A Confederacy of Dunces

Set in 1960s New Orleans, this picaresque novel follows the misadventures of Ignatius J. Reilly, a self-styled scholar and eccentric misfit forced into the workforce. Through his chaotic encounters with a colorful cast of characters, the story offers a sharp satirical critique of modern life and human folly. It was published posthumously through the efforts of the author's mother and won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.