September / Comic Novel Reading: A Confederacy of Dunces

[bouquin]

I read part one last night and I'm finding the book really funny for now

My favorite part was when Ms. Reilly tries to get the car out of the parking place....: Big Ignatius sitting in the back of the car yelling at his mother

I also enjoyed the part with the hat :"Please. Don't talk about it anymore. The whole business is sacrilegious". Taking everything out of proportion seems to be one of Ignatius' traits.

The thing about these two characters is that you can't help feeling embarrassed for them.... making a fool of themselves in the bar and after so many hours sitting there not taking the hints of the bartender that they weren't welcome say and the story about the bus ride to Baton Rouge (told four times by Ignatius whilst in the bar) goes to prove that their whole life is like that. Especially that of Ignatius because his mother looks a bit less "idiot" than her son and would probably be better off without him.

About the policemen.... what was sending patrolman Caruso on the streets wearing ballet tights and a yellow sweater about??!... Funny sight though ...!

Has this book been made into a movie? Because so far it certainly looks as though it could...

I am about halfway done with the book and the most comical part for me so far is in Chapter 8 (spoiler warning!)...... when Mrs. Reilly and Mr. Robichaux meet at Santa's house and Angelo is in the kitchen somewhere about to come out anytime. The scene is quite something and the dialogue, too!

If a movie were to be made of Confederacy who would you think could be aptly cast in the role of Ignatius?

[Scheherazade]

Sadly though, I’ve never been too reliable where making commitments are concerned.

And what does Missus say to that?

I am about halfway done with the book and the most comical part for me so far is in Chapter 8 (spoiler warning!)...... when Mrs. Reilly and Mr. Robichaux meet at Santa's house and Angelo is in the kitchen somewhere about to come out anytime. The scene is quite something and the dialogue, too!

There are so many memorable, hillarious scenes! Like when mother sells her hat and Iggy claims emotional injury because of his attachment to the hat... or when he says he will call their lawyers.

If a movie were to be made of Confederacy who would you think could be aptly cast in the role of Ignatius?

How about Philip Seymour Hoffman or Oliver Platt?

[bouquin]

(spoiler warning....)

Another comical scene for me is in Chapter 9 when Darlene rehearses as a Southern belle and starts mixing up ball, balls, beau, bones!

[Sancho]

And what does Missus say to that?

Me and the little lady have a understanding, see.

Hey, I’m starting to sound like Stanley Kowalski now.

Which, of course, moves us to the stage but keeps us in New Orleans. I noticed in Toole’s book, he talked about the Desire Street Bus, perhaps he’s updating or at least tilting his hat towards A Streetcar Named Desire.

[Scheherazade]

Which, of course, moves us to the stage but keeps us in New Orleans. I noticed in Toole’s book, he talked about the Desire Street Bus, perhaps he’s updating or at least tilting his hat towards A Streetcar Named Desire.

From http://knowledgerush.com/kr/encyclopedia/New_Orleans/

There are two active streetcar lines, the Riverfront line (also known as the Ladies in Red since the cars are painted red) which runs parallel to the river from Canal Street through the French Quarter, and the St. Charles line (green cars, formerly connecting New Orleans with the then independent suburb of Carrollton). The city is also the scene of the Tennessee Williams play "A Streetcar Named Desire." The streetcar line to Desire Street became a bus line in 1948, but will be restored as a light rail line.

[bouquin]

I am not sure if Iggy really dislikes all those things he keeps complaining about. I think he actually likes watching all those movies and TV programmes but, like many "intellectuals" out there, he just cannot bring himself to admit that he actually enjoys what "common" people enjoy...

Regarding complaining... I think they all suffer from the ailment of the modern society. Everyone is so willing to be a victim; they are mistreated; their lives are not fair; it is always someone else's fault and they are the unluckiest, poorest creatures ever breathed on this earth... All this could have been acceptable if they were willing to take a step to turn things around for themselves.

Been an interesting, fun reading.

I agree that Ignatius actually likes watching movies, perhaps the more slapstick the better even. It is just that he is trying to pass for an intellectual, he is pretentious and considers himself to have more discriminating taste than everybody else so on the outside he disparages the very same films that he is, in fact, always itching to go watch. He does admit to having a favorite actress though; nevertheless, he says that she commits only blasphemy, vulgarity, horrors, etc. on the scene.

In a Journal entry (Chapter 11) Ignatius writes: I do not understand this compulsion of mine for seeing movies; it almost seems as if movies are "in my blood."
Perhaps that among his other affectations he also thinks that he would make an exceptional actor?

[balehead]

I'm kinda a newbie here; just wondering if I can tag on to this book and if you've all finished it?
How does the club really work? And when are you discussing this particular one?
- What is being read next?

[Scheherazade]

The discussions are on-going so you can read and join anytime you want.

For the next book, please visit here: http://www.online-literature.com/for...ad.php?t=46028

[quote=bouquin]He does admit to having a favorite actress though; nevertheless, he says that she commits only blasphemy, vulgarity, horrors, etc. on the scene.[/quotte]I think when he says he tries to sound "sarcastic", implying that the actress is vulgar, lacking etc but in reality he has a crush on her, I think.

[bouquin]

Yes, that is what Ignatius feels, but I question, is that truly what the author intends? Are you meant to take Ignatius at face value in his belief in this? And view him as the true hero of the story?

Or is the author pulling the wool of Ignatius' eyes to to speak, and is the joke truly on him? Are we suppose to sympathize with his plight? Or laugh behind his back at his foolish notion of himself?

I think Ignatius is a pathetic creature. Mrs Reilly aptly sums it up: "You ain't only crazy, Ignatius. You mean, too. ... You learnt everything, ... except how to be a human being." (chapter 13.xiii)

[Zosimov'sCorpse]

Hello everyone. I've been lurking for quite some time and have decided to register. This site has been extremely helpful as a guidepost as to what to read and in attempting to decipher it after wards.

I just finished this book late last night. I thought it was excellent. I thought Toole made the characters and their dialogue very believable, which considering how eccentric they were, was no small feat.

I was surprised how throughout the book the wide variations of emotions I had towards Ignatius. (Disgust and anger, to pity and eventually a tad of empathy) Toole did a wonderful job of making him a character that I will not forget.

[bouquin]

I agree that we are not expected to feel sorry for Iggy; the book is a satirical work (bordering a farce at times) on many self-important people we come across every single day:Love the scene in which Iggy tries to sit on the little stool!

Characters like Ignatius would most probably be aggrieved if we felt pity for them. What they would rather want and expect would be admiration, applause, veneration.

[caspian]

My heart went for this part, it's silly so:
"The door opened slowly. ignatius stuck his fat gray face into the hall. his mother's eyes watered when she saw the bandage."

If a movie were to be made of Confederacy who would you think could be aptly cast in the role of Ignatius?

how about Will Ferrel in a fat suit? it's not my choice, but after all you might see him as Ignatius. Movie was planned to be released in 2007, but it didn't happen. Currently Paramount owns the rights to the book, for now is just not interested in this project. Here's the rest of the cast: Lily Tomlin, Drew Barrymore, Mos Def, Olympia Dukakis.
just check this link
http://www.slate.com/id/2155500
I'd rather wait 10 more years than watch annoying WF.

OK, here is a question. At the end of the book, Iggy's interest in Myrna's hair... I find it a little icky because I cannot help thinking there is connection with the long hair and the dog. Does anyone get the same feeling?

There our friend's hypocrisy reached all highs . One minute he's about to strangle her with that pigtail, next minute he gives it wet moustache bath.

honestly that dog story remains mystery to me. All I know (and trying to forget) that it was part of Ig..'s strange "m" fantasy. If I didn't miss anything, we actually never heard about the dog from Ignatius himself. And there's Miss Annie's story and her remark that "Idnatius" was ok until the dog died.

I was surprised how throughout the book the wide variations of emotions I had towards Ignatius. (Disgust and anger, to pity and eventually a tad of empathy) Toole did a wonderful job of making him a character that I will not forget.

I can't agree more
and welcome to the Book Club

I think it was Bouquin who nominated it

Thank you again, guys! you can't imagine how much fun I had, how much I liked the book!

Sher, I have 3 more thanks to send - Right now I'm reading "Scoop". "Lucky Jim", "Three men in a boat" are in my waiting list. I'm having wonderful reading time.

[Gladys]

Early in the week I learned that Australia's most colourful Lit. academic, Bob Ellis, places this novel on top of his recommendations for contemporary reading: Toole's Ignatius J. Reilly does for New Orleans what Joyce's Leopold Bloom does for Dublin.

I gather from activity on this thread that I have missed much.

[bouquin]

I have to say, I was quite surprised with Iggy actually sticking behind the hot dog vendor job and wondered what drove him to do it. While his integrity as a vendor leaves much to be desired being that he eats more hot dogs than he sells, it still struck me that he presciently showed up for the gig everyday as it seems to be the last thing something like Iggy would indeed commit himself to doing.

Is it some boyish fear of his mother's complaining, and the fact that he could not bare the thought of having to go out job hunting even more which caused him to stick with the vending job?

Or underneath all of his complaints is there something within him that actually enjoys the work? Even in perhaps some perverse sort of way? The fact that it makes him feel like a martyr of sorts.

I think Ignatius stuck to the Paradise job because he loved those hotdogs!

[Dark Muse]

Haha, yes perhaps so