Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn – Dystopian Books Review
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Review, Synopsis, and Summary of the Novel “Ella Minnow Pea’’
A treat for all the literature lovers, Ella Minnow Pea can be defined as an epistolary fable. Conceived and written by Mark Dun in 2001, the story is as exciting to read as it probably was to write. Since the story is mainly told in the form of letters written between Ella Minnow Pea and her family, the reader gets a firsthand experience of avoiding the use of certain letters. On the part of the writer, it requires a great deal of creativity to come up with words which should communicate aptly, without the use of certain forbidden ones.
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Author: Mark Dunn
Genre: Science Fiction/ Dystopian Fiction
Pages: 208
Goodreads Rating: 3.85/5
My Rating: 7 of 10
For the Latest Price: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
Synopsis and Summary of the Dystopian Novel “Ella Minnow Pea’’.
***Warning Spoilers Below This Point***
The fable originates in a fictional land of Nollop, close to the coast of South Carolina. The island is named after one of its heroes named Nevin Nollop. He was well known for his discovery of the pangram, “A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”. His services have been commemorated by the erection of a monument in the town square. His pangram is inscribed on the walls of the monument.
The disaster strikes when one day, the inscribed letters from this monument start falling. Considering this a message from Nollop, the Council bans the use of fallen letters and threatens to banish and execute the citizens who violate the rule.
Initially, the law did not create much fuss, but with the continuous falling of inscribed letters, the communication in Nollop became difficult. Being a major literary person, one of the residents of Nollop and the main character of the story, Ella Minnow Pea asks the council to look back on their decision. The Council agrees to restore the use of all letters if a new 32 letter pangram is composed. Now it was up to Ella Minnow Pea and her family to help their community in abolishing this law.
Final Thoughts on the Dystopian Novel “Ella Minnow Pea’’.
Mark Dunn has used phonics and excruciating synonyms as his tools for creating such a farce. Although it might become tiresome for some readers at the end, when only 4 letters are allowed for the use, it is eventually rewarding as it finally comes to the end. Being told in the letters, the story keeps its pace up and the reader’s interest intact till the end. However, every literary piece has its limitations. If you are looking for your casual, relaxing reading time, Ella Minnow Pea might not be the piece for you. The overall theme and base storyline are quite different and challenging. Still, the clever use of language and pun intended makes it a relevantly good read. I will definitely consider reading this novel again.
For the Latest Price: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
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