A Confederacy of Dunces has been adapted for the stage although it has yet to make it onto film
There is probably nothing more divisive than humour, and it is fair to say that Tyneside Book Club members struggled to agree on A Confederacy of Dunces.
There were certainly fans of a book that supporters consider one of the funniest ever written. Some members really enjoyed the characters and air of farce and found themselves laughing out loud at the misadventures of Ignatius and the supporting cast of characters.
For some the likes of Ignatius, his mother, Burma Jones, Angelo Mancuso, and Miss Trixie, were vividly drawn and, although grotesques and caricatures, were of genuine interest.
But for some the book failed because they just did not find it funny, and they struggled to have a great deal of interest in the characters. For some, Ignatius in particular seemed hard to engage with, becoming an irritant rather than a source of amusement.
There was much discussion about whether there was any character development, and whether the book was just purely farce, or had other things to say.
Some did see deeper themes connected to Ignatius' relationship with his mother, and his position as a societal outsider. There were also hints of the racial politics of the time, and some attempt to explore that.
But for others one of the novel's weaknesses was the absence of any discernible development of the characters, or any deeper meaning. Although for some, that really did not matter, as they felt it was fine for it to be a book that first and foremost was meant to make you laugh, and judge it on that basis.
There was some discussion about whether this was a "Marmite" book that you either loved or hated, but there were members who did have mixed feelings, seeing some qualities in the writing, and finding some parts amusing, even if they did not feel it was a book they loved. There were some who liked some characters, and sections, but then lost interest elsewhere.
The back story of John Kennedy Toole added interest for some, as the book was only published after he took his own life. There were certainly autobiographical elements to the novel. Others though felt there were legitimate reasons why it had been rejected by publishers.
But in the end, members divided over whether A Confederacy of Dunces made them laugh or not.
There were certainly fans of a book that supporters consider one of the funniest ever written. Some members really enjoyed the characters and air of farce and found themselves laughing out loud at the misadventures of Ignatius and the supporting cast of characters.
For some the likes of Ignatius, his mother, Burma Jones, Angelo Mancuso, and Miss Trixie, were vividly drawn and, although grotesques and caricatures, were of genuine interest.
But for some the book failed because they just did not find it funny, and they struggled to have a great deal of interest in the characters. For some, Ignatius in particular seemed hard to engage with, becoming an irritant rather than a source of amusement.
There was much discussion about whether there was any character development, and whether the book was just purely farce, or had other things to say.
Some did see deeper themes connected to Ignatius' relationship with his mother, and his position as a societal outsider. There were also hints of the racial politics of the time, and some attempt to explore that.
But for others one of the novel's weaknesses was the absence of any discernible development of the characters, or any deeper meaning. Although for some, that really did not matter, as they felt it was fine for it to be a book that first and foremost was meant to make you laugh, and judge it on that basis.
There was some discussion about whether this was a "Marmite" book that you either loved or hated, but there were members who did have mixed feelings, seeing some qualities in the writing, and finding some parts amusing, even if they did not feel it was a book they loved. There were some who liked some characters, and sections, but then lost interest elsewhere.
The back story of John Kennedy Toole added interest for some, as the book was only published after he took his own life. There were certainly autobiographical elements to the novel. Others though felt there were legitimate reasons why it had been rejected by publishers.
But in the end, members divided over whether A Confederacy of Dunces made them laugh or not.
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