Books

Louisiana State University Press, 1980. First edition, first printing. Ex-library with pockets professionally removed. Signed by Walker Percy on plate affixed to title page. Facsimile first state dust jacket (with stars) illustrated by Ed Lindlof. Written by John Kennedy Toole and published posthumously in 1980, the novel became a cult classic and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981. Its protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly, is an unforgettable, larger-than-life character whose misadventures and scathing critiques of the world around him provide sharp social commentary. The novel's blend of humor, pathos, and keen observation makes it a distinctive voice in American literature, and its story of how the manuscript was championed by Toole's mother and brought to publication by author Walker Percy adds to its legacy. The novel is celebrated not only for its literary merits but also for its role in highlighting the richness of Southern literature and the complexities of human…

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.