“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”-Margaret Fuller.
The mortarboard and robe have been returned , the sense of completing an immense life milestone is still settling in. An avid reader all my life I have acquired throughout my short years a vast amount of books from all parts of the world and discussing different parts of life, love and the pursuit of happiness in all regards. Not to long ago it was suggested that I take my passion for literature to writing reviews about the books I read and then even furthered that I begin a site dedicated to sharing the reviews of those pieces of art to others, a kind of highbred between a columnist and a book reviewer type of scenario. So as I read the classics of yesteryear and the soon to be classics that are being published now, I encourage you to take some time open a book and relax from the stresses of the day whether you are out making the world a better place one person at a time, inspiring others to be leaders, making people laugh, lending your ear to be a soundboard to someone , or just smiling for the sake of showing your inner beauty, pick up a book and let your mind wonder and hopefully some of these reviews will lead you to explore/experience other facets of the world or life that never crossed your mind before.
“Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.”
July 26th, 2012
A Confederacy of Dunces
Jambalaya Recipe:
½ a cup of Communism
1 cup of colloquial language and Southern phrases
1 tablespoon of ambiguous morals amongst the principal characters
1 lb of flannel shirts
A smattering of New Orleans flavor
A pinch of French Quarter seasoning
1 bowl of a large loveable “village idiot” or genius (depending on perspective)
1 small dysfunctional family; preferably two zany characters (mother and son to be exact)
Mix in a bowl about 405 times
Blend all ingredients together and dredge covers with a few meaty asides. Let the mixture simmer at temperatures in the 1960s range.
After you remove the concoction from the oven you have The Confederacy of Dunces penned by John Kennedy Toole; a picaresque novel that studies the life of a character rather than driven by a plot or a didactic undertone. The novel is character driven and delves into the taboo topics of the zeitgeist in which it was written such as the McCarthy witch-hunt fall out, the civil rights movement beginnings, the mother and son relationships, exploring the undertones of the Oedipal Complex and dysfunctionalism, a struggle of the class system and the notion of the village idiot. A laughable read brimming with whit, sarcasm and genuine bluntness that is rare to find in a book nowadays; an entertaining read for all types of readers who enjoy a picaresque novel or just something to gauge their own life experiences against.
