Absolute hoot of a novel. I’d heard a lot of good things about it and it mostly lived up to my expectations.
I think how much you enjoy this novel will depend on your tolerance of its protagonist. Igantius J Reilly is essentially a stereotypical Redditor – a lazy, neurotic, judgmental, smug and self-righteous goblin lacking in self-awareness and blaming the world for all his problems. As irritating as he is, following his misadventures around New Orleans and the wacky cast of characters is pretty damn hilarious. There are some genuinely gut-busting sequences (the hot dog cart section being a particular highlight, as well as Ignatius somehow becoming a model employee at Levy Pants) that cross over into surreal absurdity.
And as annoying and frustrating as Ignatius is, there’s something about him that’s also kind of tragic and depressing. There’s an underlying self-loathing that I feel like John Kennedy Toole was trying to portray in Ignatius, hidden under a veneer of arrogance and assurance in his intellectual superiority over others around him.
I will say though, that I wasn’t as compelled by some of the side stories. I honestly didn’t care too much about Burma Jones and the Night of Joy sideplot.
Overall though, it’s an entertaining read and a fascinating insight into the mind of a repulsive human being. Toole honestly seemed way ahead of his time in terms of portraying a character like Ignatius.
by Monkey-on-the-couch