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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I liked the idea and execution of this novella a lot, it's kind of genius. But I wish I had more fun reading it--it was... weird and not wholly enjoyable. But still worth it.
There's a fictional island off the coast of the US called Nollop, named after the guy who supposedly penned the sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog", which famously contains every letter of the alphabet. The sentence is displayed on tiles on a memorial statue. But then the letter Z tile falls off the statue, and the high council decides that this was intentional; Nollop would not have wanted people to continue using the letter Z after its fall, so Z is banned in written and verbal communication. Severe punishments are put into place for those who still use the letter Z, both intentionally and accidentally.
And then more tiles start to fall.
Language becomes increasingly restricted as the tiles fall, and certain residents see the preposterousness of this and begin to think that Nollop was actually an idiot. They propose to the high council that they will create another sentence, in 32 letters or less, that uses all the letters, and the council agrees that if they can do this, the letters will be restored. But a lot of shit goes down in the meantime as totalitarianism essentially takes over and free speech is eviscerated.
Cleverly, this is a novella told in letters (as in it's epistolary and also uses the diminishing alphabet). There's quite a lot of humor in it, and the writing is really wild. Here is an example of a declaration from the high council that blew me away in more ways than one:
"Those of you who see undue cruelty in the penalties meted out for speaking or writing the forbidden letters should make note of the following three points:
1. Adhering to the commandments of Nollop leaves no room for fear of punishment or forfeiture. (He who walks in the light has no reason to fear the darkness.)
2. There is no such thing as accident or misspeak, only grossly underapplied discoursal perspicacity, with unguarded exposure to distractional digression. (A lighted path is clear. There is no reason, save mischief or inattention, to stray into the darkness.)
3. The severity of punishment is an irrelevant issue, given the opportunity to avoid punishment altogether. (Keep to the path to avoid what is promised to be a broken and jagged shoulder.)"
Yeah. lol
There's a fictional island off the coast of the US called Nollop, named after the guy who supposedly penned the sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog", which famously contains every letter of the alphabet. The sentence is displayed on tiles on a memorial statue. But then the letter Z tile falls off the statue, and the high council decides that this was intentional; Nollop would not have wanted people to continue using the letter Z after its fall, so Z is banned in written and verbal communication. Severe punishments are put into place for those who still use the letter Z, both intentionally and accidentally.
And then more tiles start to fall.
Language becomes increasingly restricted as the tiles fall, and certain residents see the preposterousness of this and begin to think that Nollop was actually an idiot. They propose to the high council that they will create another sentence, in 32 letters or less, that uses all the letters, and the council agrees that if they can do this, the letters will be restored. But a lot of shit goes down in the meantime as totalitarianism essentially takes over and free speech is eviscerated.
Cleverly, this is a novella told in letters (as in it's epistolary and also uses the diminishing alphabet). There's quite a lot of humor in it, and the writing is really wild. Here is an example of a declaration from the high council that blew me away in more ways than one:
"Those of you who see undue cruelty in the penalties meted out for speaking or writing the forbidden letters should make note of the following three points:
1. Adhering to the commandments of Nollop leaves no room for fear of punishment or forfeiture. (He who walks in the light has no reason to fear the darkness.)
2. There is no such thing as accident or misspeak, only grossly underapplied discoursal perspicacity, with unguarded exposure to distractional digression. (A lighted path is clear. There is no reason, save mischief or inattention, to stray into the darkness.)
3. The severity of punishment is an irrelevant issue, given the opportunity to avoid punishment altogether. (Keep to the path to avoid what is promised to be a broken and jagged shoulder.)"
Yeah. lol
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
tense
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Loved the concept and idea! Really interesting to read but at times challenging especially when English is not your first language but still enjoyable
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Interesting. I'm glad it's not any longer, given the linguistically heavy writing, with long run on sentences and perplexing phrase structures. But it is a fascinating little story and a clear parable of the quick slide into totalitarianism.
Really, I'd probably give this book a 3.5, but since that isn't an option I had to make a choice.
I love that this book is a compilation of letters. It is playful, creative, quirky and imaginative.
The book certainly begs the question....which letter do you love the most and how would you cope with its abscence?
The story reminded me of the musical Urinetown (which I love) in some ways. Both use something that we take for granted and an oppressive regime restricts it. Whether it is the right to utilize certain letters of the alphabet as in this book or the bathroom in Urinetown.....I think they are inventive approaches to looking at political situations.
I love that this book is a compilation of letters. It is playful, creative, quirky and imaginative.
The book certainly begs the question....which letter do you love the most and how would you cope with its abscence?
The story reminded me of the musical Urinetown (which I love) in some ways. Both use something that we take for granted and an oppressive regime restricts it. Whether it is the right to utilize certain letters of the alphabet as in this book or the bathroom in Urinetown.....I think they are inventive approaches to looking at political situations.