Good synopsis. I love the atmosphere of this book, the flavour of early-sixties New Orleans.
Just wondering, is there a reason you refer to him as "Ken Toole" instead of "John Kennedy Toole" ? [edit] And didn't you already read "American Gods" ?
He called himself "Ken" until two months before his death. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kennedy_Toole The book hadn't been touched for five years prior to that. I know it's weird and I know it's self-indulgent, but it seems like "Ken" wrote the book and "John" was the one who drove across country only to breathe monoxide in Biloxi. Edited to add: I just realized that Ignatius is "Ignatius" to everyone who dislikes him (especially his mother), but "Iggy" to Myrna. Considering Ken Toole was a fastidious dresser and a world traveler while Ignatius Reilly was a slob and a shut-in, the fact that Ken Toole started going by "John Kennedy Toole" right about the time he became a slob and a shut-in, I don't feel right honoring the name change. It feels poisonous.Toole was known to friends and family as "Ken" until the final few months of his life, when he insisted on being called John.
[edit] And didn't you already read "American Gods" ?
-The list of books numbered below the post are links to previous 'bl00's reviews.