Rating: 
Summary: Don't overlook the author's message
Review: I am only half way through this book, which I must say reads very quickly, but I decided to have another look at the reviews of this book. After all, it was because of those reviews that I bought this book.It concerns me, that those few readers who look beyond the humourous aspect of this book, still don't spend much time commenting upon the subtext - the loss of freedom. Not only are certain letters banned from use, but the high-minded governing Council, impose very strict punishments for anyone found using any of the banned letters, and a very strict adherence to those punishments, even to the extent of exiling nationals. This novel shows how all too easy it is for innocent members of any group to be caught up in the fanaticism of a governing body, when that body believes that it is doing right. Look at any difficult political situation in the world today, and somewhere there is an element of fanaticism. Whilst I am sure that Mark Dunn is very happy that people are enjoying the comic side to his novel, I guess he did not intend it to overshadow the deeper message. This is a very enjoyable, very clever novel, but when you read it, don't forget that any of us could find ourselves in a similar situation very easily. (Also, to the reviewer who suggested keeping a dictionary to hand, working out what is being said is probably supposed to be part of the enjoyment. You do not need a dictionary.)
Rating:
Summary: CLEVER STORY
Review: I bought this book with little info about it...what a wonderful surprise! This is a witty tale of conformity & individuality, big brother, social rules, etc. all buried in a funny tale. Definitely run out and get a copy for your personal library!
Rating:
Summary: Clever, witty
Review: I don't much like to read fiction, but the title of the book caught my eye and I decided to give it a try. I love and admire the roman alphabet and its use in the English language. I felt that this book was a refreshingly light and easy read, uncommonly poetic and reminiscent of the eloquence of romantic writers like Nathaniel Hawthorne without being bogged down in heavy subplots and adult over-exasperating trauma. I read it swiftly and yet I would read it again to fully absorb the vocabulary...I will admit I learned a few new words from this book! Inventive, clever and poetic. I highly recommend Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn, especially to anyone who prizes an elevated vocabulary and wordplay.
Rating: 
Summary: BLEH
Review: I had such high hopes for this cute little book. The concept is great, I thought the execution [was bad]. There wasn't a character that I wanted to sympathize with and I didn't care how it ended. I did finish it, but only because it was so short.
Rating:
Summary: What an amazing book!
Review: I have not been able to stop talking about this book -- but really, the best way to get across the concept is simply to say: "Just read it." The idea itself is so uniquely inventive it will leave you in awe -- but its execution will go on to leave you simply breathless. Dunn's wordsmithing skills are second to none -- not only endlessly creative but endlessly entertaining. I shamelessly admit to skipping to the last few pages -- at the bookstore -- to see how the story turned out ... And I still bought the book and enjoyed every page.
Rating: 
Summary: A fun book!
Review: I received an advance reader's copy of this book and have been thinking of it ever since. The fictional land of Nollop brings forth some interesting characters. The fact that this novel is told through letters, which are increasingly more and more difficult to write because of the crazy laws that keep going into effect, really makes this book different from many others that I have read lately. My only reason for giving this book 4 stars instead of 5 is because I found it to be a little predictable. Otherwise, this is a great story that would be an excellent selection for a reading group or even a classroom (I plan to use it in my own classroom) as it should bring some lively discussions.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, comical...and a little flat
Review: I understand readers' affection toward this book -- a novel that takes place on the Isle of Nollop (Nollop being the man that composed the famous phrase "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog," of course). When letter tiles of the famous phrase begin to fall from the Isle's tribute, citizens take it as a sign from Nollop's grave. "Speak or write the letter 'z', first offense-public reprimand, second offense-public flogging or the stockades, third offense-deportment from the island of Nollop. If you refuse to go, death is the punishment." Thus unfolds the fun behind this novel -- letters begin to "disappear" from the text (words containing them aren't used, at least), until finally, words are spelled "creatively" when there are only a few letters remaining that haven't been banned. As a writer, I understand the remarkable fun Dunn must have had writing Ella Minnow Pea. To begin with, the idea of an island devoted to the phrase "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" is an interesting one, and to follow, how entertaining would it be to write a novel where you must constantly think of alternate phrasing? My only criticism of this book, however, is that the characters writing the letters (the "narrators," if you will, as the story is told using the Rashoman effect) are incredibly flat, and I felt nothing for them. They were merely there to present Dunn's idea. There was little development or actual action in the book. I felt that the characters rambled in their letters, talking about much of the same things, merely to in permit the continuation of the novel and its missing letters. Mostly, I think I enjoyed the concept of the book, rather than the book itself.
Rating:
Summary: A singular sensation
Review: Lovers of language and readers looking for a unique experience, take note! Ella Minnow Pea is the fascinating story of an independent island nation off the coast of the U.S. (fictional, of course) named after their national hero, Nevin Nollop, originator of the renowned sentence, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Known to all novice typists, this "pangram" contains all letters of the alphabet, with very few repeats. Nollop has been exalted to saint status for his achievement, and when the monument to his memory--and his memorable pangram--begins to lose letters, town leaders interpret it as a sign from the afterworld that each lost letter must be successively eliminated from all oral and written communication. It is a challenge that is progressively difficult for residents to meet, and they must find creative ways to stay within the law or join the rebels who risk public punishment or even exile. Author Mark Dunn also accepts the challenge of eliminating each letter successively from his novel, which is written entirely as correspondence between two young women in their late teens and other island inhabitants. Not only an intellectual exercise (although an amazingly successful one), Ella Minnow Pea is an engrossing story as well--both a biting condemnation of a government fanatically self-righteous in its enforcement of the increasingly impossible laws it has imposed, and a hilarious account of the residents' antics in the face of absurdity. A quick but enthralling read, the book reaches an eminently satisfying conclusion that will leave readers shaking their heads in admiration and struggling to create their own pangrams.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Bold First Novel
Review: Mark Dunn had incredible chutzpah to submit "Ella Minnow Pea" to any publisher as a first-time novelist. It totally defies comparison. In an era when imitation of a previous style is not merely "flattery," but necessary to publication, Dunn has veered into wholly uncharted territory. "Ella Minnow Pea" is the exception to all the current rules of how to write a successful novel in the 21st century. Its reception by readers and booksellers must have the giant publishing house scrambling to find suitable imitations to rush into print. I predict that we will see a glut of "Ella-Wannabe" endeavors. I signed on to this site solely to add my comments to the previously-posted reader reviews. There is little need for me to echo their comments. Read the reviews. Buy the book. Tell your friends to buy their own copies -- they'll want to go back to re-read "Ella" at their leisure, from time to time.
Rating:
Summary: Quirky and fun
Review: On the fictional island of Nollop, off the coast of South Carolina, the denizens consider their deceased native son Nevin Nollop, author of the popular pangram sentence "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog", as their national hero. When a letter from Nollop's statue falls, the island's governing council see it as a sign from Nollop and announce that from now on the islanders are not to use the letter (a Z) in either speech or writing. The islanders, whose love of language is legendary, try to take it as a challenge, until a second letter falls from the statue. Ella Minnow Pea is an 18-year old islander who is witness to this bizarre scene of government in action, and may actually hold the key to stopping this insanity as the tiles fall and the letters are outlawed. The story moves quickly, due to the epistolary format, so the characters are not be as fleshed out as they could be. "Ella Minnow Pea" is a delight for all lovers of language and of word play.
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