A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (8)

This book tested my ability to endure disgusting characters, unrelated scenes and unending, argumentative dialogue. I pressed on, hoping for a little direction in the plot, a hint of the main character's fate. It really only comes together in the last 100 pages. Dilemmas are resolved, characters and plots finally intertwine, and even though something eventually (meaning, in the last 8 pages) happens to Ignatius, it is still mysterious.

Ignatius is the most disgusting character in the novel. I was repulsed by descriptions of him. If he was heading for a seat next to you on the subway, you would move. He is a baffling, chronic liar, living in his own version of the universe and hoping for a reversal of the Renaissance. And yet, throughout the book, I pondered the meaning of sanity. Ignatius is odd, obviously, and manipulative and selfish, but is he insane? Maybe we only think people are insane when they disagree with our worldview. First the reader sees Ignatius from one perspective - he is an obese, pseudo-intellectual snob and a lazy, ungrateful son. Then the author's tone changes, and maybe Ignatius isn't so bad, with an alcoholic, abusive mother and some childhood trauma, how could he not become eccentric to cope with his squalid life?

A Confederacy of Dunces could be a thesis subject, but was still a good casual read. Toole writes intuitive, understandable and hilarious dialogue in a variety of accents. The descriptions of characters and settings would be beautiful if the subjects were pleasant. And even when I was completely confused by the events, I still laughed and enjoyed the novel.