A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is not for everyone.  If you need a likable protagonist, or you need your less likable characters to get what’s coming to them, this book will frustrate you to no end.

The very first paragraph of the book may turn your stomach, describing Ignatius J. Reilly, our decidedly unlikable protagonist, in obnoxiously distasteful detail.  But, as I got to know Ignatius, he grew on me.  The way he used language, circumstance, and his fellow humans was so outrageous, it could not help but make a darkly mischievous part of me smile.

Along with the outrageous Mr. Reilly, the author presents a cast of characters, some off-center in their own right, some just ordinary, off-the-street types, but all credible, showing a deep understanding of humanity in their construction.  These characters are swept up in a plot beyond their own control or design, with preposterous coincidences tying disparate story elements together in ways I found highly entertaining.

People tend to love this book or hate it. I love it.

Click here to buy this book from Amazon.com.

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 17th, 2007 at 1:02 AM and is filed under Steve's Picks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.