A Confederacy of Dunces
November 8th 2006 09:01
'A Confederacy of Dunces' is a Pullitzer Prize-winning piece of classic literature. It is also the only novel written by John Kennedy Toole, who committed suicide 11 years before the book was published. It also happens to be an extremely funny and original work... very well-written, enigmatic in it's construction and meaning, at turns hilarious and tragic, and memorable if only for the circumstances surrounding it's conception, publication and canonisation.
Ignatius J. Reilly is an obese home-bound would-be academic. He is 30 years old, an adamant virgin, lives with his alcoholic put-open mother, and rallies against all facets of modern society from his bedroom in New Orleans. He is obsessed with his 'valve' (his anus) and it's emissions, he worships Fortuna (a medieval concept concerning fate and destiny), he despises pretty much everyone around him, and has no sense of responsibility for his actions. The book begins with Ignatius and his mother visiting a rather seedy bar, from whence a series of events encapsulating a variety of memorable characters spreads out like some kind of web... the threads of which will tie back together once again by the book's end.
When Ignatius' mother crashes their car into a building, the bill turns out to be quite substantial. Following the advice of a friendly and rather pathetic policeman named Mancusso, Mrs. Reilly puts her foot down and demands that her son starts to seek employment. Ignatius is indignant at first but soon seizes the opportunity as a chance to conduct a social experiment... he will keep a diary of his adventures in the work force. At first, Ignatius finds a job in a down-at-heel pants factory, where he quickly sets about transforming the company into a dynamic business. His boss is very impressed with what Ignatius appears to be doing, but Ignatius is a bit of an unknown quantity... he destroys important files, insults clients via letters, and incites the black workers to rise up and kill their white employer.
This is only a small fraction of the book's events... Ignatius also finds work as a hotdog vendor (much to his mother's disgust and shame), becomes enamoured with a woman in a pornographic picture, tries to organise the New Orleans' gay community into an almighty gay army that he can use to take over the world, and generally gets into all sorts of mischief - all with self-important delusions of grandeur.
Ignatius would have to go down as one of the greatest and most original literary creations in modern times. No character has ever come across in equal amounts as loathsome, diabolical, self-righteous, sympathetic, unsympathetic, amusing or disgusting. His interaction with the book's other characters provide the high points of the novel... not too far into it I was already looking forward to any sequence involving Ignatius. And whenever he met a new character I knew I was in for some laughs. I've never laughed out loud whilst reading a book the way I did with this. 'A Confederacy of Dunces' other high point would have to be it's recreation of New Orleans... it's squalor, it's cosmopolitan shine, the kind of degenerate characters who cheerfully fill it's nooks and crannies, the unique rhythms of language they speak. Toole did a real good job.
The tragedy of this fine piece of work is that Toole poured so much into it, sent it off to a publishers, and got denied. The book was turned down, and Toole was so dejected that he killed himself. His mother (reputed to be a domineering and somewhat unhinged woman) shopped the book around relentlessly between 1969 and 1980. Eventually someone published it, and the book won the Pullitzer Prize. It's sad that it had to be that way... a pyrrhic victory, and a very good book that we might never have gotten to experience.
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Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Actually, I only picked this up because I found it in a bargain bin for about a dollar. It's been sitting on my shelf for a year and I only got around to reading it last week.
How do you want to give me that $10 champ?
Comment by Keira
Keira's Blog
Sucks to be dead when you finally become famous...
Looked up Tucker Max - looks like a toolbag. But thats just me.
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Who is he?
Comment by Keira
Keira's Blog
Here is an excerpt from the site...
My name is Tucker Max, and I am an asshole.
I get excessively drunk at inappropriate times, disregard social norms, indulge every whim, ignore the consequences of my actions, mock idiots and posers, sleep with more women than is safe or reasonable, and just generally act like a raging dickhead.
But, I do contribute to humanity in one very important way. I share my adventures with the world.
Sounds... great?
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior