Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ella Minnow Pea is a progressively lipogrammatic epistolary fable.
Did you just go back and reread that last sentence?
Yeah, me too.
After reading the title "Ella Minnow Pea" my brain was just not prepared for all of that. However, after a quick Webster's search, I realized it was right up my alley.
I thought this was a great book. At the 3/4-finished mark, my assessment of the tale was 4-stars. Then, once I finished, I reduced the grade to 3-stars. Why? For the same reason I wanted to give it four initially - the use of literary devices.
I won't complain about the author's choice to go the epistolary route because I actually enjoy that format. There is something about reading a series of letters that just draws you in. I can't say the same for the lipogram.
At first I thought the writing game was genius. I never encountered it before and was totally enamored with it. After 150 pages, though, it got a little old. And maybe I am not being totally fair. Maybe it wasn't really the lipogram but the fact that I was forced to read 150-pages about the characters complaining about it. I just got tired of hearing it .. and a little bored.
Had this book been shortened by 50 or so pages, it would have been for the better. With that being said, I give props to Dunn for writing such a book. The challenge in itself is kind of impressive. I also think using a literary technique to write said book was the right choice. The thing is, there can be too much of a good thing sometimes. That's what I think happened here. Of course, if you are having trouble getting through it ..
Maybe next time five dozen wacky liquor jugs will help.
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