Helpful Score: 9
If you love words, and if you enjoy a good satire, you will like this book. I read it one sitting while waiting for the next letter to drop.
Helpful Score: 7
This is one of the most original books I've ever read. I still use the central challenge in this book (writing as short a sentence as possible using all of the letters of the alphabet) to help clear my mind on those insomnia nights....I would post my copy of the book, but I REALLY don't want to get rid of it.
Helpful Score: 4
Fantastic book! Difficult to read as it goes on, it really makes you work (and think), but extremely gratifying.
Helpful Score: 3
an amusing fantasy about a fictional island where the inhabitants revere the fictional author of the sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog," containing all the letters in the alphabet. When the letters start falling off his statue, the people on the island are not allowed to use words containing those letters either in writing or in speech. This is not much of a problem when the "Z" falls off, but becomes very inconvenient when letters like "s" and "a" begin to fall. This book would appeal to adult readers who enjoy playful, intelligent fantasy but would also appeal to bookish young adolescent readers.
Helpful Score: 2
Ella Minnow Pea is a cleverly written book about a place where alphabet letters are removed from use...the author manages to write and convey ideas, despite a growing loss of letters. It's fun to read and fun to decipher at the end!
Helpful Score: 2
A great commentary on authoritarian government. It will make you consider how necessary are ALL twenty six letters of the alphabet?
Helpful Score: 2
This book challenged my vocabulary! I enjoyed it. It was a fun read.
Helpful Score: 2
clever and full of great comentary. In today's times much of the political commentary seemed fitting. What a wonderful and imaginitive use of the English language!
Helpful Score: 1
Loved it! Couldn't wait to see what letter was going to drop next! It also gave me a good brain exercise!
Helpful Score: 1
Quick read. Very clever and funny book.
Helpful Score: 1
Fun book! Would be great for discussion.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a story about the fictional country of Nollop, an island located off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after the man who invented the phrase "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog". The letters making up these words are on the statue of Mr. Nollop in the town center, and one day, the letters start to fall off. The town council takes it upon themselves to ban that letter from their vocabulary, but then more and more letters start to fall off...
This is a quirky novel, and short; I read it in a day. This is an unusual choice for a novel, to be sure, but it does succed as a satire. It also is a commentary about totalitarianism and governments getting way out of hand.
This is a quirky novel, and short; I read it in a day. This is an unusual choice for a novel, to be sure, but it does succed as a satire. It also is a commentary about totalitarianism and governments getting way out of hand.
Helpful Score: 1
Very different type of book, as it is comprised of a series of letters. Clever.
Helpful Score: 1
This is the most unique book i have ever read. Say the name of the book fast and you will catch on fast as to the idea of the book, although this is the persons name in the story. Each sentence gets shorter and harder to read, so if you enjoy "mind strainers" and word games, this read is for you. All the letters must be used in a sentence. I found this so addicting it was hard to put down. It is actually a story, and a game, so be prepared to be engrossed.
Helpful Score: 1
tee-hee... as the totalitarian government of a small island community removes letters from its alphabet, chaos spreads. smart, clever, etc, but still not too heavy a read (for satire)
Helpful Score: 1
A lovely fable (of sorts) about human stupidity. It was light and fun and yet had a serious side. On the island of Nallop - named after the man who coined the sentence "The Quick Brown Fox Jumped Over The Lazy Dog" - a statue of the founder begins to drop letters. Those in charge declare that no one is allowed to use those letters anymore once they fall, and thus the chaos begins.
Written as a series of letters between characters, and following the rules as established by the nation's elders, Ella Minnow Pea is a story about those who conform vs. those who chose to question authority.
It's really fun and quite enjoyable. Highly recommended!
Written as a series of letters between characters, and following the rules as established by the nation's elders, Ella Minnow Pea is a story about those who conform vs. those who chose to question authority.
It's really fun and quite enjoyable. Highly recommended!
Helpful Score: 1
clever, but perhaps overly done. the author drops out the use of letters throughout the book, and it just got annoying to read at the end. i suppose that was the point, but at the same time, it just screamed gimmick. i don't like books that are all gimmick and little substance. this wasn't that, but it was kind of headed in that direction.
Helpful Score: 1
fun and quick read, that draws you in quickly!
I had such a fun time reading this book! It was so clever the way the author gradually removed letters from his writing. It became hard to read at times. I could not believe the seriousness of the punishment for law breaking that was under the light writing style though. It was definately harrowing to think that a town could go to those extremes and become so fanatic practically overnight. This was a great read.
SUSAN S. (susieqmillsacoustics) -
This is a whimsical, fun, silly and unique book. There were things I found hilarious but also some frightening, thought provoking elements. I mostly read this a few chapters at a time in between other books. It doesn't really need to be read all at once. It's a keeper for me because it is unique and funny. Without spoilers I will say I will always find Satto-gatto to be hilarious.
I love reading, I love words and I love playing with them. This little novel does just all of that and more. With its outlandish plot and the actions of the Council it takes the reader on a light and laughable ride. Poking fun at a very famous sentence that those who ever took typing classes will recognize the author lets his imagination run riot. I loved it. Try it. Good short read for a light cheery afternoon.
I feel like a party crasher, because I'm writing the 27th review of this book so far. Anyway, it's a panagrammician's delight, some of them, like the book occasionally, even make sense.
I enjoyed reading this book. It also gives a very good representation of how governments and people in positions of power can abuse and misuse a belief
in a mundane achievement.
in a mundane achievement.
This is a clever little tale about the small island nation of Nollop. When letters start falling off a monument to the man who came up with the sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" the council decides to outlaw the use of the letters. It demonstrates how a government can go too far and how the citizens could let it get so bad. This seemingly simple book is one I will ponder for days. I found many of the things that happened in Nollop have a truth in our world too. I also liked the word play in the book. It could not have been easy for the author to keep writing as more and more letters became taboo.
The writing is a true masterpiece, but I couldn't find myself caring about or forming a connection to the characters. They seem so flat that they can not pop off the page and play their story before me. But the writing and use of language is stunning.
I really had trouble getting into this book. It's not a long book, but I just think my mind was too busy to stay hooked on it. I gave up after the first few pages. Brand new copy though!
Parable, satire, or just plain fun, this delightful little novelette traces the misfortunes which befall the inhabitants of a mythical island off the coast of South Carolina when letters begin disappearing from the alphabet.
The island, you see, was the home of the equally mythical Nevin Nollop, he who composed that catchy little phrase âthe quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.â It's a pangram, you see â a sentence including all 26 letters of the alphabet, and useful to typesetters, beginning typists, code writers, and anyone else who has need to corral individual symbols into coherent words. Their commemorative statue to Nollop, decorated with tiles spelling out his claim to immortality, is beginning to age somewhat, and one day â horrors! â one of the tiles slips from its mortar and crashes to the ground. Whereupon the Ruling Council decides this to be a message from beyond the grave â that the saintly Nollop is decreeing that henceforth no one should use the fallen letter (this one happens to be âZâ) in either spoken or written form.
As additional tiles begin to fall, additional letters are banned, and author Dunn dutifully soldiers on without them in the narrative, which is composed entirely of letters and written notes between characters. One could become very analytical about this, and discuss the conflict between the human drive to communicate and the equally compelling drive to remain part of one's culture, or draw parallels between repressive dictatorships and freedom of speech. Or one could simply sit back and enjoy the fun as the remaining letters are gang-pressed into service to get the point across.
A few sub-plots emerge â a couple of romances, attempts to either unseat the Ruling Council or to convince them to rescind their draconian rulings, and a final desperate project to create a new pangram, thus proving Nollop was not divinely inspired. But the real fun is just watching the language emerge as the characters unwillingly play a kind of linguistic Jenga â how many letters can they extract before the whole language collapses?
Great fun for word lovers. And be sure to read the datelines on the notes and letters, which become progressively sillier as writers struggle gamely on as more bits of the alphabet elude them.
The island, you see, was the home of the equally mythical Nevin Nollop, he who composed that catchy little phrase âthe quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.â It's a pangram, you see â a sentence including all 26 letters of the alphabet, and useful to typesetters, beginning typists, code writers, and anyone else who has need to corral individual symbols into coherent words. Their commemorative statue to Nollop, decorated with tiles spelling out his claim to immortality, is beginning to age somewhat, and one day â horrors! â one of the tiles slips from its mortar and crashes to the ground. Whereupon the Ruling Council decides this to be a message from beyond the grave â that the saintly Nollop is decreeing that henceforth no one should use the fallen letter (this one happens to be âZâ) in either spoken or written form.
As additional tiles begin to fall, additional letters are banned, and author Dunn dutifully soldiers on without them in the narrative, which is composed entirely of letters and written notes between characters. One could become very analytical about this, and discuss the conflict between the human drive to communicate and the equally compelling drive to remain part of one's culture, or draw parallels between repressive dictatorships and freedom of speech. Or one could simply sit back and enjoy the fun as the remaining letters are gang-pressed into service to get the point across.
A few sub-plots emerge â a couple of romances, attempts to either unseat the Ruling Council or to convince them to rescind their draconian rulings, and a final desperate project to create a new pangram, thus proving Nollop was not divinely inspired. But the real fun is just watching the language emerge as the characters unwillingly play a kind of linguistic Jenga â how many letters can they extract before the whole language collapses?
Great fun for word lovers. And be sure to read the datelines on the notes and letters, which become progressively sillier as writers struggle gamely on as more bits of the alphabet elude them.
An excellent, intelligent narrative with a unique premise.
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 islands 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 progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girls fight for freedom of expression, as well as a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere.
very cute, very fun read!
Different...
Though this book was a school required read, I found the book exceptionally playful! yet... with a notable social commentary
Cute and clever, but ultimately insubstantial.
