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John Kennedy Toole's first novel, The Neon Bible, was written at the age of only 16. Its main appeal is as an early look at a writer who would later write A Confederacy of Dunces. Although the plot is rather melodramatic, it is an example of writing by an author learning his craft. Toole thought it too juvenile a writing attempt to submit for publication during his life. It was published posthumously in 1989. Image File history File links JohnKennedyToole_TheNeonBible. ...
John Kennedy Toole (December 17, 1937 – March 26, 1969) was an American novelist, from New Orleans, Louisiana, best known for his novel A Confederacy of Dunces. ...
The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...
A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative in prose. ...
Grove Press is an American publishing imprint that was founded in 1951. ...
A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) book is bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth or heavy paper) and a stitched spine. ...
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A Confederacy of Dunces is a novel written by John Kennedy Toole, published in 1980, 11 years after the authors suicide. ...
John Kennedy Toole (December 17, 1937 – March 26, 1969) was an American novelist, from New Orleans, Louisiana, best known for his novel A Confederacy of Dunces. ...
A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative in prose. ...
A Confederacy of Dunces is a novel written by John Kennedy Toole, published in 1980, 11 years after the authors suicide. ...
Poster for The Perils of Pauline (1914). ...
1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Thelma Toole, John's mother tried to stop the book's publication, though was eventually forced to allow it after a lawsuit by her relatives, which she lost due to one of the finer points of Louisiana's Napoleonic inheritance law. It has been suggested that civil trial be merged into this article or section. ...
First page of the 1804 original edition The Napoleonic Code, or Code Napoléon (originally called the Code civil des Français, or civil code of the French), was the French civil code, established at the behest of Napoléon I. It entered into force on March 21, 1804. ...
Plot
The plot deals with a young man named David, growing up in rural Louisiana during the late 1930s to early 1950s, and gradually learning of religious, racial, social and sexual bigotry. This article does not cite its references or sources. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
The 1950s was the decade spanning from the 1st of January, 1950 to the 31st December, 1959. ...
A bigot is a prejudiced person who is intolerant of opinions, lifestyles or identities differing from their own. ...
The story lacks strong temporal continuity, and is instead told as the author's ten strongest memories, one memory per chapter.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. The book opens with David on a train going somewhere neither he nor the reader knows. Looking out the window of the train on to the surrounding land makes David begin to tell his story.
The story begins as David's Aunt Mae, a former actress and singer, moves in with David's family in their small house in the middle of town. Aunt Mae becomes sexually involved with a seventy year-old man, which ends when the man is arrested on morality charges, and David does not get along with the other boys his own age. Soon after, David's father Frank loses his job at the factory in town and the family is forced to move to a rickety house on top of a hill overlooking the town. The family sinks into poverty, and Frank can only find part time employment as a gas station attendant.
As the family's circumstances worsen, Frank begins to care less about his family. When the family runs out of money, he buys seeds that will not grow in the clay of the hill soil instead of food with his small paycheck. His wife confronts him and he punches her, knocking out one of her teeth. His wife bleeds badly, but this eventually subsides. Frank eventually leaves to fight in World War II. Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead...
Frank is shipped to Italy. While Frank is in Italy, a revival headed by evangelist Bobbie Lee Thompson comes to town. The town preacher, who opposes the revival starts a rival Bible study class, which splits the town in half. Much of the drama is played through editorials in the newspaper and spots on the town radio station as each side attacks the other. Aunt Mae gets a job in the propeller factory as a supervisor, and organizes a dance the whole town attends. At the dance, Aunt Mae sings and the townspeople are very impressed. Aunt Mae eventually joins the band in order to make more money for the family.
Soon after the dance, the family receives a telegram stating that Frank had been killed in Italy. Frank's death causes David's mother to go insane, and David spends most of his time taking care of her, while Aunt Mae goes out with her singing group. David, now nineteen, gets a job at the pharmacy in town, where he meets Jo Lynne, a girl staying in the valley to help her grandfather get better. After seeing a melodramatic movie, David and Jo Lynne visit the houses that are being built and have their own small melodramatic kiss.
Clyde, a member of Aunt Mae's band who is in love with her, tells Aunt Mae that they could get a record deal in Nashville. She leaves David and his mother home alone. David decides to quit his job to take care of his mother, but on his way back to the hill, he finds his mother fallen and bleeding from the back of her mouth. The bleeding subsides, but eventually she dies. Her last word is "Frank." For other cities named Nashville, see Nashville (disambiguation). ...
The imperious preacher visits David's house to take his (now dead) mother to the elderly asylum. The preacher pushes past David to go upstairs, and as he climbs the stairs David shoots him through the back of the head, killing him. David takes all the money he has, and boards the train, hoping to start afresh wherever his money runs out.
The book is told entirely from the first person, and the main character is rarely referred to as David. David's name is mentioned very briefly at the beginning, and more strongly at the end. The restatement of his name is probably meant to jar the reader into paying closer attention.
Spoilers end here.
Allusions/references to other works The influence of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire is evident in some of the dialogue. [citation needed] Tennessee Williams (1965) Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911–February 25, 1983), better known by the pen name Tennessee Williams, was a major American playwright and one of the prominent playwrights of the twentieth century. ...
A Streetcar Named Desire is a famous American play written by Tennessee Williams. ...
Montreal band Arcade Fire's sophomore album will be named 'Neon Bible' although the band has stated that there is no reference to the novel. Arcade Fire. ...
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations In 1995 a movie of the book was released. The film "The Neon Bible" was directed by Terence Davies, with a screenplay by Terence Davies based on Toole's novel. The cast includes Drake Bell, Leo Burmester, Denis Leary, Peter McRobbie, Gena Rowlands, Diana Scarwid, and Jacob Tierney. 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ...
Terence Davies (November 10, 1945 -) is a British screenwriter - film director, sometime novelist and actor. ...
Terence Davies (November 10, 1945 -) is a British screenwriter - film director, sometime novelist and actor. ...
Drake Bell (born Jared Drake Bell on June 27, 1986) is an American actor, guitarist and singer/songwriter. ...
Leo Burmester (born February 1, 1944 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an actor who who oft plays cops and rural types on TV and in films, but on stage has performed as Osric in Hamlet (Kevin Kline in title role) for the New York Shakespeare Festival, as well as in such...
Denis Leary in Rescue Me. ...
Gena Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is an American actress. ...
Diana Scarwid (born August 27, 1955 in Savannah, Georgia) is an American film and television actress. ...
Jacob Tierney (born on 26 September 1979 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian actor, film director and writer. ...
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