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Summary: Rare combination of comedy and great literature
Review: The story is well-known that John Kennedy O'Toole killed himself before he and his wonderful book could be discovered thanks to the insistent efforts of his mother. What is less well-known is just how enjoyable reading this book is. Ignatius O'Reilly is one of the finest, most amusing characters ever to walk through the pages of a book. Once you meet him, he'll occupy a permanent little corner in your mind and you'll laugh every time you remember.
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Summary: Brilliant or Trash?
Review: A couple of chapters into Confederacy, I was unsure if the book was pure genius or complete trash. Ignatius Reilly is so incredibly irritating. Imagine George Costanza, only several times more intelligent, political, fatter and self-absorbed. And much less likeable.Even half way through, I wasn't sure if I loved it or hated it - probably both. I'm not sure why I kept reading. Schadenfreude is the most likely reason - it's almost like watching a really bad accident in progress. In the end though, I thought it was brilliant, although I can understand those who hate it - there's a very fine line with this kind of work. It's a biting, dark satire, not funny in a laugh out loud kind of way (though there are a couple of moments,) but in an ironic, wicked way. New Orleans and the characters that inhabit its streets are wonderfully rendered, providing a great backdrop and foil for Ignatius. Pick up this book and keep at it - it's worth it, even if you hate it in the end.
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Summary: My own private stress-buster
Review: This is an amazing book-- for the way it was published as well as the content. The first copy I bought ( Inow have at least 3) is nearly worn out because I kept it in my desk drawer when I was working, and when I got too stressed out, I'd just grab good ole Ignatius and very soon, the stress was all gone. There's nothing like an evening at the Night of Joy Bar to alleviate stress! My only regret is that the dumb old publishing powers that were in his day didn't latch onto this masterpiece so that Toole would still be with us. I wish I knew what happened in that car on the way to New York!
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Summary: My valve!
Review: This is the greatest book ever. Truly a masterpiece. Sad to know that John Kennedy Toole committed suicide over his depression when he could not get it published, then his mother took on the quest, got it published posthumously, and it won the Pulitzer Prize! I have read most of the Pulitzer books, and this is one that really truly deserves it. Read it, you will certainly be well entertained.
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Summary: Didn't know reading could be this fun
Review: I highly, highly recommend this book. You will undoubtably laugh out loud till you cry. This book is for the highly intellegent. If you think you are part of this selective group, read the book.
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Summary: Pure Genius
Review: Every once in a while, a highly touted book comes along that lives up to it's reputation. All of the praise on the cover and the inside pages, the flattering forward by Walker Percy, even the Pulitzer Prize, do not go far enough in paying homage to this rambling, raucous, comic explosion of a novel. The theme is summed up perfectly by the Jonathan Swift quote from which John Kennedy Toole found his title: "When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him." Ignatius J. Reilly, the fleshy 30 year old anti-hero protagonist is this genius, a giant of a man who helps us to see the absurdity of our times and the foolishness of our pursuits. In his misadventures, the highly educated but slothful Reilly propels himself through New Orleans, leaving a trail of havoc in his wake. This is the only book I've ever read that had me laughing uncontrollably. This is the kind of book that makes you miss your stop on the train. At the same time it is very sad, as all great books are. It is our loss that Toole committed suicide at the age of 32, before this epic tragicomedy was published and before he could add one or two more great novels to the American canon.
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Summary: One of my best reads
Review: I have not read thousands of books. Not even hundreds. But I know an exceptional book when I read it. To me the fact that this book kept me from putting it down even when I was exhausted from my day was proof enough. You will not find such a great gathering of characters with such distinct and original peronalities in any other novel. A true gem. Ignatius J. Reilly will not be forgotten for as long as I live. I can only thank Thelma Toole for not letting her son's work go to waste.
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Summary: one word: brilliant
Review: simply brilliant.
... A Confederacy of Dunces has been described as "the only successful satire ever written by an american author." This being so, does a satire need to be funny in order to poignant? True, Toole's wit by far makes A Confeceracy of Dunces a hilarious work, but if one doesn't find it amusing is it not successful? Of course not. Satires are not meant to be necessarily funny. The greatest satirist ever, Jonathan Swift, upon publishing A Modest Proposal, had people believing every word he said, ready to slaughter Irish babies in order to solve the hunger problem in Ireland.
But it was not found to be humorous. What makes a satire successful is the fact that it reveals basic humans truths through a slew of characters and mocks those truths. Ignatius doesn't need to "evolve" to make him a brilliant work of satirical fiction. He represents the naysayers, the traditionalists, the purists, the holier-than-thous who are so stuck in their preconceptions that they can't see past their own unkept lifestyles. Ignatius' way is the only way, for him, and this is why his character is brilliant. The humor behind Ignatius is not necessarily how he acts, but what he is willing to do to prove himself correct and to prove other people, namely his mother, to be lower than dirt. Ignatius' self righteousness can be seen in almost anyone, to an extent, or someone we all know, not necessarily because we would actually act in that way, but because it's so bizarre and extremist. The other characters are meant as a backdrop for Ignatius' ludicrous behaviour, but each can stand as an independent character. God help us if Hollywood decides to make a movie revolving around Lana Lee.
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Summary: Deceptive!
Review: Just when you think you've forgotten this delicious book, a memory will pop up regarding the chattering Miss Trixie... or perhaps a bottle of Dr Nutt. If you like quirky characters and implausible but sadly realistic story lines, do yourself a favor. Read it.
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Summary: Laughing Out Loud!!!!!
Review: Don't be dissuaded from owning this book and consequently not being able to share it with kindred spirits. Reviewers "egreg1" and "A Reader" don't get it. This Pulitzer Prize winning kind of humor must be too sophisticated for their limited world view. From reading their "thoughts", I would conjecture they have a problem with the "politically incorrect" nature of many of the sentiments of our protagonist. This book was written in the sixties and is a fiction. And what a gem it is. I have read it twice now, and will I'm sure, read it again and again. There is not a boring page or line in the book. You can open to just about anywhere and crack a smile. The first time I read this classic I was on a plane laughing out loud. People around me demanded to know what I was reading. People who do not genuinely enjoy this master work say more about themselves than about the author.
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