John Kennedy Toole

2 summariesLiterary Fiction, Spirituality

John Kennedy Toole was an American novelist from New Orleans, Louisiana, whose posthumously published novel, A Confederacy of Dunces, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981; he also wrote The Neon Bible. Although several people in the literary world felt his writing skills were praiseworthy, Toole's novels were rejected during his lifetime. Due in part to these failures, he suffered from paranoia and depression, dying by suicide at the age of 31.

Books by John Kennedy Toole

2 books available

A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole
3.9 (231k) average on GoodreadsLiterary Fiction
In a funny and sharp satire, the corpulent, anachronistic Ignatius J. Reilly, a self-proclaimed genius, wages a one-man war against modern life, vice, and the 'dunces' of New Orleans, all while begrudgingly navigating the indignities of employment and a hot-dog cart.
The Neon Bible
John Kennedy Toole
3.7 (6k) average on GoodreadsSpirituality
In the Jim Crow South, a sensitive boy navigates the hypocrisy of religious fervor, the sting of first love, and the quiet despair of his family, all through the disarmingly sharp lens of his own coming-of-age.