Cat's Cradle review

So I'm trying out goodreads. Blogging some of my reviews. Most of my web presence recently has been twitter or goodreads reviews, hoping to change that, but in the meantime at least I can add those things to my blog.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am unsure how I arrived at the ripe old age of 33 without ever having read this book. Or even heard of it. I believe was deprived for the lack. Ignatius J. Reilly may be the most interesting and entertaining protagonist I've ever encountered in a novel. He is both right and decent and introduced me to all that is proper in theology and geometry as well as the importance of being in touch with one's valve. Actually he's awful, but in the most entertaining way possible. And it's not just him, the whole book is full of extremely unique characters with plot threads that dance around ignatius as he stumbles around town in search of employment. Gah, my meager words don't even begin to do it justice. If you like great dialogue, if you like interesting and crazy protagonists, then read this book immediately. And then hug it. and love it. And keep it. It's so good.

As a side note, in the character of Ignatius John Kennedy Toole manages to lampoon just about every arrogant internet nerd with absolutely no self-awareness wallowing in online forums that I've ever come across. Either he is a mad prophet of the future, or he distills a personality type that probably always exists in the male population in some percentage, just in the 60's all they had were big chief notebooks with which to scrawl their grandiose ideas in between masturbation sessions. Read the book, you'll see what I mean.