torialtona's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
karencarlson's review against another edition
2.25
I knew this book was a gimmick going in. After all, I knew Dunn’s earlier book, Ella Minnow Pea, was likewise a gimmick, but I loved it anyway, and it turned out to have more depth than I’d expected. I’d hoped the same for this one: a book composed only of end notes, the only copy of the main text having been accidentally destroyed.
Alas, no.
It starts well, and I was with it up to a point; I do love goofy humor. But after fifty pages of random, not-very-connected absurdist anecdotes, it got tiring. I didn't finish it.
It might, however, be a book worth reading in a unique way: Start, enjoy the setup and the goofiness of the premise, then scan the rest, perhaps reading a page now and then to recapture the mirth of the initial impression.
FMI see my blog post at A Just Recompense.
Alas, no.
It starts well, and I was with it up to a point; I do love goofy humor. But after fifty pages of random, not-very-connected absurdist anecdotes, it got tiring. I didn't finish it.
It might, however, be a book worth reading in a unique way: Start, enjoy the setup and the goofiness of the premise, then scan the rest, perhaps reading a page now and then to recapture the mirth of the initial impression.
FMI see my blog post at A Just Recompense.
katieohara's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
taurustorus's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
coffeeandreads's review against another edition
While I still think it's a fascinating idea, the story is so boring that I can't find the motivation to keep up with it. 200+ pages of endnotes of a biography of a 3-legged circus performer is a bit too much. It's not even as interesting as the endnotes and footnotes sections in the CMS.
merricatct's review against another edition
3.0
I'm a big fan of Mark Dunn's Ella Minnow Pea, which combined a fascinating experiment in written language with a story that was both delightful and frightening; unfortunately, this was much less of a success for me. The experiment in written language (here, a novel written entirely in endnotes) was interesting, but the story itself was lacking. The main character is very Forrest Gump-y in encountering lots of famous historical figures, but otherwise, it wasn't very entertaining or compelling. Despite being fairly short, it took me far longer than I expected to read this, just because I avoided picking it up or kept getting distracted while reading it. But I got through it! I'm giving it three stars because of the creative format, but Pale Fire this definitely isn't.
clarentium's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An inventive way of telling a story. It was very funny but also made me unexpectedly emotional.
rebeccabateman's review against another edition
1.0
1.5 stars
Dunn's idea is creative, but implemented in such a contrived, inane and unsophisticated manner it left me angry as I persevered through it. Chock full of lame puns and innuendo and completely lacking in quality or plot (granted, I guess that was the idea). However, had the actual book been available, I don't think I would have found it to have any merit either.
Dunn's idea is creative, but implemented in such a contrived, inane and unsophisticated manner it left me angry as I persevered through it. Chock full of lame puns and innuendo and completely lacking in quality or plot (granted, I guess that was the idea). However, had the actual book been available, I don't think I would have found it to have any merit either.
abookishtype's review against another edition
5.0
Ibid is another delightfully off-kilter work of metafiction by Mark Dunn. This is not a traditional novel by any means. It opens with a handful of letters between “Mark Dunn” and his editor that explain the unusual format of the book. “Mark” accidentally destroyed one copy of the manuscript of a biography of Jonathan Blashette, a three-legged man with an uproariously bizarre life. The editor’s son accidentally destroyed the other. All that’s left are the endnotes. One might think that endnotes aren’t enough to tell a man’s life story. In the case of Ibid, one would be proven wrong...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.
csd17's review against another edition
3.0
Let me preface this by saying I'm a huge fan of the Author's Ella Minnow Pea. Due to the middling reviews on this book I very nearly removed it from my list. I'm so glad I didn't.
But, you might say, you only gave it 3 stars. True. Let me explain.
Dunn's creative concept is this: to tell a story completely in footnotes. He succeeds... partly. Is the story told? Yes. Did he effectively spoof historical works? Absolutely. Are some good laughs had along the way? Sure.
However, just like I would any historical notes section, I skimmed the majority of the text. Either that is a sign of it's brilliance or it is a sign of it's failure to create content that is intriguing. I, pessimistically, chose the latter because I would prefer not to read it again.
But, you might say, you only gave it 3 stars. True. Let me explain.
Dunn's creative concept is this: to tell a story completely in footnotes. He succeeds... partly. Is the story told? Yes. Did he effectively spoof historical works? Absolutely. Are some good laughs had along the way? Sure.
However, just like I would any historical notes section, I skimmed the majority of the text. Either that is a sign of it's brilliance or it is a sign of it's failure to create content that is intriguing. I, pessimistically, chose the latter because I would prefer not to read it again.