Ignatius Rising: The Life Of John Kennedy Toole
by Rene Pol Nevils, Deborah George Hardy

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Book Reviews of Ignatius Rising: The Life Of John Kennedy Toole

Book Review: Welcome if flawed biography of a tragic author.
Summary: 4 Stars

Ignatius Rising lays open to view the facts,as far as they can be discerned, of Toole's life. The reading of his two novels, Confederacy and The Neon Bible, already a marvellous experience, is enhanced by knowledge of his life. The biography does have its faults. Its tone and style is rather journalistic, though very readable, and the authors often make assertions or deductions on the basis of scanty evidence, or evidence not apparent to the reader. The resulting tendency on the authors' part to fill in the gaps can be off-putting to a critical reader. Also the question of Toole's sexuality, probably crucial to his suicide, is adverted to by means of the retelling of certain events, but is nowhere explored in depth. This is an unfortunate omission though it may reflect the authors' desire not to dscend to the obsession of so much modern biography; if so, they make no mention of this.

The biogrpahy is especially rewarding in its treatment of Toole's grande dame of a mother, and its detailed narration of her attempts to get Toole's book published over many years after his death is very well done. Indeed Mrs Toole becomes virtually a co-star in this book to Toole himself: once you have read about her you the reader will see that this would have suited her very well! Her influence on Toole is discussed, as is the effect of Toole's social milieu in New Orleans. The portrait of New Orleans is especially helpful for the non-American reader like this writer.

It is clear that Nevils and Hardy are devoted to Toole, just as AJ A Symons became fascinated with Frederick Rolfe 60 years earlier, and there are resonances of Rolfe in the life and writings of Toole. Ignatius Rising is a most welcome gift to the admirers of John Kennedy Toole. If at the very least it inspires others to delve deeper in to the mysteries of Toole's life, the book has more than justified the effort the authors have put into it.

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