I’ve been spending most of the year reading dark, gritty material (e.g. James Ellroy, Cormac McCarthy, Don Winslow) so I wanted a change of pace for my latest book.
I’m about halfway through “Confederacy of Dunces” and have mixed feelings about it so far. It’s hilarious and brilliantly ironic, but suffers from an overload of characters, some much more interesting than others. Many of the dialogue exchanges feel overlong and tedious, but it seems that’s the author’s intent.
Even though the novel is a slog at times, it’s really made me think and I’m fully invested in it. I can see why Ignatius is considered an all-time great literary character.
Curious to hear the sub’s thoughts. I know I’m not done with it yet, but wanted to express my initial thoughts and get some non-spoilery discussion going.
by badassj00
1 Comment
I love this book, and despise the protagonist. It felt like an exercise in humility, and what pretentiousness does to both an individual exhibiting it and a community’s reaction to them as a neighbor. But that’s just one man’s take (years after reading).