A Confederacy Of Dunces [Large Print] (Hardcover)

~ John Kennedy Toole (Author) "A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head..." (more)
Key Phrases: bun compartment, nucular bum, exercising board, Miss Trixie, Levy Pants, Patrolman Mancuso (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Released by Louisiana State University Press in 1980, A Confederacy of Dunces is nothing short of a publishing phenomenon. Rejected by countless publishers and submitted by the authorÂ’s mother years after his suicide, the book won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Today, there are almost two million copies in print worldwide in eighteen languages. Now, for the first time, John Kennedy TooleÂ’s comic masterpiece is available in a large print edition.

Toole’s lunatic and sage novel introduces one of the most memorable characters in American literature, Ignatius Reilly, whom Walker Percy dubs "slob extraordinaire, a mad Oliver Hardy, a fat Don Quixote, a perverse Thomas Aquinas rolled into one." Set in New Orleans, A Confederacy of Dunces outswifts Swift, one of whose essays gives the book its title. As its characters burst into life, they leave the region and literature forever changed by their presence—Ignatius and his mother; Miss Trixie, the octogenarian assistant accountant at Levi Pants; inept, wan Patrolman Mancuso; Darlene, the Bourbon Street stripper with a penchant for poultry; Jones the jivecat in spaceage dark glasses.

Included here is the introduction that writer and New Orleans resident Andrei Codrescu composed for the bookÂ’s twentieth anniversary. Set in oversized type for ease in reading, the large print edition will gratify both first-timers seeking to discover this modern-day classic and longtime afficionados wishing to reread a favorite novel.

About the Author

A native of New Orleans, John Kennedy Toole (1937–1969) was educated at Tulane University and Columbia University, and taught at Hunter College, the University of Southwestern Louisiana, and Dominican College. Much of the first draft of Confederacy was written while he was in the army, stationed in Puerto Rico teaching English to new recruits.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 640 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (September 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807130087
• ISBN-13: 978-0807130087
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #150,086 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite book!, July 10, 2009

By	avid reader "Amy" (Northport, NY) - See all my reviews

This is the funniest, most original, most outrageous book i have ever read. I laughed out loud until i cried. This book is brilliant!!!!!!!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, March 16, 2009

By	Frances "Fran" (Virgin Islands) - See all my reviews

This is an incredibly funny and intelligent book. I initially borrowed it from the library, but ended up buying copies for friends. Next, I will have to get one for myself. It is a read you will want to read again and again. A Pulitzer Prize winner.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wildly funny, August 28, 2007

By	Readsalot (TX, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is one of the best books I have ever read (multiple times). Once you get the flavor of the New Orleans dialogue, you will laugh through the entire book. I'm just sorry they have not yet made a movie from it. Ignatius is hysterical.