I was referred to this book by a friend and when I went to purchase it at Borders, the lady who helped me had just added it to the "Staff Picks" section. It's her favorite too.
Two recommendations and yet I still had no idea what to expect. And after reading it, I now understand why you can't really summarize this book succinctly. But, I am going to try.
Set in New Orleans, the main character, Ignatius J. Reilly, is quite possibly is the strangest character I have ever encountered. He's 30+ years old, lives with his mother, is well-learned and suffers from a testy valve (which is his term to describe flatulence). He's rude, loud, self-centered and a liar.
He spent his days writing down his ideas and theories while holed up in his bedroom, until he is almost arrested by Patrolman Mancuso while shopping with his mother. From there, his life takes a bit of a turn. His mother, who was quite traumatized by the patrolman, manages to drunk drive her way into a car accident and the dynamic duo realize that Ignatius must get a job to help pay off the debts.
Thus starts a series of events that can't really be described. I can tell you they involve Ignatius starting a factory riot, pushing a hot dog vendor cart, wearing a pirate's outfit and attempting to start a new political party. And the rest of the characters? Don't you worry. While Ignatius is definitely the standout, they don't disappoint. Darlene is a stripper that works the stage with the help of her talented parrot. Miss Trixie is the oldest person alive and manages to hold down a job despite her narcolepsy. Mancuso is forced to patrol the streets in various disguises. I could go on....but you get the point.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the book as I was reading it. In my opinion, it's not laugh-out-loud funny. But as I was talking to a friend, I caught myself grinning while discussing the details of the story lines. It's bizarre and strange and yet, hard to put down.
Enjoy.
0 comments:
Post a Comment