A Cornucopia of Dunderheads: A Parody of the Novel A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES by John Kennedy Toole, with a Foreword by Franz-Heinrich Katecki

by John Kennedy Toole Jr.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED TO IGNATIUS J. REILLY?

In this parody of A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES by John Kennedy Toole, John Kennedy Toole Jr. plunges Ignatius J. Reilly into a New York City winter wonderland, where our Falstaffian hero inadvertently becomes vice president of the Charlie Chan Chinese Fortune Cookie Company, and where he finds a recently unearthed slip of paper that contains an occult secret for overthrowing the governments of the world (in a most unusual way, of course).

Ignatius's parodic adventures would not be complete without his nemesis-friend, Myrna Minkoff. Add to the mix her parents, Mr. Minkoff and Mrs. Minkoff, two inept government agents (is there a redundancy here?), Ignatius's mother, his mother's fiancé, a virago or two, John Kennedy Toole, Ed Sullivan, and Myrna's concupiscent grandmother, Grandmother Horowitz, and you have the ingredients for a parody unlike any other ever written.

With a foreword by Franz-Heinrich Katecki.

Genres: Humor

420 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2015

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given that John Kennedy Toole never had any children, the writer of this novel, who calls himself or herself John Kennedy Toole Jr., is obviously using a pseudonym to protect his or her identity.

Regardless, this work is a profound tour-de-force of comedy that rivals what John Kennedy Toole does in "A Confederacy of Dunces." And unlike "Dunces," "A Cornucopia of Dunderheads" is faster paced and harder hitting.

For instance, if you think that the humor in "Dunces" is politically incorrect, then you should see the humor in "Dunderheads." This is definitely NOT a politically correct work, and John Kennedy Toole Jr. lets you know that from the get-go. No one and nothing is sacrosanct. Toole Jr. (or Toole the Younger, as a professor says in the foreword) pokes fun at majorities, minorities, and everything in between. If you are someone who's offended by the comedy of Lenny Bruce or Richard Pryor, then "Dunderheads" is definitely not for you. (I'm sure that Bruce and Pryor are howling in their graves with laughter.)

Are there faults with novel? Sure there are, as there are with other great works of literature (like the Bible, "Moby Dick," etc.) But overall, "Dunderheads" really IS a brilliant piece of comedic writing. We now have a new comedic genius in our midst, perhaps one who rivals, if not exceeds, the aforementioned Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor, and these greats: Mort Sahl, Jerry Lewis, Mike Nichols & Elaine May, Lucille Ball, Charlie Callas, Marty Allen, Rodney Dangerfield, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore, Monty Python, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, Abbot & Costello, and Jerry Seinfeld, among others.

ONE THING that the reader needs to keep in mind: John Kennedy Toole Jr. does an excellent job of imitating the voice of John Kennedy Toole. In other words, this novel reads as if John Kennedy Toole himself had written "A Cornucopia of Dunderheads."

I'd like to say that this is a sequel to "A Confederacy of Dunces," but I can't because "Dunderheads" really isn't a sequel. Sure, it takes place in New York City, where Ignatius and Myrna are heading after she rescues him in New Orleans. But the thing is, this novel parodies all of the events that occur in "A Confederacy of Dunces." Perhaps Toole the Younger (Toole Jr.) didn't want to risk a lawsuit or whatever and so decided to go ahead and write a parody of "Dunces." (An interesting note from the foreword: "A Cornucopia of Dunderheads" is a parody of a satire. Interesting concept, if you think about it; has anyone in this world ever written a parody of a satire? "Dunderheads" might be a first!)

The novel has lots of interesting wordplay in it, and in one of the footnotes, there's mention that Toole Jr. pays homage to several authors, including the late Anthony Burgess. That's definitely true; and Toole Jr. breaks the fourth wall quite a bit. (For instance, John Kennedy Toole appears as one of the characters in "Dunderheads.")

I couldn't put this book down once I started it. I love "A Confederacy of Dunces," and I think that I'm going to love "A Cornucopia of Dunderheads" even more.

This is a must read for any "Dunces" fan, that's for sure!

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Kennedy Toole. I’ve read where some people believe that this was written by the actually son of John. History states that John committed suicide before having children.

I believe that if this had been the actual son of John, he wouldn’t have written the words: parody.
I found two definitions of PARODY. I wonder which one the author meant?

1. an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.
2. an imitation or a version of something that falls far short of the real thing; a travesty.

My curiosity is piqued because the author of this parody is presumably still alive. I wonder if he/she will ever reveal their true identity.

Anyhoo...

My initial reaction was this:

This story is more vile and disgusting than the first.

IMHO, Characters that do not add any essential flavor to the story:

Mr. Robichaux is dull and repetitive. I know not his purpose.
Even in jest, I find Mrs. Ping to be utterly tiresome.
Mr. Minkoff is cheesy and mediocre at best.
And the odious Grandma Horowitz trumps them all...ew!

Sounds like I detest this story...I do not.

The star of the show, Ignacius J Reilly, was well performed; his unique vernacular, his pompous attitude, his persona was dead nut. Clap, clap, clap.

I came to the show to see Ignacius, I left satiated.

[Ronn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually 3 & a half stars. The forward [and indeed the title] argues that this book is a parody, NOT a sequel, of A Confederacy Of Dunces. Despite those arguments, it is both. A little less awareness of it being a parody would have gotten this 4 stars.
And yes, the authorship of this book is shrouded in mystery; even the copyright and publishing information is fake. But as a sequel, the book is reasonably, if not precisely, true to the characters as created in Confederacy.
Personally, I think the best way to enjoy this book is to read A Confederacy Of Dunces, set it aside and re-read it maybe 10 months later, and again after another year. [Confederacy really is one of those books that you pick up things re-reading that you missed the first time.]
THEN read Cornucopia.

[Zebulynn Hanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone know who really wrote this?

Now that's got to be the biggest fan of any work of literature ever. That was actually pretty good lol

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granted this was not written by John Kennedy Toole, however, I still found it like a confederacy of dunces to be an incredibly funny book. The book picks up in NYC after Ignatius had fled New Orleans with Myrna Minkoff. Like the original book Ignatius is always spreading his opinions about different things and is perplexed that others don’t see them the way that he does. He also continues with his love of hot dogs

[Arjun Mesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

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