I picked it up on the assurance that it was among the funniest books ever written, but I'm 150+ pages in and I haven't laughed once.

The plot is okay but I'm carrying on mostly because of sunk cost.

  • MF_COOM [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    I think it fucking sucks. Boomer humour. The only good bit that I remember is him recounting his memories of interacting with the black workers

  • Charliisarobot [none/use name]
    ·
    6 months ago

    Full warning only like halfway in

    I think it's fuckin hilarious but I'm also exclusively reading it because it's the basis for the upcoming Nirvanna the Band movie and I'm just inserting matt and Jay into every bit

    IDK I love how it portrays the impact of this oafish very self important man rippling out into the community I think it's pretty funny

    • HiImThomasPynchon [des/pair, it/its]
      hexagon
      ·
      6 months ago

      IDK all the (alleged) jokes I've come across feel too mean spirited to be funny.

      The bit where Reilly considers his commonalities with the black community and tries to 'unionize' the factory have my critical support, though. And while Jones feels like an unkind charicature, I do like him.

  • carpoftruth [any, any]
    ·
    6 months ago

    ignatius is a poster at heart. it's a good book but not every book has to be for everyone.

    a rebours by jk hyusmans is a book with similar themes from ~100 years earlier

    • HiImThomasPynchon [des/pair, it/its]
      hexagon
      ·
      6 months ago

      True. In my mind's ear, Ignatius alternates between sounding like John Candy and a poster friend of mine.

      A Rebours strikes me as the kind of thing Toole might have encountered in New Orleans.