About this book
A Confederacy of Dunces is a picaresque novel written by John Kennedy Toole, published in 1980, 11 years after the author died by suicide at the age of 31. The book was published through the efforts of writer Walker Percy (who also contributed a revealing foreword) and Toole's mother, Thelma Toole. In 1981, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, granting posthumous recognition to John Kennedy Toole. The novel has since gained a cult following and is celebrated as a classic of American literature.
Set in New Orleans during the 1960s, A Confederacy of Dunces revolves around the eccentric and socially awkward protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly. Ignatius is an obese, unemployed, highly educated man who lives with his overbearing mother.
The novel follows Ignatius as he navigates various misadventures, often clashing with the world around him due to his pompous intellect and disdain for modern society. Ignatius is a self-proclaimed philosopher and writer who spends most of his time writing in his ever-present journal, "The Journal of a Working Boy," where he criticizes the world's perceived injustices.
Ignatius's life takes an unexpected turn when his mother forces him to find a job to contribute to their finances. His misadventures in the working world lead him to cross paths with a colorful cast of characters, including his eccentric employer, a former girlfriend, a politically active barmaid, a black prostitute, and a policeman who becomes obsessed with exposing Ignatius's alleged communist activities.
The novel's humor lies in the absurd situations, ironic dialogue, and the juxtaposition of Ignatius's intellectual pretensions with the realities of his daily life. Through Ignatius's escapades, the novel explores themes of societal conformity, alienation, and the clash between traditional values and modernity.
First Edition Identification
The first edition of A Confederacy of Dunces was published by Louisiana State Univ Press in 1980. Only 2,500 true first editions were printed, with 1980 on title page, and copyright page without additional printings stated. The first issue dust jacket has a Walker Percy blurb on the rear panel.
Details
- Title A Confederacy of Dunces
- Author John Kennedy Toole
- Binding Hardcover
- Edition 35th Anniversary
- Pages 360
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher LSU Press, Baton Rouge
- Date 2014-08-11
- ISBN 9780807159606 / 0807159603
- Weight 1.48 lbs (0.67 kg)
- Dimensions 9.29 x 6.26 x 1.22 in (23.60 x 15.90 x 3.10 cm)
- Reading level 800
-
Themes
- Cultural Region: Deep South
- Cultural Region: Mid-South
- Cultural Region: Southeast U.S.
- Cultural Region: South
- Geographic Orientation: Louisiana
- Locality: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Library of Congress subjects New Orleans (La.), Mothers and sons
- Library of Congress Catalog Number 2014381531
- Dewey Decimal Code FIC
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