Rating: 
Summary: A pedantic, impudent buffoon gracefully avoids reality
Review: Most novels follow a story line whose main purpose is simply to reach the end of the book. Rarely, novels come along where the reading of each and every line is a momentous climax unto itself. Every word of A Confederacy Of Dunces counts. There is no filler. There are no lulls in the hilarity and outrageous buffooneries of one Ignatius J. Reilly. Slow, Fat, Awkward, Flatulent, Gastric, Impudent, Boastful. Single words alone don't even begin to describe what can only be understood by experiencing him in his magnificent splendor, as he crusades for causes unknown and victimless injustices. He is at times as simple and uncomplicated as the Big Chief tablets upon which he inscribes his numerous diatribes against the modern world of nearly four hundred years before him. At others, he creates amazingly complex schemes geared expressly toward the purpose of avoiding gainful employment. He is an anti-hero whom we can't help but love and despise in the same instant, surrounded by a cast of equally engrossing simpletons as they try to unsuccessfully reason his motives and actions. A Confederacy Of Dunces is a classic of literature and certainly the funniest book you will ever read
Rating: 
Summary: Full of ludicrous situations
Review: I'm still not sure what to make of "A Confederacy of Dunces." I read it in part because it won the Pulitzer and in part because a reviewer compared "To Say Nothing of the Dog" (a favorite novel of mine) to it. This book has nothing in common with To Say Nothing of the Dog; and I don't know what makes A Confederacy of Dunces (or any book) win the Pulitzer.The main character, Ignatius J. Reilly, is articulate. That is about the only thing he has going for him. He is rude, obese, condescending, masochistic, disgusting and deluded. Believing himself better than everyone and everything he comes across, Ignatius finds himself in a series of odd situations. He sees every movie that comes out, only to shout at the screen "What is this filmed abortion?!" His "valve" closes and causes bloating every time he is faced with something he doesn't like (which is all the time). Ignatius' long-suffering mother tells him to find a job. Despite his odd Oedipal attachment (he is 30 and still lives with his mom), Ignatius screams that she should be lashed for such a suggestion. His first job is at the failing Levy Pants, to do filing. He spends his time creating signs and crosses from cardboard and "files" papers into the garbage. Ignatius' second job is as a hot-dog vendor; he refuses to sell them and eats them all himself. He writes diatribes about the world around him, and progressively gets more and more crazed. His rude, articulate speeches are hilarious in his delusion of self-importance. "A Confederacy of Dunces" is filled with other crazed characters: Ignatius' mother, a policeman forced to go undercover in silly disguises, the ancient Miss Trixie and a professor who doesn't quite seem to fit in to the story. As someone else noted, several characters rely on out-dated stereotypes (a gay man and a black man). This, unfortunately, detracts from otherwise fascinating charaterization. All the characters are linked by Ignatius -- and the complete havoc he wreaks on their lives. Everything Ignatius leaves in his wake comes crashing together in the end. Was this book well-written? Definitely. Was it fast-paced and interesting? Yes. Was it funny, witty and sarcastic? Yes. My only problem is that it's difficult to separate my feelings toward Ignatius from my feelings toward the book. I couldn't stand Ignatius. John Kennedy Toole did a brilliant job creating Ignatius (someone so preposterous yet so believable). Ignatius made me groan and laugh at the same time. I loved the characterization, but I hated Ignatius.
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: 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: Six stars
Review: With some of the best imagery and character descriptions ever to grace a page (think Groom's FORREST GUMP or McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD), this novel is and will remain a classic. God, how I hate to say that, but in this case it's true. Possibly some of the previous readers' disappointment is caused by the fact that this novel has been much hyped, and that's understandable. But try and get past that, realize where this book sits in historical context, and just enjoy this fun, rollicking, over-the-top read. No, it's not perfect--few books are--but it's a great piece of literature and certainly outshines most of the other stuff on the bestseller lists nowadays. Also recommended: Bark of the Dogwood and Slaughter House Five
Rating:
Summary: "Oh my God!"
Review: I cannot praise this book enough. Never before have I laughed out loud so many times while reading a novel. IT IS COMPLETELY BRILLIANT! It has the sadness of "Catcher in the Rye," the existentialism of "Kurt Vonnegut, Jr." and the self-praise of David Brent from "The Office." Whoa! A MUST for any serious home library.
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: Loved this book! It is so funny. This book should have a cult following.
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.
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