Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters
13 journalers for this copy...
Book Update:
Minerswifebb reported that the book has just turned up back at her house after nearly two years in postal limbo. Wow! We'll see if there is still interest from the original list.
-Rendiru
I haven't read this yet. Rather than let it languish on my bookshelf, waiting for a little attention while I make my way through several to-be-read piles, I've decided to offer it up for a book ring.
From the back of the book:
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 Nollp, author of the immortal phrase containing all the letters of the alphabet, "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 progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl's fight for freedom of expression and a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere.
There has been a lot of interest in this book, so I added another copy. This copy will go out as a book ray and the last person can release it in the wild or offer it up for another ring/ray/trade/RABCK. Folks getting the other copy will be in a book ring, with the book returning to me.
Book Ray Participants Updated Mailing Order: (9/6/2003)
Here you can track the book's progress. You can see where it has been sent or who has journaled. Just click on a member's name to visit his/her bookshelf.
Minerswifebb reported that the book has just turned up back at her house after nearly two years in postal limbo. Wow! We'll see if there is still interest from the original list.
-Rendiru
I haven't read this yet. Rather than let it languish on my bookshelf, waiting for a little attention while I make my way through several to-be-read piles, I've decided to offer it up for a book ring.
From the back of the book:
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 Nollp, author of the immortal phrase containing all the letters of the alphabet, "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 progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl's fight for freedom of expression and a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere.
There has been a lot of interest in this book, so I added another copy. This copy will go out as a book ray and the last person can release it in the wild or offer it up for another ring/ray/trade/RABCK. Folks getting the other copy will be in a book ring, with the book returning to me.
Book Ray Participants Updated Mailing Order: (9/6/2003)
Here you can track the book's progress. You can see where it has been sent or who has journaled. Just click on a member's name to visit his/her bookshelf.
- MissQ (NB Canada)
- woodsroy (NB Canada)
- RealBookWorm (NB Canada)
- beachglass (CA USA)
- softdrink (CA USA)
- sejent (KY USA)
- Cafemundo (ME USA)
- solittletime (ME USA)
- grover3d (WV USA)
- minerswifebb (BC Canada)
- keeprdg (GA USA) pm sent 10/30/05
- squirrel818 (MN USA) has already read it
- lennonchick78 (MO, USA) pm sent 10/30/05
- amymehta (TX, USA) pm sent 10/30/05
- WWestWind (CO, USA) PMs are disabled. :-(
- saram23 (MA, USA) pm sent 10/30/05
- Geologygirl (NC, USA) pm sent 10/30/05
- kbgoffe (OR USA) pm sent 10/30/05
Just got this today as part of Rendiru's bookray. Thanks so much! It's good timing because I just finished a book. This looks like a quick and interesting read...I'll read it this weekend and keep it moving. On to RealBookWorm (who I snuck in front of) next.
Just finished this today. It was a cute, quick read (only took me a few hours). Near the end (after there weren't many letters that weren't prohibited) I had to speak some of the phonetic word out loud to figure out what they meant. I laughed out loud in parts!
This will be passed on to RBW soon so it can continue its journey.
This will be passed on to RBW soon so it can continue its journey.
Although I'm not part of the "original" bookring list for this novel, I managed to squeeze in since Miss Q read it in less than 48 hours. :-) I promise to read through it quickly.
ha ha ha!!! I just finished reading it!! What a hilarious little novel?! At first, I found it slow and a bit wordy. But as I got into it, I simply marveled at the genius behind this story!! I think this novel should be part of mandatory reading either in high school or university. Definitely makes you appreciate our language and all its peculiarities!
You know girls (MissQ & Woodsroy), we're going to get a reputation for letting people sneak into bookrings if we don't stop this! Aw, who cares, right? hehe After all, that's what books are for ... to be read.
I just got this today from MissQ who dropped it in my mailbox. I'll stop what I'm reading and get right to it so I can send it on its way again.
I just got this today from MissQ who dropped it in my mailbox. I'll stop what I'm reading and get right to it so I can send it on its way again.
I finished the book today so as soon as I get an addresss for beachglass I can send it on to California. It was an interesting book and I'm glad I got the chance to read it. Thanks rendiru!
I got the name and address and I mailed it out to beachglass on June 1st, 2003!
I got the name and address and I mailed it out to beachglass on June 1st, 2003!
Just received in the mail today from RealBookWorm...I've been looking forward to reading this book. I hope to read it this weekend...it looks like a quick read!
I finished this book over the weekend...once I started it, it was hard to put it down.
It was a very interesting novel about the English language, and human behavior, but also an eye-opener about how easily we can and do lose our rights if we're not careful.
I've PM'ed AmerLee17 for her address, and it will be mailed to her this week. :-)
Thanks for sharing this great novel Rendiru!
It was a very interesting novel about the English language, and human behavior, but also an eye-opener about how easily we can and do lose our rights if we're not careful.
I've PM'ed AmerLee17 for her address, and it will be mailed to her this week. :-)
Thanks for sharing this great novel Rendiru!
Received from beachglass on Monday (I'm a little slow with the journal entry...ooops!). Started reading last night...so far, z and q have bit the dust. The language seems very old-fashioned (okay, there's lots of big words), but I'm sure that's all about to change!
I finished the book last night...I loved the phonetic spellings at the end. Very creative. It was exhausting enough to read...could you imagine having to live like that? And without books?!?
Will be mailing to sejent next.
Thanks rendiru!
Will be mailing to sejent next.
Thanks rendiru!
Received in today's mail...I will start reading tonight and will journal again when I have finished.
Sending to Cafemundo in Wilton, ME.
Arrived in the mail this morning...opened the book and began reading...already on page 20...this is a great story!
Will come back to journal soon.
Thanks sejent!
Will come back to journal soon.
Thanks sejent!
A wonderful whimsical, quirky, zany, story told in "missives" between the citizens of Nollop Island. Much fun to read, although there are the undertones of moral lessons - freedom of speech, government-run-amuck, loyalty, etc. It was such a treat! Thanks so much for sharing this with us Rendiru!
Will be mailing to solittletime - soon.
Will be mailing to solittletime - soon.
Mailed to solittletime yesterday.
Hi everyone! I received a message from Kiptos that she had found another copy of the book and didn't need this one mailed to her. She wrote a bit about the book with the note, and after asking if it was okay, I decided to share her reaction to the book here.
"...a really funny and great book... It helps to increase my vocabulary and made me realise how much we take the alphabets for granted. Initially, it was a huge laugh as the Nollop citizens had to delete more and more of their
vocab, but towards the end, it really lets one know how drastic the consequences can be.
"As a lover of words, it's a real horror to think that we may lose the use of it one day. Compared to Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451", it's even worse because at least they still have all the words for communication. Can you
imagine what happens when all the letters have fallen off? Everyone would go back to cavemen era and make grunting sounds and just point and sign.
"What a nighmare!
"Well, I hope the rest of the readers will enjoy the book as much as I."
"...a really funny and great book... It helps to increase my vocabulary and made me realise how much we take the alphabets for granted. Initially, it was a huge laugh as the Nollop citizens had to delete more and more of their
vocab, but towards the end, it really lets one know how drastic the consequences can be.
"As a lover of words, it's a real horror to think that we may lose the use of it one day. Compared to Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451", it's even worse because at least they still have all the words for communication. Can you
imagine what happens when all the letters have fallen off? Everyone would go back to cavemen era and make grunting sounds and just point and sign.
"What a nighmare!
"Well, I hope the rest of the readers will enjoy the book as much as I."
I received this book in the mail today. If it is any where as interesting as its journal entries, it will be a great read!! Thanks.
A most interesting and unusual read. I enjoyed this quirky novel and it is now going to the next on the bookring, grover3d.
Sent to grover3d via media mail.
It's here - sorry for the delay in logging it - I've been away....I'll get to it ASAP. Thanks!
Lots of fun - you can read it in a few hours, and you'll be glad you spent the time. I LOVE books that play with language....I just wish there were more of them (OK, more that do it WELL!). Thanks for sharing this!
Journal Entry 23 by minerswifebb from Similkameen, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Received today...looking forward to this one. Thanks grover3d...hope you are feeling better.
Journal Entry 24 by minerswifebb from Similkameen, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Loved it...mailed to keeprdg feb.9....I just looked at the list and noticed I skipped squirrel1818...how did that happen? My apologies for the mix up on the list.
Journal Entry 25 by minerswifebb from Similkameen, British Columbia Canada on Sunday, March 14, 2004
I have emailed keeprdg about this one and have had no response. It is over a month since I mailed it and hope it is safely in her hands, just yet unjournaled!
Journal Entry 26 by minerswifebb from Similkameen, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Where have you been Ella??? This book was returned to me today after more than 20 months on the road....still unopened and the final indignity was having to pay $2.45 to get it back!!I have moved in the meanwhile so it was forwarded on to my new address, something Canada Post doesn't do for free anymore!
So the bookring can resume. Rendiru shall I email the next one on the list?
So the bookring can resume. Rendiru shall I email the next one on the list?
Journal Entry 27 by minerswifebb from Similkameen, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Apparently everyone on the list has read this so I checked the wish lists and am mailing this to jessiebud in Ontario. No fooling around this time Ella...straight to North York!
She's here!! Thanks you, minerswife! I've wanted to read this for quite some time.
I was about to mention that I am currently juggling 4 bookring books, but this one looks like such a quick read (if the journal entries here are any indication!), that I may squeeze it in this weekend anyhow. Thank you for offering this up to me and for accepting my offer to turn it into a trade.
I will journal and release it once I'm done. In fact, I may even be daring and send it on to a friend who is not yet a bookcrosser (but I've been working on her to change that status!!) This could be the book to do it!
I was about to mention that I am currently juggling 4 bookring books, but this one looks like such a quick read (if the journal entries here are any indication!), that I may squeeze it in this weekend anyhow. Thank you for offering this up to me and for accepting my offer to turn it into a trade.
I will journal and release it once I'm done. In fact, I may even be daring and send it on to a friend who is not yet a bookcrosser (but I've been working on her to change that status!!) This could be the book to do it!
Sigh. I apologize for this, for taking so long and for being the odd one out when I admit that I couldn't get through it. I guess it just wasn't the right time for me; not the right mood or whatever. I wanted to like it, really, but I just found myself feeling impatient and annoyed. So, time to let Ella move on.
I am sending this off to Hellie, in England.
I am sending this off to Hellie, in England.
Journal Entry 30 by Hellie from South Shields, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Friday, July 21, 2006
Arrived today great way to celebrate start of summer holidays!!
Also odd is Monday a dear friend of mine from Toronto, ontario, will be staying here! Shes touting Uk at mo-is a singer singwriter. www.tiamcgraff.com or www.tiamcgraffukfanclub.com. She's from Port Dover....
Looking forward to this..a couple ahead right now.
Thanks
Helen
Also odd is Monday a dear friend of mine from Toronto, ontario, will be staying here! Shes touting Uk at mo-is a singer singwriter. www.tiamcgraff.com or www.tiamcgraffukfanclub.com. She's from Port Dover....
Looking forward to this..a couple ahead right now.
Thanks
Helen
Journal Entry 31 by Hellie from South Shields, Tyne and Wear United Kingdom on Friday, July 21, 2006
Arrived today great way to celebrate start of summer holidays!!
Also odd is Monday a dear friend of mine from Toronto, ontario, will be staying here! Shes touting Uk at mo-is a singer singwriter. www.tiamcgraff.com or www.tiamcgraffukfanclub.com. She's from Port Dover....
Looking forward to this..a couple ahead right now.
Thanks
Helen
Also odd is Monday a dear friend of mine from Toronto, ontario, will be staying here! Shes touting Uk at mo-is a singer singwriter. www.tiamcgraff.com or www.tiamcgraffukfanclub.com. She's from Port Dover....
Looking forward to this..a couple ahead right now.
Thanks
Helen
