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Quick answer: If you loved A Confederacy of Dunces, read Catch-22, Lucky Jim, Scoop, Candide and Good Omens. All are comic novels with outrageous characters, sharp satire and unforgettable heroes.
John Kennedy Toole's 1980 novel follows Ignatius J. Reilly, a pompous, lazy, unemployed medievalist in New Orleans, whose misadventures are at once absurd and sharp. It won the Pulitzer Prize after Toole's death. The books below offer similar comic novels full of wit, eccentric characters and satire.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catch-22 | Joseph Heller | Adult | war satire |
| Lucky Jim | Kingsley Amis | Adult | academic comedy |
| Scoop | Evelyn Waugh | Adult | journalistic farce |
| Cold Comfort Farm | Stella Gibbons | Adult | rural parody |
| Candide | Voltaire | Adult | satirical adventure |
| Don Quixote | Miguel de Cervantes | Adult | the first comic novel |
| The Ginger Man | J. P. Donleavy | Adult | rowdy comedy |
| Straight Man | Richard Russo | Adult | campus comedy |
| The Sellout | Paul Beatty | Adult | brutal satire |
| Slaughterhouse-Five | Kurt Vonnegut | Adult | strange and funny |
| Cat's Cradle | Kurt Vonnegut | Adult | satirical science fiction |
| Good Omens | Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman | Adult | comic fantasy |
| Right Ho, Jeeves | P. G. Wodehouse | Adult | comic perfection |
| The Good Soldier Svejk | Jaroslav Hasek | Adult | military absurdity |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Douglas Adams | Adult | comic classic |
1. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Captain Yossarian tries to survive a war and a maddening bureaucracy. A classic of absurd comedy.
Best for: war satire.
2. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
A junior lecturer blunders through life and a department. Biting and hilarious.
Best for: academic comedy.
3. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh
A mild writer is mistakenly sent to cover a war. Sharp, light and funny.
Best for: journalistic farce.
4. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
A sensible young woman organises her gloomy relatives. Dry, witty and sweet.
Best for: rural parody.
5. Candide by Voltaire
A naive young man is told that all is for the best. Short, funny and sharp.
Best for: satirical adventure.
6. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
A man reads too many romances and sets out as a knight. Long, funny and wise.
Best for: the first comic novel.
7. The Ginger Man by J. P. Donleavy
An American student in Dublin lives a chaotic life. Wild and bawdy.
Best for: rowdy comedy.
8. Straight Man by Richard Russo
A department chair copes with a breakdown of order. Warm and funny.
Best for: campus comedy.
9. The Sellout by Paul Beatty
A man tries to bring back segregation in his town. Sharp, outrageous and Booker-winning.
Best for: brutal satire.
10. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Billy Pilgrim becomes unstuck in time. Dark and absurd.
Best for: strange and funny.
11. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
A writer researches the atomic bomb and meets odd people. Short and weird.
Best for: satirical science fiction.
12. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
An angel and a demon try to prevent the apocalypse. Witty and warm.
Best for: comic fantasy.
13. Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves solve friends' love lives. Light, silly and brilliant.
Best for: comic perfection.
14. The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek
A foolish soldier survives the First World War through apparent stupidity. Sprawling and funny.
Best for: military absurdity.
15. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Arthur Dent escapes Earth's destruction. Absurd and endlessly quotable.
Best for: comic classic.
How to Choose
For satirical war comedy pick Catch-22 or The Good Soldier Svejk. For academic and rural comedy try Lucky Jim, Straight Man or Cold Comfort Farm. For sharp modern satire choose The Sellout. For comic fantasy read Good Omens or The Hitchhiker's Guide. For something very light try Right Ho, Jeeves. Comic novels are best enjoyed in short bursts. Toole's book was published after he died, thanks to his mother and the author Walker Percy, and that backstory adds to the book's legend. Comic novels reward rereading, and A Confederacy of Dunces is a good example. Readers drawn to its New Orleans setting could try Southern fiction or other books set in the city. Readers drawn to its satire could try Vonnegut and Heller. Readers drawn to the eccentric hero could try Wodehouse for a gentler comic type. Sharing a favourite passage with a friend is the best way to appreciate this book, since Ignatius's rants are made to be read aloud. Podcasts and essays on the novel also add context about New Orleans and the author's life.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is A Confederacy of Dunces about?
Ignatius J. Reilly, an eccentric man living with his mother in New Orleans, goes through a series of comic misadventures.
Who wrote it?
John Kennedy Toole.
When was it published?
1980, after his death.
Did it win a prize?
Yes, the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Is Ignatius likeable?
Not exactly, but he is unforgettable.
Is it set in New Orleans?
Yes, and the city is almost a character.
Is it a quick read?
It is around 400 pages, but the pace is brisk.
What should I read next?
Try Catch-22 or Lucky Jim.
Is Ignatius a real person?
No. He is a fictional character, though the novel's New Orleans is vivid and real.
Is the humour dated?
Some references are of its time, but most readers find it still funny.
Is it appropriate for teens?
It contains some adult language and themes, so it suits older teens and adults.