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I did not like this book at all.
I read this book to fulfill a requirement for a reading challenge. I would have DNF'd it if I hadn't needed to complete it for the challenge. It wasn't for me at all. I heard it was laugh out loud funny, but I don't remember even cracking a smile. I got so tired of hearing about his valve. ¡Dios mío! The bottom line is that he is very intelligent, gross and weird.
- Ignatius fait des bouchées au fromage délicieuses, dit Mme Reilly.
- C'est rudement chic de sa part, dit le vieil homme. Y en a tant qui pensent qu'à courir de nos jours.
- Et si vous la fermiez, vous, enjoignit le policier au vieil homme.
Magasins Abelman
Kansas City, Missouri
USA
M. 1 Abelman, PDG et quasi-mongolien,
Gus Levy, président.
Read full review at: http://thereadingarmchair.blogspot.gr/2015/07/review-confederacy-of-dunces-by-john.html
The central plot of the novel revolves around Ignatius Jacques Reilly, who is forced by his mother to search for a job. But, there are numerous others subplots that in one way or another depend upon Ignatius' actions. These actions caused several turmoils and chaos and I was actually frustrated that in the end Ignatius managed to get away with them. I also felt that some of these subplots, like the one with Miss Trixie and Mrs. Levy, were unnecessary and didn't offer anything to the story. When I came upon these, I felt the urge to just pass those pages.
Ignatius is not a likeable character, but I'm not sure that he was ever intended to be one. He is a medievalist, who doesn't actually enjoy anything, constantly criticises society and has very firm notions. He is thirty years old, but he doesn't have a job. He's not even trying to get one. His mother tries to motivate him, but her endeavours are in vain. In his job interviews, it's like he's trying not to make a good impression. I felt that he was settled in a situation where his mother provided him everything and he was taking advantage of it. Actually, this happened in every situation he was involved and I was surprised how easily all the characters were deceived by him. Personally, I agreed with Myrna Minkoff, his sort of ex-girlfriend, who insisted that he needed human contact and a sexual relationship. But for me, the fact that he caused me such strong emotions is a sign of the effectiveness of Toole's writing.
Is this the funniest story ever written? I wouldn't say so. The absurdity of the situations and the quirky characters were indeed funny. But in the end A Confederacy of Dunces was more a tiring and boring read for me, rather than a humorous one. The good parts were thrown aside by the fact that I didn't care about the characters and the story
it's super funny and i read it at a phase in my life where it was good to learn that just because you think you're smart doesn't mean you're useful.
