Was "A Confederacy of Dunces" supposed to be funny?

Question

I love Tucker Max's website, and according to him, A Confederacy of Dunces is the best book ever written, even better than A Hitchhiker's Guide. Having read the latter, I decided that I needed to see this for myself. I spent 20 bucks on it, and it was probably the biggest waste of money ever. I never cracked a smile. None of the characters were particularly interesting - indeed, Mr. Reilly struck me as a self-righteous, arrogant loser.

The only part I found remotely interesting were the writings of Mr. Reilly - the prose Toole uses when writing as Ignatius, as in his journals and notepads, is fascinating. Interest-wise, though, the book was very hollow to me. Will it be funny if I read Boetheius? If I live in New Orleans? If I get a lobotomy?

Answer 1

Well, the answer is pretty simple as to why you disliked the book.  You like Tucker Max.  That's a solid indication that you may be highly unintelligent, or just have a poorly formed view of and relationship to the world.  

COD is amazing, on several levels, and is certainly one of the best structured narratives that's ever been written. It has a very intricate story line and social commentary that, maybe, you just aren't capable of comprehending - h**l, even that "self-righteous, arrogant loser" Tucker Max is coherent enough to know that.  

Then again, I do think Tucker Max is slime, and that his fans are a huge reason this culture is flushing itself down the toilet, so maybe I'm projecting that hatred unfairly at you.  Maybe you're a very smart reader, who completely "got" the book, and just thought it was rubbish.  I highly doubt it, I'd put my money in the moron pot still, but what do I know?

Answer 2

I and my mother both listened to it as an unabridged audio book, and it was very funny.  Maybe it was the fact it was so well read, by someone who did the accents just right.

Answer 3

Tucker Max is not alone.  The book is considered a classic and won a Pulitzer.  On the other hand, humor is so personal.  What one person finds hysterical leaves another yawning.  And no, I don't think reading Boethius would help ;-)