Mark Dunn (1) (1956–)

This was such a delightful book, and its vocabulary proved to be a sincerely hearty endeavor that required the aid of a dictionary at times. Honestly, I should re-read this to re-learn and acquire the litany of diction deployed. Dunn even provides an in-story explanation for the extensive vocabulary—which, honestly, highlights his strength as a storyteller. If something like this book ever came to be in reality, the whole ordeal would be settled either thoroughly through weeks-long voting and restructuring of the village council or a rapid dissembling of the council through a series of peer-pressured resignations. But, Dunn makes clear all the details of the unique predicament regarding the unfortunate citizens of Nollopville, the fictitious birthplace of one Neville Nollop, a wordsmith crafty enough to imagine the infamous pangram regarding a particularly speedy fox and a particularly unaffected canine.… (more)

Ella Minnow Pea is a clever epistolary novel that is a treat for lovers of language. The conceit is that a small community endeavors to communicate with each other as more and more letters of the English language are denied them, under penalty of expulsion, corporal punishment, or even death, by their political leaders.

Ella Minnow Pea is fun and smart and it's very wonderful to see the numerous words that are coined as the alphabet is diminished. In addition to being a linguistic treat, the novel is also something of a critique and satire of officious modes of political-religious thinking.

An entertaining, quick read.… (more)