Butterfly in the typewriter

the tragic life of John Kennedy Toole and the remarkable story of A confederacy of dunces

by Cory MacLauchlin

English language

Published Feb. 8, 2012 by Da Capo Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-306-82040-3
OCLC Number:: 744287568

(11 reviews)

"The saga of John Kennedy Toole is one of the greatest stories of American literary history. After writing A Confederacy of Dunces, Toole corresponded with Robert Gottlieb of Simon & Schuster for two years. Exhausted from Gottlieb's suggested revisions, Toole declared the publication of the manuscript hopeless and stored it in a box. Years later he suffered a mental breakdown, took a two-month journey across the United States, and finally committed suicide on an inconspicuous road outside of Biloxi. Following the funeral, Toole's mother discovered the manuscript. After many rejections, she cornered Walker Percy, who found it a brilliant novel and spearheaded its publication. In 1981, twelve years after the author's death, A Confederacy of Dunces won the Pulitzer Prize. In Butterfly in the Typewriter, Cory MacLauchlin draws on scores of new interviews with friends, family, and colleagues as well as full access to the extensive Toole archive at Tulane …

2 editions

Phillip J reviewed Butterfly in the typewriter by Cory MacLauchlin

Review of 'Butterfly in the typewriter' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

I feel like this book is similar to "Catcher in the Rye," where if you read/discover it when you're younger, it will have a bigger impact and you will like it more. However, if you read it as an adult, then it will not be as good. That's what I found at least.

The phrase that kept running through my mind was "proto-neckbeard," and I could not wait to finish this book. There was no point that I really enjoyed, but only read it out of an obligation to....I don't even really know.

markm reviewed Butterfly in the typewriter by Cory MacLauchlin

Review of 'Butterfly in the typewriter' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Pam Groben recommended this book to me in 1983. What can I say, I've been busy. I found it occasionally amusing. The dialogue and representation of New Orleans dialect are well done.

DaveNash3 reviewed Butterfly in the typewriter by Cory MacLauchlin

Review of 'Butterfly in the typewriter' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

MacLuachlin takes a balanced and well researched view of Toole's life and the life of his great work, A Confederacy of Dunces.

At times the year by year, chapter by chapter approach reminds me of that "David Copperfield crap" of Ignatius literary cousin, Holden Coudfield ranted about. However, it was necessary to set the record straight as claims that the editor who initially rejected Toole or Toole's repressed homosexuality drove Toole's suicide are unfounded. MacLuachlin makes that very clear.

Toole' death and final years were more complex and mysterious than a simple reading, he did suffer from mental illness and his suicide was not a sudden act.

Toole wrote a his masterwork in 1963 and since his mother didn't accept the changes made Toole made the request of the editor who rejected him, the novel published in 1980 remains largely the same as the 1963 manuscript. The fact that it was widely recieved 17 years after it's drafting speaks to the universality of the work. It still remains very popular today. Also notable about the work is it's reception in the UK, France, Spain and Italy. Part of that has to do with Toole's command of the language as well as the multicultural aspect of New Orleans, with its English, Spanish, and French layers.

I couldn't read this bio fast enough. Toole's mother was his own best enemy. She didn't allow for a proper literary biography during her life and destroyed his suicide letter. There were two early books on Toole that are not very good. This may be the best we have.

nekokat reviewed Butterfly in the typewriter by Cory MacLauchlin

Review of 'Butterfly in the typewriter' on 'Goodreads'

1 star

Ugh. So annoying. So depressing. So full of stupid, obnoxious, bumbling, prejudiced characters. I stuck it out through the whole book hoping anyone was going to get what they deserved. I needn't have bothered.

Yes, OK, I get it. It's a farce that brilliantly illustrates the inherent absurdity of humanity and the tragic unfairness of the world. Blech.