A Confederacy of Dunces

A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

Ignatius J. Reilly intends to publish a brilliant work of writing that will influence minds everywhere so that everyone will behave according to the laws of theology and geometry. Unfortunately, his inspiration comes in spurts of a page or two every few weeks or months, so his brilliant ideas, though well-articulated, are only semi-complete. In the meantime, he has to work, which interferes with his worldview in so many ways, least of which is because it inflames his valve. Although finding a job happens easily enough, keeping the job is the harder part. Incensed by an old girl friend (it’s hard to say whether she is a girl friend or a girlfriend, you can decide for yourself) who is constantly seeking a cause in order to make the world a better place, Reilly attempts to outdo her revolutionary actions, using his various workplaces as his causes. The resulting shenanigans, misunderstandings, and general problems show how even the best of us can end up on the wrong side of a situation – or is it that the worst of us cause our own trouble by being stubborn and short-sighted?

“A Confederacy of Dunces” is a hilarious and disgusting satire. Reilly, an articulate character with the only correct worldview in the wrong century, is overweight and unwashed, and thoroughly delights in the sin of gluttony (although I doubt he would call it a sin). At some points as I was reading this book, I found myself blanching at descriptions of his actions. But more often, I found myself laughing at his critique of all the fools in his life, which of course includes everyone else in his life. When describing his girl friend’s latest protest movement, he says that “her logic was a combination of half-truths and clichés, her worldview a compound of misconceptions deriving from a history of our nation as written from the perspective of a subway tunnel.” A very original insult and bitingly accurate if I do say so myself. Toole takes the best of intentions and sets them against the worst, broken down, most disgusting, and horribly human of backgrounds. This result is a book that emphasizes human error, stupidity, prejudice, optimism, idealism, and compromise in order to create a life that one is happy with.

I loved this book. I laughed out loud so many times while I was reading it. I was also grossed out by a few more graphic descriptions of bodily functions, but I’m sure someone in the audience will love the bathroom humor. The ending threw me a little bit, mostly because the story could have easily continued from where it cut off, but it was an excellent read. You should definitely pick this one up.