A Confederacy of Dunces

By: John Kennedy Toole

Narrated by: Barrett Whitener

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize

“A masterwork . . . the novel astonishes with its inventiveness . . . it is nothing less than a grand comic fugue.”—The New York Times Book Review

A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in the ears themselves, stuck out on either side like turn signals indicating two directions at once. Full, pursed lips protruded beneath the bushy black moustache and, at their corners, sank into little folds filled with disapproval and potato chip crumbs.

So enters one of the most memorable characters in recent American fiction.

The hero of John Kennedy Toole's incomparable, Pultizer Prize–winning comic classic is one Ignatius J. Reilly, an obese, self-absorbed, hapless Don Quixote of the French Quarter, whose half-hearted attempts at employment lead to a series of wacky adventures among the lower denizens of New Orleans. This book has become an American comic masterpiece.

©1980 Thelma D. Toole (P)1997 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Barrett Whitener strikes just the right note." (AudioFile)

"A Confederacy of Dunces has been reviewed almost everywhere, and every reviewer has loved it. For once, everyone is right." (Rolling Stone)

"What a delight, what a roaring, rollicking, footstomping wonder this book is! I laughed until my sides ached, and then I laughed on." (Chicago Sun-Times)

ABOMINATION!

Who paid Barrett Whitener to read this book? Fool. John Kennedy Toole must be spinning in his grave.

How can I possibly rate the audiobook?

The book is a guilty pleasure with subtleties that some readers don't appear to appreciate, but Whitener's rendering keeps me wincing throughout. Too fast. Who talks that fast, certainly not the narrator. And where did the accents originate? Walker Percy gave the reader great direction, but Whitener ignored it altogether. I had misgivings after listening to the sample of Whitener reading, so more the fool am I.

I pray that a New Orleanian re-records this book before the City homogenizes into bland and the neighborhood accents blur.

Sublime. A perfect telling of this remarkable tale

There's something about Ignatius J Reilly ... He'll make you guffaw with laughter, choke with repulsion and, thanks to the remarkable talent of John Kennedy Toole, you might even find pity for him.

This novel is astounding. It's such a tragedy that there were no more novels by Toole, who could have been a prodigious talent. However we have this title, and Ignatius is his gift to the world, and the world is much richer for it.

You won't regret a moment spent listening to this brilliant audiobook; the narration is spot on, and the characterisations marvellous. Best enjoyed while eating a hot dog. Happy listening.

Lively but inauthentic narration

Would you try another book from John Kennedy Toole and/or Barrett Whitener?

The narrator does a good job of bringing life to the characters and distinguishing between the different voices. I only wish they had found someone who actually knows New Orleans accents or had at least been coached in how to pronounce the place names. Once you get used to the inauthentic accents, it's a pretty good listen, until a street name comes along, and then it's like nails on a chalk board.

I love this book

Would you try another book from John Kennedy Toole and/or Barrett Whitener?
yes and yes

Who was your favorite character and why?
Crazy Ignatius, who else?

How did the narrator detract from the book?
People who know the New Orleans accent say he got it all wrong, but I don't so I don't care!

What character would you cut from A Confederacy of Dunces?
Nobody. It's a masterpiece.

Any additional comments?

The book's joking comments about the danger of communists and homosexuals, well, it turned out to be prescient!

Facinating

I was facinated by this audio book - hating to turn off my MP3 player each morning and go to work. Each night on the commuter train ride back home, I was transported to the New Orleans of my youth. At times, laugh out load funny, but always utterly riveting.

Wish it never ended.....

I have never listened or read a book that I laughed out loud. This one did it. This was one of the best books I ever listened to. Totally entertaining. Very different story line, and a masterpiece!

One of the best audiobooks ever.

It's already a favorite among avid readers, and the novel is just as great as it was when it made its posthumous debut in the early 80s... but the Narrator Barrett Whitener takes the novel above and beyond the printed word with his tone and dialect. It is absolutely splendid. I find myself wandering around repeating character's expressions and exclamations just to hear the delightful sound of the words that Mr. Whitener has infused in them. Listen to this next.

Get Ready to Look crazy laughing and listening

Where does A Confederacy of Dunces rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best audio books in my collection. Hilarious story perfectly in character narration.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ignacious of course.

Have you listened to any of Barrett Whitener’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No I have not.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes when Ignacious puts the sign on the cart that says 12inches of paradise and rolls into the womens art club in his pirates outfit. I could not stop laughing.

Any additional comments?

Just read it/listen to it! So amazing.

Exceptional book

Would you listen to A Confederacy of Dunces again? Why?

This is a spectacularly well-written and narrated book. It is unbelievably humorous. The only sad part is that Mr. Toole never wrote any others before his death. Buy this one. You will definitely not regret doing so.

Recommended

What a marvelous book! What a wonderful reading! For those who can stomach quirky characters - make that extremely quirky characters - this book is a highly entertaining adventure whose twists and turns are like a great roller coaster ride. The narration is just right, giving life to the New Orleans characters, idioms, and accents that reading alone would not give you. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was left with many fond memories to ponder when it was over.