Yeah, Burma Jones. One of the “heroes” of the book.
I don’t see Ignatius as the “hero” of the book, but rather his mother. She’s the character that grows the most and the one you root for the most. Her dialect is also quite different and reflects the classic “who dat” accent of the area (which he explains in the beginning of the novel is born from the same immigrant mix as New Jersey.)
Whatever humor was there was lost on me.
I encountered it for the first time just a few years ago, and enjoyed it a fair amount, though it dragged at times.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
I had no idea this book was so divisive. It’s kind of like when I found out some people absolutely loathed The Catcher in the Rye. I wonder if there’s any crossover there with people who hate Confederacy.
I’ll have to go back and re-read it now that it’s 10 years on since I first read it and see if my opinion has changed at all.
After my failed attempt at reading Confederacy of Dunces, I have to admit to wondering if it was one of those books where most people didn’t actually read it; but only said they did. Furthermore, they said they they thought it was a great book rather than admit they didn’t care for the book or find it funny since everyone else said it was such a great read.
Now that I’ve aged a few years since my last attempt; I’ll try again.
I would not be surprised. I haven’t opened Catcher in 25 years, but I remember thinking that Holden was a whiny bitch, much like Ignatius.
Yeah, the protagonists have that in common. I can’t say I related to Holden or Ignatius, but that’s what I loved about them. Despite their misanthropy and annoying self-centered natures, I found something endearing about both of them. I just enjoyed seeing the world through their cynical or delusional eyes. And both books were a breezy, easy read, with a writing style I enjoy and exactly the kind of humor I love.
I absolute love it. OTOH I cannot get into the Tolkien-verse or C.S. Lewis or Jane Austen or Virginia Woolf or many other authors generally heralded as great to save my life, and I also hate T-bone steak and beer, so I put it down to a difference in taste.
That said, I would be curious whether most people who hate J.K. Toole also hate Flannery O’Connor. Toole worshiped O’Connor, and while he was the much funnier writer [imo] and was more farcical than she ever even considered being, you can see her influence on his work. For those who’ve responded here who’ve read both, do you dislike them both or like one/the other not so much?
I’ve read both and I like O’Connor, but didn’t really like Confederacy. Also, I find O’Connor much funnier than Confderacy: leaving a one legged women in a treehouse? that’s comedy gold.
My big complaint with Confederacy is that the author clearly didn’t know what to do with his character. He wound up the mechanism and then it just kind of ran on and on with variations of the same theme.
To be fair, it’s not like he had an editor to give him advice.
I’ve never read it, either. And must confess that the goofy, uninformative cover (the cartoonish papernback one linked to above, not the original) had a lot to do with that.
After reading this thread, I don’t feel any more motivated to read it.
Love it. One of my favorite books. If the humor clicks with you it just works brilliantly.
I don’t recommend it to people though, so I must on some level realize the humor isn’t for everyone. Also haven’t noticed it being “overhyped.”
As for the cover, I absolutely hate covers that ruin your ability to imagine the character as you would see them based on the book. Personally I’m good at ignoring them, but I can think of several examples where people I have recommended a book to told me the cover hurt their enjoyment.
BTW, here’s the statue of Ignatius in New Orleans, located in the spot where the opening scene of the novel takes place (near where Bourbon and Canal St cross). It’s a hotel now but at the time it was a department store.
The statue is based on an actor that played the character in a lot of New Orleans productions of the stage play. Not quite as fat as he’s described in the novel but it’s a cool statue nonetheless. I like the expression on his face.
One thing I loved about the book was that the city itself was a character. You smell New Orleans as you read that book.
I find this a good description. I found the character unlikable. This by itself isn’t a dealbreaker, but I found him uninteresting. Not really all that funny.
I didn’t hate it, but much of the humor flew over my head. Or maybe it’s better to say it just didn’t connect with me.
Data point: I mostly liked Catcher in the Rye. Much ore than Confederacy…
I own a copy of it. Never got past chapter one, either. Glad I bought it used.
I read it in the early 80s, when I was in my early 20s. I remember enjoying it, but I have had no interest in re-reading it.
I loved the book but understand it’s not for everybody. I’ve read it twice. The first time I was 14 and hated it, but I re-read it a couple years ago and thought it was hilarious. My friend and I were interviewed for this radio documentary at our local night-of-joy-ish bar here in New Orleans. I can’t find a copy of it, but it would be interesting to see if we made it in- we were absolutely shitfaced, and halfway through some guy started threatening to beat up the BBC guy for tape-recording drunk girls.
Humor is always divisive. I loved it. When I ready it, I always heard Ignatious’ voice as Comic Book Guy.
For some of us, that’s not a ringing endorsement. 
