A Confederacy of Dunces (1980)
by John Kennedy Toole
Published by Grove Press
1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
"The perverted (and I suspect quite dangerous) mind of Clyde has devised still another means of belittling my rather invincible being. At first I thought I might have found a surrogate father in teh czar of sausage, the mogul of meat. But his resentment and jealousy of me are increasing daily; no doubt they will ultimately overwhelm him and destroy his mind. The grandeur of my physique, the complexity of my worldview, the decency and taste implicit in my carriage, the grace with which I function in the mire of today's world--all of these at once confuse and astound Clyde." p. 227
I was awestruck at how soundly my expectations of this book were exceeded, I'm compelled to announce that Dunces has decisively toppled the fortress that was Catch-22 as my all-time favorite novel. This astounding coupe by Toole, unfortunately, was bittersweet. Having committed suicide in his early thirties, the author had, tragically, only produced one other novel: The Neon Bible. Although Dunces can best be described as a whimsical comedy, the inner-monologues of Ignatius J. Reilly, the main protagonist, became only increasingly insightful and imaginative as the story progressed. His interactions with the other outrageous characters -- not to be outdone -- were just as satisfying. I do not wish to go into great detail about the events of the novel; I find that fiction is best appreciated when the reader has no preconceptions about the work, but suffice it to say that it should be on the summer reading lists of all who have managed to overlook it. I can only agree whole-heartedly with the pulitzer juries that awarded the book its most prestigous prize, and therefore have no choice but to grant it my highest grade: A+
Next: Interpreter of Maladies (1999) by Jhumpa Lahiri
24: Season Two
This show is too addicting... I already feel a number of withdrawal symptoms... I need more Jack Bauer kicking butt... Season two didn't feel as satisfying as the first, but it's still a cool show, and I can't wait to start watching the next season once I get back in a few days from graduation. B
