A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole - Book Chat
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- Опубликовано: 15 май 2020
- A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole was originally published in 1980. I read a 1987 paperback edition.
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Other Works Mentioned:
The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius
American Philosophy: A Love Story by John Kaag
I've read this book multiple times. It's one of my all-time favorite things - I am blown away by how intricately hilarious it is every single time I read it. "Oh Fortuna, you capricious sprite!"
Hahahaha!! I laugh every time with that line... :)
Very fine review of this most excellent novel. I purchased my copy from an independent book store in New Orleans just a few months prior to Katrina. Love this novel...
My friend Holditch knew the author. He helped adapt it to a play. I would like to continue that work too.
It is the best description of New Orleans life describing its soul.
At some point I would like to write a philosophical review.
If you do write such a review please come back and share it here! This book has so many layers but first and foremost it's a delight to read. How wonderful that you are one degree of separation from the author! He must have been an amazing person.
I would travel many miles to see this play once in production! Another great excuse to fly to New Orleans (after the pandemic, of course!). Love this book!
The point of the book is the conflict between a refined world view and the hard mundane reality, loosely based on "the" picaresque novel.
I've heard MANY people saying this was one of their favorite books of all time, but I've not read it!
Well I hate to recommend it because on a couple of occasions when I have the person couldn't get into it and I was crushed. But I love it!
@@EarnestlyEston , I believe British Comedian Billy Connelly said this is the funniest book he ever read.
This is my next up book, love the video!
I hope you love it as much as I do!!
Just hearing you say "Miss Trixie" set me of laughing at the book again and I haven't read it for five years or so. 'The Third Policeman' ? (also published posthumously) 'Puckoon'? '
Hi Eston. To my mind Ignacious J. Riley is one of the most brilliant characters ever created. Walker Percey called him a cross between Falstaff and Oliver Hardy, but I think he is so much more. One thing I surmised about this wonderful character is that his distain for society is a projection of his inward or subconscious hate and lack of worth he feels for himself. There is an underlying tone of sadness to this beautiful comedy. Toole created such a cast of unforgettable characters such as Miss Trixie. Did you feel that Myrna was Ignacious' female counter-part? They both lived in their own view of the world which is totally unrelated to reality. I am with you, I think a person could read this book over and over and still laugh. Thanks for a great discussion of this wonderful book.
Hi Lillian. I can't help but wonder how much of the author is in Ignatius and what of the author's own struggles are reflected there. I read that the character is in part modeled on a professor he had at some point as well as the author himself. He is for sure one of the most singular characters in all of fiction. I agree that Myrna is the counterpart to Ignatius.... he hates modernity, she embraces it - He's repulsed by sex (with other people...lol) while she is the opposite, etc. Also, I think Jones is a counterpoint because Jones wants nothing more than to find a job and work but he can't due to racism and Ignatius but yet work is the last thing Ignatius wants to do! It's so hilarious that Mancuso can't manage to find a "character" in New Orleans because literally everyone including himself is quite a character hahaha. There was so much more that I could've talked about but I try to keep the chats to less than 15 minutes... Ignatius' valve, the political takeover of the world by homosexuals, etc :) This book never gets old... it's classic.
he coudnt just hate society?
I just bought Confederacy of Dunces in Co. Limerick Ireland. It has a different front cover to this guy talking here.
One of my all time favorite American novels, to boot! Good one 🤘🍀😷 "My valve!"
Oh - I meant to talk about Ignatius' valve on the chat!! Hahaha.
@@EarnestlyEston So fun-KNEE! 😉
I finished it today. One of the best books I´ve ever read. Good for anyone´s valve xD
Hahahaha... yes it is!
Aren’t we all spinning into oblivion on Fortunas silly wheel
Why is it that the audiobooks I've come across don't match the text in my copy? I was trying to emulate a sort of read-along session, yet sometimes whole paragraphs of the book are missing. Was it that heavily edited by someone else that the version I had shipped in on Amazon does not correspond with other prints?
Sounds like maybe the audiobook version that you have is abridged? Surely the book itself wouldn't have edited out any text. I'm not sure what is going on with the editions that you have :/
I disagree with your statement at 13:13 . Officer Mancuso is NEVER on a hunt for gays and blacks as your narrative implies. He is instructed to essentially fill an arrest quota of what his superior refers to as "suspicious characters". In fact, Officer Mancuso's first attempt in the novel to arrest someone is Ignatius who is neither black or gay. [EDIT] Three lesbian women ARE arrested later in the book but not because they are gay, but rather because they are involved in a riot, the cause of which had nothing to do with their sexual orientation. Toole pokes fun at many ethnic groups, religion, senior citizens, gays, hippies and the corporate establishment, but never with meanness. In fact many of these characters emerge as heroic at the end of the novel (including to a certain extent the three gay woman).
Yellow Legal Size Pads??
Big Chief was kind of like a legal pad only much cheaper brown paper (as I remember them). Apparently they are still around... www.fishpond.com/Stationery/Big-Chief-Writing-Tablet-Primary-Grades-Springfield-20cm-X-30cm-48-Sheets/0783583997935?US&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs9W5jJq56QIVvOy1Ch2AfAxfEAQYASABEgLPwfD_BwE
@@EarnestlyEston Thank you! That does sound and look familiar! I grew up in Brooklyn in the 50's and 60's.