Books

8vo., 338pp. Beautiful Stated Second Printing of this landmark in modern literature. Bound in tan cloth with titles in black on the spine. Square, tight and clean throughout with little or no where save some gentle bumping to the heel and bottom tips. No toning or spotting. Equally attractive unclipped Second State Dust-Jacket, ($12.95, without stars, and only the Walker Percy blurb on the rear panel), has a touch of wear to the crown and tips but trivial. Fresh and bright with no creases, chipping or tears. A sharp, collectable copy at a great price.

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.