Been thinking about reading this. Is it any good?

I'm reading it right now. If you enjoy memes, you'll enjoy it. It's really like if the intelligent people on /tv/ got together and wrote a Constanza parody.

It's very good. However, it's not exactly a deep piece of literature. It's just a really well wound-together story with colorful characters.

Reading right now. Very entertaining and easy to read. Main character is like the precursor to basement dwelling pretentious autists.

>>8202035
>it's not exactly a deep piece of literature
wh o
giv e s
a fu ck

>>8201900

It's what a novel should be: entertaining and sophisticated. Most writers only seem to manage one or the other.

>>8201900
The best American novel ever written.

Ignatius is the kind of person who would be spamming *tips fedora* all day on /lit/.

>>8202035
>describes the average /lit/ denizen, but in 1963
>not a deep piece of literature

>>8201965

Co-signing the authenticity of this post as other anon.

meh it's a shitty version of catch22

It can be funny but not really insightful. I get it, Ignatius does stupid things.

In a world where there are books that are both insightful and entertaining, I see no reason to choose one that only has one of those elements.

>thinking about reading this

How about just reading some of it and deciding if you want to continue instead of asking a nip cartoon forum whether you should

you'll never get any reading done if you don't know how to just open an unfamiliar book and start reading

It's fun. On the same tier as Heller or Burgess. If you live in or have ever visited New Orleans pre-Katrina, it's a must. Or if you're an academic who wonders what it'd be like if they fail to succeed in academia.

>>8203640
dont downplay slapstick-- him being stupid isnt part of a bigger issue, its just continually funny.

he is only insightful in his transcription of reality, which is often crazilly vivid.

>>8204090
That is an interesting point I just realized. Characters like Ignatius's mom and the factory owner and the hippie lady have good intentions but don't really become aware of reality fully or how to change it. On the other hand, ignatius's paranoia and conviction comes from a sort of hypersensitivity to the world.

>>8201900
It's a great novel. I used to live in New Orleans and it captures the city's absurdity perfectly. Read it right before I left, and makes me miss the city more than I should have.

It's very well-written and captures the greed, stupidity, and irrationality of people to a T.

>>8203659
I hate comments like this. People ask about novels because they are interested in reading them, but aren't sure if it's worth the purchase. Other opinions let them know what they can get out of it.

Got a lot more than I could have from several novels thanks to /lit/ suggestions.

>>8201900
No, it is shit. And the author's name is apt, because he is a fucking tool.