Ignatius Reilly is eccentric, arrogant, judgmental, overweight, dishonest, and lazy. But he is also intelligent and funny. At 30 years old, he still lives with his alcoholic mother, even though each holds the other in contempt. John Kennedy Toole's "A Confederacy of Dunces" tells Ignatius's story.

Toole tells the story with humor in his narration and dialogue.

He populates this story with bizarre characters, such as:

- Myrna Minkoff: A college friend of Ignatius. The two exchange letters in which they berate one another.
- Angelo Mancuso: A policeman who is punished for not finding and arresting enough people for vice offenses.
- Gus Levy: The owner of Levy Pants, where Ignatius briefly works. His wife henpecks him for not growing his father's business.

Reilly's world is filled with self-inflicted chaos. He is clever enough to blame the world for his misfortune, but he continues to get himself in trouble. When an angry customer complains that Reilly's employer shipped low-quality pants, Reilly sends him an insulting letter with Mr. Levy's forged signature at the bottom. While employed as a hot dog vendor, Riley eats nearly every dog in his cart, then tells his boss that he was robbed and beaten. Reilly frequently goes to the movies, mostly to shout his critique at the screen.

According to Ignatius: "Apparently, I lack some particular perversion which today's employer is seeking."

A book rarely comes to light so long after its completion. Toole killed himself in 1969, presumably due to his lack of success in finding someone to appreciate his work. "Confederacy" went unpublished until 1980, eleven years after the author's death. The book's popularity rose quickly, winning the 1981 Pulitzer Prize.

Although unknown during Toole's life, this novel is worth a read for its humor and outrageous philosophy.