I never got the appeal of A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES. Not that I'm a big fan of the sardonic, but that type of prose has been rendered by much better minds and hands, IMHO (see: Heller, Joseph; Vonnegut, Kurt; Wallace, D.F.; etc.).
The inclusion of Oscar Wilde on the list seems more than a bit peculiar. Yes, he wrote only one novel, but I do not think that qualifies him for the "one hit wonder" status. However, it is fun to speculate on what witty and shocking comment the satirist Wilde would have said in response to his having been included on this list.
Then, of course, there is Salinger's FRANNY AND ZOOEY, which seems to be a novella but remains rather hard to classify.
By the way, I've attempted DUNCES a dozen times but can never get beyond the first several dozen pages. It may be a fine book; however, just as there are certain horses for certain courses, there are certain books for certain readers. Thank goodness that readers are not restricted to a one-size-fits-all concept in the world of literature. And thank goodness for entertaining discussions about books in the blogging world, and in this case we must thank the host, Mr. Wilson. Thanks, Frank.
I, too, have never seen the appeal of A Confederacy of Dunces. Ignatius Reilly turned me off completely. I also agree that Wilde and Salinger are hardly one-hit wonders.
I never got the appeal of A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES. Not that I'm a big fan of the sardonic, but that type of prose has been rendered by much better minds and hands, IMHO (see: Heller, Joseph; Vonnegut, Kurt; Wallace, D.F.; etc.).
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The inclusion of Oscar Wilde on the list seems more than a bit peculiar. Yes, he wrote only one novel, but I do not think that qualifies him for the "one hit wonder" status. However, it is fun to speculate on what witty and shocking comment the satirist Wilde would have said in response to his having been included on this list.
ReplyDeleteI would say the same of Salinger then. NINE STORIES and RAISE HIGH THE ROOFBEAMS CARPENTERS are two fantastic reads, though not novels.
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Then, of course, there is Salinger's FRANNY AND ZOOEY, which seems to be a novella but remains rather hard to classify.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I've attempted DUNCES a dozen times but can never get beyond the first several dozen pages. It may be a fine book; however, just as there are certain horses for certain courses, there are certain books for certain readers. Thank goodness that readers are not restricted to a one-size-fits-all concept in the world of literature. And thank goodness for entertaining discussions about books in the blogging world, and in this case we must thank the host, Mr. Wilson. Thanks, Frank.
I, too, have never seen the appeal of A Confederacy of Dunces. Ignatius Reilly turned me off completely. I also agree that Wilde and Salinger are hardly one-hit wonders.
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