A Confederacy of Dunces (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)

~ John Kennedy Toole (Author), Walker Percy (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The ordinary folk of New Orleans seem to think he is unhinged as well. Ignatius ignores them as he heaves his vast bulk through the city's fleshpots in a noble crusade against vice, modernity and ignorance. But his momma has a nasty surprise in store for him. Ignatius must get a job. Undaunted, he uses his new-found employment to further his mission - and now he has a pirate costume and a hot-dog cart to do it with ...

About the Author

John Kennedy Toole was born in New Orleans in 1937. He received a master's degree in English from Columbia University and taught at Hunter College and at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He wrote A Confederacy of Dunces in the early sixties and tried unsuccessfully to get the novel published; depressed, at least in part by his failure to place the book, he committed suicide in 1969. It was only through the tenacity of his mother that her son's book was eventually published and found the audience it deserved. His long-suppressed novel The Neon Bible, written when he was only sixteen, was eventually published as well. A Confederacy of Dunces won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (March 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141182865
• ISBN-13: 978-0141182865
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #52,046 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The funniest book I've ever read, September 3, 2008

By	Hibiscus Queen "Ars gratia artis" (Florida) - See all my reviews

I've read this masterpiece many times since it was published and, each time, I laugh out loud as if I were reading it for the first time. The characters are sterling, the plotting flawless and the writing witty. From its first description of Ignatius waiting for his momma outside the D.H. Holmes store to its conclusion--every loose end tied into as thick a braid as Ms. Minkoff's hair--this book is a priceless treasure.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All Time Favorite, April 30, 2009

By	James C. Arrington (SOUTH CAROLINA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I AM CURRENTLY FINISHING UP MY FOURTH READING OF CONFEDERACY. I LOVE TO GET INTO EACH CHARACTER WHEN READING IT TO MY WIFE. I HAVE NEVER LAUGHED HARDER WHEN READING ANY BOOK. IT ONLY GETS BETTER EACH TIME. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT ON FILM, BUT I CAN SEE IT PLAYING IN MY HEAD EACH TIME. AWESOME.IF YOU HAVE NOT READ IT, YOU MUST.

5.0 out of 5 stars Funniest book ever written, December 8, 2009

By	Steve (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

I just bought this book for my college aged nephew for Christmas. I first read the book back in the eighties. Since that time I have passed it on, in one form or another, to dozens of people. All have enjoyed it immensely. My wife and I play a running game when we're out in public. We'll spot someone who is Myrna Minkoff, Santa Battaglia, or Ignatius. We are constantly patrolling for "suspicious characters." What an absolute hoot. If you have ever lived in or around New Orleans, it is even better.