Journal Entry 1 by Jayebirck from Dallas, Texas USA on Saturday, May 31, 2008

Mark Dunn pushes the envelope once again for creative fiction. I loved reading Ella Minnow Pea and Welcome to Higby was funny as well. This latest book while creative in its format, left me wanting something more.
I am hoping that another book by Mark Dunn will follow soon and it will be up to the standard I've come to expect from him. 

Journal Entry 2 by sarradee from Dallas, Texas USA on Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Picked up at a Beyond Chapter Three meeting. I'm already missing you guys. :(

Product Description
Only Mark Dunn, author of the acclaimed Ella Minnow Pea, would attempt to write a novel entirely in footnotes-and succeed so triumphantly. Ibid is the off-the-wall fictional biography of Jonathan Blashette, a three-legged circus performer and deodorant entrepreneur. Dunn, a character in his own novel, is Blashette's esteemed biographer. But when Dunn's editor destroys the manuscript in an unfortunate bathtub accident, all that remains are the footnotes, which they arrange to publish in a consummate portrait of Blashette's strangely hilarious life story, one that offers some infinitely interesting morsels of American cultural history. Of course, as endnotes go, these are the tidbits, the marginalia: snippets of commentary, correspondence, court transcripts, song lyrics, and even a recipe for Boston baked beans. But in the topsy-turvy world of Ibid, the footnotes tell the truest story of all.

Very interesting idea for a novel. The author tries very hard to keep coming up with new ideas for experimental fiction. Some work better than others I'd assume. I found this book cute, and interesting, but it wasn't always easy to follow the story line the author was attempting to set up, and the reader has to fill in large blocks with their imagination. Quite creative, but not as noteworthy as Ella Minnow Pea.


 

Journal Entry 3 by sarradee at BookObsessed VBB, BookObsessed Swap -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Released 3 yrs ago (8/21/2008 UTC) at BookObsessed VBB, BookObsessed Swap -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Mailing to Appaloosatb who chose it from the It's Your Turn VBB. 

Journal Entry 4 by appaloosatb from Rochester, Minnesota USA on Wednesday, August 27, 2008

This has arrived safely. Thank you! 

Journal Entry 5 by appaloosatb from Rochester, Minnesota USA on Sunday, October 26, 2008

I pretty much agree with Sarra. The idea behind the novel was interesting, the author tries hard to make it work... but in the end, it's just not as good as "Ella" was. I mostly enjoyed this, but found that I could only read it in short spurts or I would start to become frustrated.

Put back in the "It's Your Turn" US VBB. 

Journal Entry 6 by appaloosatb at BookObsessed VBB, BookObsessed Swap -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, November 09, 2008

Released 3 yrs ago (11/9/2008 UTC) at BookObsessed VBB, BookObsessed Swap -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 7 by azuki from Miami, Florida USA on Saturday, November 22, 2008

Appaloosatb, thanks for putting this back into the vbb.
Ella Minnow Pea was an interesting read so I look forward to this one as well. 

Journal Entry 8 by azuki at Miami, Florida USA on Sunday, June 13, 2010

In some way, I think a novel in this format is easier to write, as the author can just concentrate on the funny anecdotes and events of his characters and not have to worry about how to transist from one scene to another without feeling fragmented, as it's supposed to be fragmented.

I enjoy this book a lot; some of the events seem to be linked to real historical moments (Forrest Grump style) though I didn't verify that. Some of the footnotes feel rather pointless and long-winded, especially some poems which I fail to see the humor in. Overall it's a pretty fun read, and there are some moving moments: Jonathan' realization of his life purpose, and Lady Jane's return.

THis book will now be reserved for the Bizzare Bookbox... if this isn't bizzare, I don't know what is... 

Journal Entry 9 by azuki at a wishlist RABCK, by mail -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (7/29/2010 UTC) at a wishlist RABCK, by mail -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Why would I think that a book with three legs will be contended to stay in a bookbox? The restless triped is now trekking across the globe to Veganmedusa, who's very interested in this book. 

Journal Entry 10 by VeganMedusa at Invercargill, Southland New Zealand on Monday, September 13, 2010

Thank you azuki, I have indeed been very interested in this book since reading Ella Minnow Pea. You are now my official supplier of sought-after-but-hard-to-find books. :-) 

Journal Entry 11 by VeganMedusa at Invercargill, Southland New Zealand on Sunday, May 15, 2011

Not great, as everyone has already said - a bit disappointing after Ella, but amusing if read in small doses every day. I kept wanting to re-read Pale Fire though, as the slightly unbalanced narrator kept reminding me of that better book.
This would be a good one to read in e-book form, being able to google historical references - there are a lot of them, and sometimes I was unsure which was made up and which was true. I knew nylons were sought after in WWII but nylon riots? Wow. Probably funnier for Americans who are familiar with the strange people and incidents in the book. But I learned a thing or two - nylon riots, Evelyn Waugh's first wife was called Evelyn and they were known as "He-Evelyn" and "She-Evelyn", Flannery O'Connor had a fetish for peacocks (and birds in general), Carry Nation threw bricks in saloon windows to fight intemperance.
Poor old Boston got a hard time but at least they got a footnote of a glowing essay at the end. 

Journal Entry 12 by VeganMedusa at Invercargill, Southland New Zealand on Friday, May 04, 2012

This is now on its way to another Kiwi bookcrosser. 

Journal Entry 13 by KiwiinEngland at Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand on Friday, May 18, 2012

Thank you for this wishlist book. Like others I am drawn to this because I really enjoyed Ella Minnow Pea, so will see how it compares.