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From Publishers Weekly
Written by the late Toole at age 16, this novel on its surface has little in common with his Pulitzer Prize-winning A Confederacy of Dunces . Whereas Dunces is, in Walker Percy's words, "a great rumbling farce of Falstaffian dimensions" satirizing modern society via a cast of grotesque New Orleans characters, the early novel is a lyrical attempt at realism in which social criticism is implied but not stated. Growing up in a small town in rural Mississippi, David gradually learns the painful lessons of religious, racial, social and sexual bigotry, and comes to perceive the need to defend himself, a reluctant outsider, from people; in Dunces , Ignatius Reilly, who rallies around the cause of social isolation and misanthropy, has long practiced a vigorous campaign against the evils of society. One novel chronicles an awakening, the other an uproarious and bizarre plan of action. Though interesting to read as a naive effort by a writer who later far surpassed it, The Neon Bible is a compendium of authorial first steps and missteps, from awkwardly obvious moralizing to mawkishness and improbable melodrama.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
This youthful novel was the only substantial writing left by Toole, who won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize in 1981 for his modern comic classic, A Confederacy of Dunces (he killed himself in 1969). Court action has finally cleared the way for publication of the present work, written when Toole was just 16 and left in pieces to his heirs. While far from the masterpiece Toole would write later in his life, this story of a poor boy growing up in a small, claustrophobic, closed-minded Southern town in the 1940s, is an astonishing accomplishment for an adolescent. Narrator David lives with his mother, who is never fully herself after his father dies in World War II, and his gaudy Aunt Mae, a bleached-blonde roadhouse singer in her 60s. The story is familiar and believable, a tantalizing reminder of the talent that has been lost. It deserves a wide audience.
- Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., Va.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- Ann H. Fisher, Radford P.L., Va.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
because I start to think too much in the dark about what's back in the house. They must have turned the heat off too. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
because I start to think too much in the dark about what's back in the house. They must have turned the heat off too. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
liked it,
By Melanie (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Neon Bible (Paperback)
John Kennedy Toole's great talent is obvious and notable in this work. The characters are complex and fascinating. The story develops slowly, and the emotional depth of the characters is a constant focus. It's hard to believe he wrote this when he was just a teenager, as the writing is mature and unique.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Caution: access to the author's soul,
This review is from: The Neon Bible (Paperback)
John Kennedy Toole's, THE NEON BIBLE, is a simplistic look at the times in which the author grew up. It generates the feeling of the moment -- guilt, anger, and finally, acceptance, and reluctance to change that which is considered acceptable. It has it's laughable moments and, in Chapter 5, it's moment to cry. The characters, though, are rich -- as rich as his later characters in 'A Confederacy of Dunces', just not as developed; but then, superficiality was the speciality of the day. Toole was no different than any other 16 year old of any generation except that he truly was a gifted writer. At sixteen we are all able to see the inequities in any given system or institution -- we just lack the understanding. Read it and see if you don't recall your own youth. I was reminded many times of the writings of Jackson McCrae (thinks his "Bark of the Dogwood" or his "Children's Corner" with their colorful descriptions et al.), but NEON BIBLE has something else and this is probably due to the author's suicide and the legacy or lack thereof, that he left.
4.0 out of 5 stars
a small surprise like a well cooked appetizer,
By
This review is from: The Neon Bible (Paperback)
The four stars merely represents my own opinion and should not bias anybody on the quality of this book. The only other book that John Kennedy Toole wrote is a marvel called "Confederacy of the Dunces". I was so impressed by this later book that I decided to buy Neon Bible. I will recommend that before reading Neon Bible you should try to get your hands on "Confederacy............" - in that book you will find a more broad illustrations of the talents of Kennedy. It is a real shame that he had to leave us at such an early age but his creations help us to remember him."Neon Bible" was written by Kennedy when he was almost a kid so the passages do not have the craft of Fitzgerald and Hemingway but that does not reduce it literary value. Actually the language is very directive and narrative without much flourishes. The story, sometimes feels more like biographical, is about the life of a small boy in the deep south ....... The portrayal of life as it was in the south after the depression is extremely interesting. I do not have enough knowledge to say it is accurate or not but you never get a surreal feeling i.e. nothing seems fake. Actually the succinct to-the-point description sometimes surprised me - but even then you will not loose interest for a second. The central character of the book is the narrator himself and around him are his parents, aunt Mae, the teachers (specially Mrs. Watkins, Mr. Farney), Bobby Lee Taylor and so many others and each of then draw attention in their own way. Actually it was little funny to read about the fight between the "state" and the "church" - to me the same fight is going on today except for the fact that under religious zealots like Aschroft the church is more powerful than before. The other fact to notice is the position of the blacks and they seem to be treated less significantly than the pet animals. The narrator is not born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has to fight to achieve every little bit but that does not deter him from moving ahead with his life. Here we also have to remember that moving ahead with life does not necessarily mean to become rich and have a nice career. Sometimes life means just survival and with everybody around it and to sacrifice for the ones who are less fortunate. You can buy this book and keep it in your collection as a portrait of American society in 40s. It also shows the effects of the war on a family and the society as a whole- alas that was a necessary war. I wish Mr. Bush could have read this book before attacking Iraq - alas he does not read.
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