man!! JAJAJAJAJAJa!!

Rating:
Summary: The finest novel I have ever read.
Review: Some people retire to play golf or go fishing or travel. I retired so I could have time to read. I have read this book 7 times over the years, and it is simply the best novel I have ever read. I was reading it in the Oakland,Ca. airport one day with tears streaming down my face from laughing. Two people came over and asked the name of the book as they wanted to buy it just from my reaction. I can pick up this book and open any page and start laughing at the manic goings on. I cannot reccommend it highly enough.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely hilarious, unforgettable, enchanting, but sad.
Review: My mother gave me this book some twenty years ago. A prolific reader herself--the best trait I inherited from her--I wondered how she happened upon such a gem. The protagonist is incredibly concerned with his internal workings--has anyone ever had a more in depth relationship with their pyloric valve?--and yet so lazy, as to frustrate every effort to reform him. I have read this book several times in the last two decades, and invariably give my copy to someone else. That's what led me to Amazon to order another one. Please read this book--and cry at the waste of the life of the author. Oh, if he'd only had the longevity of Kurt Vonnegut--he certainly has the wit--who knows how many more masterpieces he could have produced. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't love this novel.

Rating:
Summary: My valve!
Review: It's usually difficult to get involved with a book with characters impossible to relate to... This is the exception. Regardless of how much you want to throttle Ignatius, you find yourself driven to find out what ridiculous situation he throws himself into next. Not all genius is good...

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFULLY FUNNY
Review: This is the funniest book I have ever read and I can say that after reading it 4 times over the last 20 years! It just gets better with each new reading. I have recommended this book to many friends and associates and they have all loved it. The next closest book in terms of humor would be The Sot Weed Factor by Barth which I would also recommend highly.

Rating:
Summary: This is a fine work.
Review: It is amazing the lack of intellect utilized by the one star reviewers. The negative emotion that is spewed by those with a lack of understanding is amazing. This book is about those people, those dunces. Enjoy this book, it is wonderful.

Rating:
Summary: gave it to my Crim Law professor
Review: Most fun i've ever had reading a book. incomparable. After 3 readings, I find more and more subtle details that enrich reading this wondrous novel. It's also a great book simply for describing vagracy laws, which is why i gave it to my criminal law teacher. A great tourguide to New Orleans as well, needless to say.