Customer Reviews

Managing Ignatius: The Lunacy of Lucky Dogs and Life in New Orleans

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
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Being a frequent visitor to the French Quarter (having been born and bred in Baton Rouge), and violently adoring A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES, I was fascinated to read this book, especially as it was written by a historian most well-known for his book on Andrew Jackson Higgins and his development of the LSTs used at Normandy. Strahan's picture of New Orleans nails the truth on the head, but the best part of this immensely entertaining book is the insight one gains into the life of the guys (and gals) who guard the dog carts (with undoubtedly more success than Ignatius himself).

This fun book probably wouldn't have been written but for the fact that Lucky Dog hot dogs figured strongly in the classic New Orleans novel CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES. The author here is the company's long time manager. His subject, affectionately portrayed, are his vendors- drifters, mostly, few of whom, we're told, had driver's licenses while the ones who did couldn't be trusted not to run off with the company van.

For me, the book had a slow start. The author tends to report rather than narrate, summarizing conversations rather than recreating dialogue between people, allowing little of New Orleans' "voice" to come through. Also, although he includes many colorful anecdotes, it takes a while before he develops characters whose stories the reader could follow over the long haul.

There is a good sense of the community involved, though. Here a supervisor climbs through an efficiency apartment window to roust a tardy employee while street bums cheer below. When Strahan finally does let his community develop citizens with recognizable personalities and concerns, the book really takes off. Eventually, even the signature Lucky Dog carts seem like characters in the story.

Local color is understated. (Street life in D.C. sounded just as wild in Strahan's description as that in New Orleans.) Mardi Gras, for example, seemed mostly just another predictable busy period- same as major sporting events. Still, if if you've been to New Orleans it will bring back memories and if you're going, you'll notice things you wouldn't otherwise.

It also captures the French Quarter before it was cleaned up for the 1984 World's Fair and how that eccentric decadence still lingers somewhat. Especially amusing are the way the unflappable vendors resist the efforts of powers great and small to harass them. The best were the incidents involving World's Fair politics.

What a treat it was to read "Managing Ignatius" by Jerry Strahan. I had only recently been introduced to "A Confederacy Of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole and was lucky enough to happen across a review of "Managing Ignatius" on the Internet. Of course, in a matter of days I was having trouble putting down this delightful book. I even took time to give it a meaty thumbs-up in the Waxahachie (Texas) Daily Light newspaper where I was able to even incorporate a photo my friend Liberty took when she was in the French Quarter and spied a Lucky Dogs vendor on a hot July day. For people who are interested in the human condition and the hot dog condition, "Managing Ignatius" (A great title depsite what the Baton Rouge Advocate says) is a must-have for people interested in the outrageous and that glorious city, New Orleans. -Andrew West Griffin in the Lone Star State

As a "Confederacy of Dunces" freak, Strahan's title caught my eye as I was searching for New Orleans travel books. I recommend this funny, engaging book to anyone who enjoys quirky, colorful (and real life!) characters -- but especially to folks planning a vacation to the Big Easy. Playing straight man, Strahan not only humanizes the vendors who hawk Lucky Dogs for a living, he gives readers a real taste of the Quarter.

If you've read Confederacy of Dunces, then this book is the logical follow-up. It delves into the real world of Lucky Dogs...the hotdog vending company in New Orleans that played such a prominent role in John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize winning "Confederacy of Dunces". Incredibly funny, and sometimes a bit disturbing, this book will leave you seeking out your closest hot dog vendor, and leave you with a completely different view of that industry.

Bought this book on a Tuesday night at 9:30PM, was done by midnight the following day (and I had to work that day). Hard to put down.

One of the advantages to jobs at the low-end of the labor pool is one comes in contact with such a broader spectrum of characters than in say, a corporate office. You end up with a lot of stories to tell. In this case, most of the characters are the hot dog vendors that the author must try to manage.

From vendors who warm their shoes and socks in the bun steamer to the author's own negotiating with loan sharks and pimps on behalf of his employees, this book recounts over 20 years spent hawking dogs in New Orleans' french quarter.

A very fun read.

I grew up in New Orleans and spent a lot of time in the Quarter eating "Lucky Dogs" aka Bourbon Street Steaks. The characters are not exaggerations. From the shake down cops, to the vendors from Mars, Jerry is tellin' it for true. A visit with these characters is a great way to pass a good time.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this--a great companion to John Kennedy Toole's A Confederacy of Dunces. What I enjoyed most were the vignettes of collected memories of those who've pushed the weinie carts. I've probably purchased a weinie or two from some of those very people, which reinforces my belief that everyone has a story and that some of our stories are more interesting than others. I'd much rather read anecdotes about the fallen and runaways and drunks and misfits than bios of those more fortunate, like a Donald Trump per se. What you get a sense of in reading "Managing Ignatius" is the importance of life, its simplicity, its pain, its brevity, its humor and joy. There are lots of funny, laugh-out-loud sections in this book. The only detraction is the author's tendency to stray away from the weinie cart pushers and focus on himself and his personal endeavors. These parts I found mostly uninteresting, but not enough to diminish all of what's right with this read. Highly recommended.

This book is part hilarious comedy, part tragedy. It is a walk on the edge that most of us will never experience. This book so accurately portrays the downtrodden and their trials and tribulations without judgement, pity or disrespect. I enjoyed every page. I hope we see more from this author, the true king and manager of the real-life confederacy of dunces.

You didn't have to be there, however if you were, you'll know. Now, if you have ever been in the food service industry, regardless of the establishment, you will recognize these characters and know what it is to "manage" them. This is one of very few books that I read over and over again. I relish just opening it up and reading a few paragraphs. I was joyously
surprised with this gift of a book. It is fluid, fun and more factual then you may want to know! This IS New Orleans. I know. I was born, bread, and fried there. This may be a story for "our" eyes only. I can smell the streets and feel the night. The hot, sweaty, sticky nights, and sticky shoes. I can taste the bourbon from the bottom of the cart...I can feel their pain. This is a great read. Read it before you go there,
or read it on the bus home. Moreover, pass it along. This is a great afternoon read wherever you may be. This is a long story, with a long shelf life. Like my life, so far, it just goes on and on and on......