A Confederacy of Dunces

I am reading the best book of the year. Granted, it is only day #23 of the new year, but seriously, this is the best book. I guess I'd call it a tragicomedy. I laugh out loud while reading, which is mildly embarassing when you're out in public. (People stare.) The main character's name sets the whole tone of the book: Ignatius J. Reilly. He wears a green felted hat with ear flaps every day and uses it to block out things he doesn't want to hear. Ear flaps up: he's willing to listen. Ear flaps down: he's tuning you out. So funny.

The author's story is interesting too. He wrote the book in the mid-sixties, then committed suicide shortly afterwards. His mother found the manuscript among his things, read it, and immediately sent it to a publisher. With it, she sent a letter, saying that although she was his mother, she thought it was a wonderful book. The publisher rejected it, saying that he doesn't take unsolicited manuscripts. But the mother was persistent, she sent it back and asked him to read a little of it anyway. So he was like, fine!, I'll read a bit! And he read it, the whole thing, then read it again, and again. He said it was the best thing he'd read in a very long time. And what a shame, he said, that we are deprived of this author's body of work due to his suicide. The author's name is John Kennedy Toole.

I am only on chapter four, not far enough, usually, to make a sound judgment on a book. This book, however, is excellent from the very first page. You'll laugh and simultaneously cry for this man Ignatius of the Ear Flaps.