A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

This is one of those bizarre books that you just can’t put down.  Well, I couldn’t anyway!  It did take me quite some time to read, not because it was a difficult book;  more because it was a very sensual book.  John brings scenes to life through his descriptions of sights, sounds and smells.  Rich, flavoursome and soulful, both in language and imagery!

Let me introduce you to the main character, Ignatius J. Reilly:  “A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in the ears themselves, stuck out on either side like turn signals indicating two directions at once. Full, pursed lips protruded beneath the bushy black moustache and, at their corners, sank into little folds filled with disapproval and potato chip crumbs.”   His character is as abrasive and offensive as the description implies but, every now and again, you do feel a little bit sorry for him.  He’s a man who doesn’t fit in, who feels like he was born at the wrong time and into the wrong circumstances.  His poor, doting mother tries her best to make her son’s life as comfortable and easy as possible but always at the expense of her own health and peace of mind.  Ignatius’s path through the working world is fraught with misadventure steering the reader through a host of sub-plots which are all tied together beautifully at the end by Ignatius himself.

I have read some of the reviews for this book and it seems that it’s a book that you will either love or hate…either way, any book that evokes discussion and debate for whatever reason deserves recognition?

I give this book FOUR COFFEE CUPS  ☕☕☕☕