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Ella Minnow Pea
by
Mark Dunn
Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram,* “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island’s Council, which h...more
Paperback, 208 pages
Published
September 17th 2002
by Anchor
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Kate
rated it
I found this book at the Wilderness Library and very nearly didn't buy it. Just looking at the title, the words didn't exactly compute and I thought, "hmmm, this book seems kind of silly." Then I read "A Novel in Letters" and my shameless snoop side came out. I love, love, love reading books that are comprised of letters, I feel like I'm really snooping in someone's mail or diaries, and it makes it so interesting. So I picked up Ella and on my way to the car, said the title o...more
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Georges Perec wrote a novel without using the letter "e" even once. Dunn works a similar gimmick by writing this epistolary novel about an island that bans the use of certain letters as these drop off, one by one, from the statute of the creator of the phrase, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
"Z" is the first to go, then "Q", then "J". Things get really difficult, however, when "D" falls off. Speech, indeed com...more
"Z" is the first to go, then "Q", then "J". Things get really difficult, however, when "D" falls off. Speech, indeed com...more
This book has been on my “to read” list for a long time. It sounded interesting: a book in which the characters revere language and the alphabet, and when letters fall from the statue that celebrates their culture, they are also dropped from the novel.
I’m pleased to report, first of all, that this book is wholesome, despite being on the national market and not just the LDS one (so many books I’ve picked up this year I’ve had to return to the library, unread).
And this book...more
I’m pleased to report, first of all, that this book is wholesome, despite being on the national market and not just the LDS one (so many books I’ve picked up this year I’ve had to return to the library, unread).
And this book...more
Book Number Two in the "Husband-and-Wife" (aka Tyler-and-Kate) Book Club! ;-> Hugely successful! We both loved it. Wonderfully creative. Love-letters to the English language and the human spirit, and also a cautionary tale on the dangers of wearing blinders in politics and religion. A thoughtful tale, and a joy to read! Highly recommended to all my friends who love language and letters (both epistolary and alphabetical!)
Indeed this was fast, interesting read but from time to time extremely challenging. Namely my level of English is not on such a high level to be able to fully absorb what this lovely novel offers. There were so many words I never heard before so in spite the fact I could catch the context I wanted to know their exact meaning. Therefore I had to have dictionary beside me (also English-English one). But in spite "hard physical" work this read was really enjoyable!
The idea is ...more
The idea is ...more
I loved this perky, word-exacting fable; it was a quick read--a touch zany at times but thoroughly enjoyable.
And yes, I did intentionally use all the letters of the alphabet in the first sentence. It is, admittedly, harder than it seems.
The book is in the form of letters written among the inhabitants of a small island nation who prize, above all, their literary and vocabulary skills. When letters begin to fall from the city's motto (The quick brown fox jumps over the ...more
And yes, I did intentionally use all the letters of the alphabet in the first sentence. It is, admittedly, harder than it seems.
The book is in the form of letters written among the inhabitants of a small island nation who prize, above all, their literary and vocabulary skills. When letters begin to fall from the city's motto (The quick brown fox jumps over the ...more
Alison
rated it
Recommends it for:
lovers of words, language, and letters; everyone
Shelves:
rgbookclub
Every once in a while, a broad, far-reaching concept can be scaled down and illustrated beautifully through simple, subtle story-telling as in parables and fables. This is one such example.
There's no real need to try to tell anyone the "story" behind this self-proclaimed "novel of letters". If you're a reader...just dive in and enjoy. It's fresh, clever, and fun. It's like reading a book and playing Scrabble at the same time...skimming a newspaper while doing ...more
There's no real need to try to tell anyone the "story" behind this self-proclaimed "novel of letters". If you're a reader...just dive in and enjoy. It's fresh, clever, and fun. It's like reading a book and playing Scrabble at the same time...skimming a newspaper while doing ...more
Kat
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Kat by:
Emma
Shelves:
read-in-2009,
borrowed-from-library
I decided to read this book after my friend Emma said it was one of the most creative books she's ever read. I admit, this one was certainly refreshing.
Told in the epistolary style, Ella Minnow Pea follows the trials of the island residents of Nollop as they struggle to maintain control of their language as more and more letters fall into disuse. The reader gets to know the characters through the notes they write to each other. When members of the alphabet start being banned across t...more
Told in the epistolary style, Ella Minnow Pea follows the trials of the island residents of Nollop as they struggle to maintain control of their language as more and more letters fall into disuse. The reader gets to know the characters through the notes they write to each other. When members of the alphabet start being banned across t...more
Clever + Silly = waste of time and paper.
A ridiculous book, masquerading as something intelligent and thought provoking. There are plenty of far better books that raise issues of totalitarianism, censorship versus free speech, superstition versus science, loyalty to friends and family versus loyalty to the state, the power of language etc in more enlightening, entertaining and less gimmicky ways. I cannot understand why it is so highly rated by so many people.
*** SPOLIERS...more
A ridiculous book, masquerading as something intelligent and thought provoking. There are plenty of far better books that raise issues of totalitarianism, censorship versus free speech, superstition versus science, loyalty to friends and family versus loyalty to the state, the power of language etc in more enlightening, entertaining and less gimmicky ways. I cannot understand why it is so highly rated by so many people.
*** SPOLIERS...more
i have scanned other reviews, and most of what other people said - "clever" "fun" "a puzzle" - certainly applies. and perhaps i should scan all the reviews, but i am a little surprised that no one on that first page seems to mention the book being a very succinct little allegory illustrating quite tidily the dangers of creeping fascism.
anyway, i really enjoyed it. unlike others, i was not irked by the sudden introduction of phoneme substitution at the ...more
anyway, i really enjoyed it. unlike others, i was not irked by the sudden introduction of phoneme substitution at the ...more
This book was REALLY interesting. I already have someone in mind who I'm going to let borrow it, because I know she'll get a big kick out of it!
So the premise of this book is that there's a group of people living on a fictional island off the coast of South Carolina (called Nollop), and on this island, they have a statue of a guy named Nevin Nollop, the original author of the pangram "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," where a pangram is a sentence that uses eve...more
So the premise of this book is that there's a group of people living on a fictional island off the coast of South Carolina (called Nollop), and on this island, they have a statue of a guy named Nevin Nollop, the original author of the pangram "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," where a pangram is a sentence that uses eve...more
It wasn't until I told someone, out loud, what I was reading that I realized the title, Ella Minnow Pea, really sounded like the "LMNOP" of the alphabet song. Now, of course, I have no idea how I missed it. Ella Minnow Pea. LMNOP. Obvious. So obvious I wonder what else I missed. Such a clever title. Such a clever book.
Ella Minnow Pea resides on the fictional island of Nallop, off the South Carolina shore, where all the residents are brought up in reverence of syntax and lan...more
Ella Minnow Pea resides on the fictional island of Nallop, off the South Carolina shore, where all the residents are brought up in reverence of syntax and lan...more
I love the concept of this book: letters of the alphabet are being banned one by one, so the book uses fewer and fewer letters as it progresses, and the people are fighting against this governmental oppression.
For the first half I thought it was fantastic, but I was disappointed by a couple of things later on. First, I expected that as letters were removed the author would continue to use normal spellings, but there came a point when that was given up as too difficult, and the author...more
For the first half I thought it was fantastic, but I was disappointed by a couple of things later on. First, I expected that as letters were removed the author would continue to use normal spellings, but there came a point when that was given up as too difficult, and the author...more
My god.... this is what I hate about 'hype.' I was so looking forward to reading this book... I thought 'what a cute idea!' (my voice actually squealed a bit) and 'what a great cover!' and----- I'm an idiot. I should know enough by now to not let my hopes get so high.
Stupid...stupid... stooopid.
Okay, it's a cool idea. Really. The whole revering the language but also revering a man who came up with a sentence that doesn't really revere the language becaus...more
Stupid...stupid... stooopid.
Okay, it's a cool idea. Really. The whole revering the language but also revering a man who came up with a sentence that doesn't really revere the language becaus...more
On the fictional, language-obsessed island of Nollop, a statue stands erected to the memory of the man who composed the famous pangram, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." One day, a letter-tile falls from the pangram and as a result the island Council outlaws use of that letter. As more tiles fall, more letters are banned, and the island dwellers must fight for freedom of speech in its most literal sense.
This is a cute, clever, witty, and original book which I l...more
This is a cute, clever, witty, and original book which I l...more
Someone I trust recommended that I read this book some time ago but when I went to pick it up it was just seemed too weird (and boring. Last week a good friend (who loves the English language and books) whose taste in books overlaps with mine to a great extent told me that she thought I would like it so I gave it a try. I did like it even though it was more than a little difficult to suspend disbelief (the book is about an island where letters of the alphabet are being banned from use one at a t...more
It's a quick read as the story unfolds in letters written between family members and friends. Here's the description:
"Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram,* “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island’s Council...more
"Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram,* “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island’s Council...more
While not the most compelling story ever written, this book has a gimmick, and if it's something you love it's something you'll love. If not, then not. And there it is.
The plot takes place on a fictional, English-speaking island where letters of the alphabet are slowly getting banned (don't ask why, it's ridiculous). The story, told through correspondence between two characters, is subject to these same rules, so the characters have to communicate without them. It's surprising ho...more
The plot takes place on a fictional, English-speaking island where letters of the alphabet are slowly getting banned (don't ask why, it's ridiculous). The story, told through correspondence between two characters, is subject to these same rules, so the characters have to communicate without them. It's surprising ho...more
Dunn's first novel is an impressive work of art that shows an amazing love for words and language. On the nearly Utopian island of Nollop, named after the creator of the pangram "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog", Ella's picture perfect life begins to fall apart as letters from the alphabet are banend from use when they fall off the plaque on a statue of the town's namesake. This cleverly crafted novel told entirely in correspondence is partly a government satire, partly a...more
Really, I'd probably give this book a 3.5, but since that isn't an option I had to make a choice.
I love that this book is a compilation of letters. It is playful, creative, quirky and imaginative.
The book certainly begs the question....which letter do you love the most and how would you cope with its abscence?
The story reminded me of the musical Urinetown (which I love) in some ways. Both use something that we take for granted and an oppressive regime r...more
I love that this book is a compilation of letters. It is playful, creative, quirky and imaginative.
The book certainly begs the question....which letter do you love the most and how would you cope with its abscence?
The story reminded me of the musical Urinetown (which I love) in some ways. Both use something that we take for granted and an oppressive regime r...more
I couldn't finish this. At the outset I thought it was a really neat idea for a book. Turns out I quickly found it to be pretentious (it increased exponentially in this area with every letter) and it crossed the line from quirky to tiresome. I'm sorry...I tried...it's not you it's me...we just don't mesh well...I do hope you will find someone who can better appreciate you (I do tip my hat at the author for undertaking such a feat of this magnitude - anyone who has read this will know as to wh...more
bookczuk
rated it
I was seriously underwhelmed by this book, which actually meant I was very disappointed. The concept is great and I admire the author's skill and perseverance at finding words to convey a story through diminishing letters, but I still wasn't grabbed by it. I felt cruel and wicked not liking poor Ella.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the i...more
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the i...more
I saw reviews of this book in Bookmark Magazine and it intriqued me. It is a zany storyline about a fictitious island that worships the alphabet (title: LMNOP) and word usage(both real and contrived). It is told through a series of letters and I really enjoy epistolary novels.
It reads like a classic novel, rather than one written in 2001. The characters live on the island of Nollop off the coast of S. Carolina. It was named after Nevin Nollop, "author of the immortal phrase c...more
It reads like a classic novel, rather than one written in 2001. The characters live on the island of Nollop off the coast of S. Carolina. It was named after Nevin Nollop, "author of the immortal phrase c...more
With a tip of the hat to Jonathan Swift, this witty little tale is a poke in the eye to those who would have the government encroach on the freedom of its citizenry. Like all effective satire, the bitter pill of truth is wrapped in the candy of absurdities, puzzles and a plot as tight and fast as a matinee western.
Ella is a girl living in the island-country of Nollop, a country devoted to the memory of the creator of the shortest pangram (a sentence containing all letters of the Engl...more
Ella is a girl living in the island-country of Nollop, a country devoted to the memory of the creator of the shortest pangram (a sentence containing all letters of the Engl...more
What a wonderful surprise of a story! How original! I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading literature not only for the story, but also for the craft of writing. "Ella Minnow Pea" is very creatively written. The story is set on a fictional island named for the man (Nollop) who penned the famous sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." The inhabitants of the island are controlled by a council of elders who seek to elevate Nollo...more
Ella Minnow Pea is a young girl living on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Residents of the lovely island revere Neville Nollop, the author of the famous pangram, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." The residents of Nollop enjoy writing letters to communicate as they don't have phones or e-mails like their mainland counterparts. They enjoy a more simple life as their "patron saint" did. When the island's large statue of the man and h...more
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. On the surface, it is a cute little story, told through letters. Underneath the surface, however, it is telling about a very serious issue. The impotence I felt on behalf of the characters produced quite a bit of anxiety as I tried to hurry toward the ending, which I hoped would be happy.
The book addresses themes of individual power, the power of the masses (which does not really exist in this book), what people will do for love, the ideas of...more
The book addresses themes of individual power, the power of the masses (which does not really exist in this book), what people will do for love, the ideas of...more
I love the clever title (you have to express the title orally to appreciate the cleverness). A very original story. I love how the author is able to continue telling the story while not using an ever growing inventory of unavailable letters. The author's ability to write with an ever increasing list of unusable letters is astonishing!!! Especially because the loss of letters in no way affects the overall story. I was only aware that the author was omitting letters because I was searching for ...more
I thought this book was brilliantly clever. I really enjoyed it. Maybe it was because I haven't read anything all summer and this light read was the antidote I needed to get me turning pages again.
On the fictional island nation of Nollop, the English language had been elevated to high art in honor of their namesake Nevin Nollop who authored the pangram "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." When the "Z" tile fell from Nollop's monument, the Island Counc...more
On the fictional island nation of Nollop, the English language had been elevated to high art in honor of their namesake Nevin Nollop who authored the pangram "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." When the "Z" tile fell from Nollop's monument, the Island Counc...more
Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram,* “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island’s Council, which has banned the use of certain letters of the alphabet as they fall from a memorial statue of Nevin Nollop. As the letters progre...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honors 9: Ella Minnow Pea--Mrs. Smith SAMPLE RESPONSE | 2 | 11 | Jan 20, 2012 04:14am | |
| Honors 9: Ella Minnow Pea--Mrs. Smith SAMPLE RESPONSE | 2 | 12 | Jan 20, 2012 04:14am | |
| Overbooked: January 2012 - Ella Minnow Pea | 2 | 3 | Jan 14, 2012 07:04pm |
Mark Dunn is the author of several books and more than thirty full-length plays, a dozen of which have been published in acting edition.
Mark has received over 200 productions of his work for the stage throughout the world, with translations of his plays into French, Italian, Dutch and Hungarian. His play North Fork (later retitled Cabin Fever: A Texas Tragicomedy when it was picked up...more
More about Mark Dunn...
Mark has received over 200 productions of his work for the stage throughout the world, with translations of his plays into French, Italian, Dutch and Hungarian. His play North Fork (later retitled Cabin Fever: A Texas Tragicomedy when it was picked up...more
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“Lately, I haph startet painting my torso in pretty, motley hews. I sit in phront oph the mirror in the sleepy-room. I atmire my hantyworg. I am a hooman apstrat paining.”
—
7 people liked it
“Perhaps in time, Ella, the words we have lost will fade, and we will all stop summoning them by habit, only to stamp them out like unwanted toadstools when they appear. Perhaps they will eventually disappear altogether, and the accompanying halts and stammers as well: those troublesome, maddening pauses that at present invade and punctuate through caesura all manner of discourse. Trying so desperately we all are, to be ever so careful.”
—
6 people liked it
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