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A Confederacy of Dunces [First Edition, Eighth Printing]
by Toole, John Kennedy; Percy, Walker (Foreword)
- Used
- Fine
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Fine/Fine
- ISBN 10
- 0807106577
- ISBN 13
- 9780807106570
- Seller
-
Rapid River, Michigan, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Baton Rouge and London: Louisiana State University Press, 1980. 1980 at title page and copyright page. Stated eighth printing. Oatmeal colored full cloth boards, black stylized spine titles, fine. Matte mustard lime endpapers. Pages fine; no writing. Bind fine, square. Dust wrapper, slight wear; unclipped 14.95, protected in new clear sleeve. Wrapper features gold medallion at front panel: "Winner of The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction". Sadly, the author, John Kennedy Toole, took his own life at 32, after facing consistent rejection from nearly every American publisher. Toole's mother, finally was able to have her son's work posthumously published; and, as fate would have it, the satirical novel won the Pulitzer Prize. "A masterwork of comedy... pungent slapstick, sature and intellectual incongruities... make for a grand comic fugue" (New York Time). Presented here is "a great slob of a man in violent revolt against the entire twentieth century!" This book's unusual path to success began in 1976 when John Kennedy Toole's mother Thelma, using a walker, hobbled into the office of novelist Walker Percy at Loyola University. She was followed by a chauffeur carrying a manuscript that she told Mr. Percy was a ''masterpiece''. Percy reluctantly agreed to read it. He became entranced as he read, and decided that the novel was ''a major achievement, a huge comic-satiric-tragic one-of-a-kind rendering of life in New Orleans.'' After several more publishers rejected the book, Louisiana State University Press agreed to take a chance with a first printing of only 2,500. The soon to be Pulitzer Prize winner went on to 50,000 copies in hard cover and nearly 600,000 in paperback within three years. Manufactured in the United States of America. 338 pages. Insured post.. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. Illus. by Lindlof, Ed (Wrapper Illustration). 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" Tall.
Synopsis
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.
Read More: Identifying first editions of A Confederacy of Dunces [First Edition, Eighth Printing]
Reviews
On Dec 7 2004, Pazzo Books said:
One of the most built up novels of all time - while it didn't fall flat on its face by any means, the build up ruins it. Extremely funny at times, but impossibly uneven. If no one has ever told you it's the best book ever, give it a try.
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Details
- Bookseller
- BiblioStax
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 020847
- Title
- A Confederacy of Dunces [First Edition, Eighth Printing]
- Author
- Toole, John Kennedy; Percy, Walker (Foreword)
- Illustrator
- Lindlof, Ed (Wrapper Illustration)
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Fine
- Edition
- First Edition
- ISBN 10
- 0807106577
- ISBN 13
- 9780807106570
- Publisher
- Louisiana State University Press
- Place of Publication
- Baton Rouge and London
- Date Published
- 1980
- Size
- 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾
- Keywords
- MOTHERS SONS FICTION NEW ORLEANS
Terms of Sale
BiblioStax
Satisfaction is guaranteed. Refund will be negotiated and granted for sufficient reason.
About the Seller
BiblioStax
Biblio member since 2005
Rapid River, Michigan
About BiblioStax
We specialize in modern rarities and other hard to find materials. Items are accurately and fully described. Open communication and satisfaction is our goal.
Glossary
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- Cloth
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- New
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- Copyright page
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- Fine
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- First Edition
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- Spine
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- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
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