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A Confederacy of Dunces

A Confederacy of Dunces

A Confederacy of Dunces
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

A Confederacy of Dunces

by John KennedyToole

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10
0807106577
ISBN 13
9780807106570
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Item Price
$43.95
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About This Item

Louisiana, 1980. Used - Good. Good condition. Good dust jacket. 4th printing. Slightly dampstained. In protective mylar cover. From the collection of Charles Edward Roberts, owner and founder of Wonder Book & Video. With his custom bookplate on front pastedown. (Humorous Fiction)

Synopsis

A Confederacy of Dunces is a picaresque novel written by John Kennedy Toole, published in 1980, 11 years after the author died by suicide at the age of 31. The book was published through the efforts of writer Walker Percy (who also contributed a revealing foreword) and Toole's mother, Thelma Toole. In 1981, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, granting posthumous recognition to John Kennedy Toole. The novel has since gained a cult following and is celebrated as a classic of American literature. Set in New Orleans during the 1960s,  A Confederacy of Dunces revolves around the eccentric and socially awkward protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly. Ignatius is an obese, unemployed, highly educated man who lives with his overbearing mother. The novel follows Ignatius as he navigates various misadventures, often clashing with the world around him due to his pompous intellect and disdain for modern society. Ignatius is a self-proclaimed philosopher and writer who spends most of his time writing in his ever-present journal, "The Journal of a Working Boy," where he criticizes the world's perceived injustices. Ignatius's life takes an unexpected turn when his mother forces him to find a job to contribute to their finances. His misadventures in the working world lead him to cross paths with a colorful cast of characters, including his eccentric employer, a former girlfriend, a politically active barmaid, a black prostitute, and a policeman who becomes obsessed with exposing Ignatius's alleged communist activities. The novel's humor lies in the absurd situations, ironic dialogue, and the juxtaposition of Ignatius's intellectual pretensions with the realities of his daily life. Through Ignatius's escapades, the novel explores themes of societal conformity, alienation, and the clash between traditional values and modernity.

Read More: Identifying first editions of A Confederacy of Dunces

Reviews

On Dec 7 2004, Pazzo Books said:
One of the most built up novels of all time - while it didn't fall flat on its face by any means, the build up ruins it. Extremely funny at times, but impossibly uneven. If no one has ever told you it's the best book ever, give it a try.

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Details

Bookseller
Wonder Book US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
N01A-02721
Title
A Confederacy of Dunces
Author
John KennedyToole
Book Condition
Used - Good
Binding
Hardcover
ISBN 10
0807106577
ISBN 13
9780807106570
Publisher
Louisiana, 1980
Place of Publication
Baton Rouge
This edition first published
1980

Terms of Sale

Wonder Book

RETURNS are cheerfully accepted up to 30 days. We ship out within 1-2 business days and U.S. Standard Shipments usually arrive within 6-9 business days, Priority 3-6.

About the Seller

Wonder Book

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2003
Frederick, Maryland

About Wonder Book

With 3 stores less than 1 hour outside the DC/Metropolitan area (1 in Gaithersburg, 1 in Frederick and 1 in Hagerstown, MD), we have the largest selection of books in the tri-state area. Wonder Book and Video has been in business since 1980 and online since 1997. We have over 1 Million books for sale on our website and another 1 Million books for sale in our 3 locations. We have a very active online inventory and as such, we can receive multiple orders for the same item. We fill those orders on a first come first serve basis, but will refund promptly any items that are out of stock. Since 1980 it has always been about the books. ALL kinds of books from 95 cent children\'s paperbacks to five figure rare and collectibles. A merging of the old and new is where we started, and it is where we are today. Our retail stores have always been places where a reader can rush in looking for a title needed for a term paper that is due the next day, or where bibliophiles can get lost \"in the stacks\" for as long as they wish. In 2002 USAToday recognized us as \"1 of 10 Great Old Bookstores\", and we have been featured in numerous other newspaper and TV stories including Washington Post and CSpan.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Jacket
Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
Bookplate
Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...

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