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A caution to those who are going to go grab "Confederacy of Dunces". It is the equivalent of the "trainwreck reality TV" a la "Jersey Shore" but written signif
by bsder 2y ago
A caution to those who are going to go grab "Confederacy of Dunces".
It is the equivalent of the "trainwreck reality TV" a la "Jersey Shore" but written significantly before that was a "genre". If you like that kind of humor, you will like the book. If you do not like that kind of humor, you will find the book quite the slog.
The "trainwreck reality TV" aspect is, in my opinion, why the book had such difficulty gaining traction with the literati.
- sevensor 2y agoThe first time I read it, I disliked it. I read it again twelve years later and I hated it. Ignatius is an unpleasant person and I don’t enjoy reading about his misadventures. This is probably because I’m a philistine.
- ikr678 2y agoThat is part of the genius of the author though, they were able to create such a reviled character that has stuck with you. I have read 100's of fiction books and would be hard pressed to recall even 10% of their respective protagonists. I read Dunces once, maybe 15 years ago, and can recall the disgust at that character immediately.