Books

Louisiana State University Press, 1980. First edition, first printing of 2,500 copies. Advanced Review Copy with the publisher's slip laid in. A Fine and unusually tight copy, with only the slightest hint of the usual splaying of the boards, in a Near Fine first-issue dust jacket with minimal rubbing. Housed in a custom leather clamshell case. This example is especially remarkable as the book is signed by Walker Percy, who championed the novel and wrote the introduction, and the author's mother, Thelma Toole, who brought the manuscript to Percy after dozens of rejections. Additionally, the dust jacket is signed by Ed Lindlof, the illustrator who created the iconic first visual representation of Ignatius Reilly. Mrs. Toole greatly admired Lindlof's work, and in a letter to her dated August 15, 1980, Lindlof wrote, "I am especially pleased to hear that you are happy with the cover art for the book. I'm afraid it doesn't begin to come up to the contents, which would be hard for anyone to match." The dust jacket features Ed Lindlof's signature in two locations - on the front cover and the inside flap under his credits. The half-title page is inscribed by Thelma Toole, while the title page bears the signature of Walker Percy. As a first edition, advanced review copy, and the only example signed by all three individuals who contributed to its publication, this is an extraordinary piece and a worthy centerpiece for any collection.

A Confederacy of Dunces is a picaresque novel by American novelist John Kennedy Toole, published by Louisiana State University Press in 1980, 11 years after Toole's suicide. The book's title refers to an epigram from Jonathan Swift's essay, 'Thoughts on Various Subjects, Moral and Diverting': 'When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.' Set in New Orleans, the novel bursts with rich and vivid characters, especially the protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly, whose comedic misadventures are a highlight of the narrative.