Customer Reviews

The Unnameables

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I received this book four days ago. I finished it last night, while feeding my fifth child, a three week old. That's just to show you how much I enjoyed it. I'm a busy homeschooling mother, and have my own business, but I just HAD to find out how this book completed itself.

I will be holding on to this one as required reading for my own children (all 6 and under right now.) The book immediately grabbed me with the Map in the front, and the interesting introduction. The first chapter bogged me down a bit, as there were so many characters introduced with several different Names (a very important theme in the book) that I wondered how much time I would be devoting to it. But Chapter 2 began, and WOW, did it take off!

I have never gasped aloud reading a book. I did with this one, SEVERAL times. I have never hurriedly turn a page, as the main character, Medford, was making a heavy-hearted decision, and I was SO anxious, I couldn't jump to the top of the next page fast enough.

The words used are often Old English, and you get the feel of the Classics like The Hobbit or any of the Lord of the Rings or Narnia style. I am SO thrilled to have come across this book. A classic is something you read again and again and can apply new lessons or a new perspective to (in my definition) and this book excellently fits the bill with its laugh-out-loud moments, shocking turns, saddening scenes, and uplifting hope. The descriptions allow you to be on Island, and Medford's words help you to understand an outsider, if by some miracle you've escaped ever feeling that way.

Thank you, Ellen Booraem, for sharing this story with my family! I can NOT wait until my 6 year old is old enough to enjoy and learn from The Unnameables.

Sra. Gose
Author of Spanish Fun Activity Calendar & Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 1

I really enjoyed this book, though at the beginning I wasn't so sure. The characters grew on me, though some like Boyce are so cold it is hard to feel anything for them. The Goatman is terrific and really worth waiting for. The beginning of the story is difficult because of the strange use of capitals and being unable to fully place the the world . . . is is a made up fantasy land? Is it the past? These questions are answered in the course of the story, but it is a bit jarring in the beginning. That being said I found "The Unnameables" to be a very original and interesting book. Should a sequel appear I would definitely read it. The story is good for adults and teens.

The Unnamables is about a community living on and island (called "Island"), who are obsessed with Names and Uses. Everyone is named for their use (profession), and if it isn't "useful," then it has no place on Island (this goes for people, too, who get banished if they don't stick to the rules of The Book). To me, it had a certain 17th century Puritan feel, especially with the "Book Talk" (Shakespearean English aka thees and thous), although as the story progresses you realize this is not the setting.

The first chapter was a bit slow, and I was worried I'd be stuck reading a boring book (I have a hard time not finishing books). I was greatly relieved when things picked right up in chapter two. I loved the fantasy aspect added in the beginning chapters. This book had wonderful themes and morals: About passion for art and creativity (and the suppression of art and creativity), The importance of history (and dangers of revisionist history), finding your place in the world / society and showing that growing up and accepting responsibility doesn't mean you can't have fun anymore.

The only reason this book didn't get a 5-star rating from me was because it was targeted for ages 9-12. I think this book might be too hard for average 9 and 10-year olds (if they are advanced readers they might do fine), I would say ages 11+ unless its a read-aloud book.

"Names are important," Medford [Runyuin] said..."They tell us who we are and what we do and what everyone else does and where we all belong." Unfortunately for thirteen-year-old Medford, with his unusual name and Mainlander roots, living in Town is a bit like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Its inhabitants take on the surname of their trade, like Carpenter, Tailor and Weaver. There is no such occupation as a Runyuin. Not only are place names generic-sounding, for example, Main Street and Town Hall, so are those for animals, like Greater Horned Milk Creatures and Egg Fowl. Useless things, including certain birds, are left nameless. Conformity is key, and all of Town's citizens are expected to adhere to the rules (many familiar from the bible) put to paper years ago. When it is time for his transition, Medford, instead of being given the obvious surname of Carver, is instead expected to endure an extra year trial period, after which the prospective name change will be reconsidered. He is sent out to live alone in an isolated cabin. He does his best, carving many useful things, as expected, to pay back the cost of his home and land, but can't bring himself to destroy his beautiful, Useless carvings (required at Transition, after which he is considered to be an adult), in spite of knowing that he will likely be banished to the Mainland if he is caught with them. While he is struggling with the issue, an unexpected guest arrives, a smelly, odd-looking Goatman and his equally stinky dog. This strange creature with a taste for towels and linens and a tendency toward turbulence, helps Medford learn to question authority and defy convention, and, along with other allies, the two teach the townsfolk a thing or two about the Usefulness of the seemingly Useless. The Unnameables, with its old-style speech, diverse characters (the Goatman is great), and excellent message, is a good, wholesome read, probably best for nine to eleven-year-olds, although similar in many basic ways to The Giver by Lois Lowery, an even better book.

While my daughter was all excited about reading this book, the book was not the most interesting of the choices that she had available this summer. She thought the story progression was too slow and the concepts were too abstract. There were hidden meanings, which may be too difficult for an 8 year old to grasp.

I'll be honest. When I picked this book I did so because I thought it had an intriguing message of being yourself in midst of society's attempt to define. After ordering it, but before receiving it, I began to get worried. Because it had an intriguing message of being yourself in midst of society's attempt to define.

That, I thought, is a sure recipe for a book that is beloved by teacher's organizations, book award clubs, and other such fine folks who tend to see a message being much more important than story, writing, or imagination. In other words, where the moral of the story is so obvious it's pretty much a given a book should be called unreadable.

I was wary.

And I was pleasantly surprised.

Booraem has accomplished a brilliant task, offering a story with a clear moral without being overbearing or blatant about it. Indeed, she helps create a unique world that echoes aspects of our own, but certainly has rather strong differences. Indeed, these strong differences make The Unnameables more of a fairy tale story rather than an attempt to show a direct picture into our society.

As the story went on it we are pushed deeper into this world, caught up in the characters, some usual and some wholly unique. We quickly move past the expected "Footloose" plot where young, creative teenagers show the adults about having fun. Instead, the story moves deeper, where there is no generational line, and where we see a wonderful creative exploration of a society's tradition, history, and culture.

Booraem has a moral to the story, but is not preaching, nor is she drawing lines in the sand against religious, cultural, or other societal standards. What she is saying is be true to who you are, and this goes for those religions, cultures, and standards. It is when these standards have lost sight of their own foundations there is distortions, distortions which sadly then take over the whole movement.

But even as I write that last paragraph I feel awkward, because that sounds so dry and 'full of message' like a heartwarming episode of our favorite family sitcom.

It's not that. It's so much more enjoyable. Booraem has walked a very fine line in her writing giving us both a message while avoiding becoming overbearing. More than that, she has penned a very readable book. That's why I gave it five stars. I realized not too far in that I kept wanting to come back to it, I couldn't put it down, and I was for a long while absolutely lost in this story that has a wonderful mix of identity crisis, detective story, fantasy, and even humor.

Honestly, this is one of those books that I think was marked as young adult fiction more because of the age of the main characters. It is directed towards those 10 and up, though I would suspect the emphasis would be more on the 'up', and probably would be more enjoyed by kids and adults who themselves have a creative, introverted, side they have felt punished for.

Indeed, it's a great book for artists of all ages, and I highly recommend it as a fun read.

There are some good things about this little book, and I want to discuss those first, before I throw in my criticism (just for balance).

The book is 316 pages long. This is not a long book for kids who are readers. (Compare a Potter book at 700 or 800 pages plus.) Kids who are readers are insulted when people my age point out to them that the book is "long." I don't blame them.

As the misfit, misunderstood member of the community, Medford is a protagonist that we (as bibliophiles) can relate to and cheer for and certainly feel empathy with. There is a nice arc here, as we see the doesn't-stand-up-for-himself boy become the I-can't-believe-I-stood-up-and-said-that boy at the end (don't want to give too much away).

There is whimsy here, and I'm a big fan of whimsy, especially when it is offered gently to young readers, so that their imaginations can be tickled. And I think there is definitely some tickling to be done with the names, especially those dispensed by Goatman in reference to his dog and what socially unacceptable behavior he might engage in at night. Ahem.

However: I didn't really like this book until I was (finally!) a hundred pages into it. Yes, we need exposition so that we can all understand that Medford lives on an island where folks have watched The Village too many times (sorry, it just slipped out) and talk funny and have names that identify their employment. And art is bad. But if all that were accomplished in the first 25 pages, this would be a better book. There was also an overlaying scent of Hawthorne and The Minister's Black Veil here, especially at the end (again, don't want to give any spoilers), which may or may not be good for kids. I mean, the overall lesson is a good one, but it's a bit creepy. And speaking of creepy, let's just say this: I thought we've been teaching kids to run from hairy men-like creatures in loose-fitting robes.... I don't know that Goatman is going to endear himself to most kids, regardless of his ability to do windy smackdowns.

It looks as though this is Ellen Booraem's first novel, so I can be a bit forgiving as a reviewer (and a writer). The writing itself is strong. But in terms of plot, it does seem like Booraem took two random characters (see the acknowledgements page in the book) and tried to think of a story that would thrust (forgive the verb) them together.

Overall, I liked the book past page 99, and really became absorbed past page 145 (the kind of stay-up-past-your-bedtime absorbed). So if the reader is patient, this is a nice little, kind of different, kind of the same book.

I will be forever glad that I was introduced to and fortunate enough to read and own the 'The Unnameables'. When this book starts to really get going (it picks up after chapter one which is fortunately short) it becomes hard to put down. I know that's cliche to say but it is true. The delightful style of writting and powerful message make this book beautiful.
The book takes place on an isolated island (self isolated) where all the people only do usefull things and get kicked off for doing not so usefull things such as creating peices of art. It's better described beforhand but I don't think anybody really describes how many passions this book can arise. It stirs up great anger at the right moments and makes you laugh when it wants to but the book is a little to short to make you very attached to any of the characters. Dont get me wrong, the book is the perfect length and if ever there was a sequel you could definitly become attached.
But the message against surpressing art and creativity is perfectly conveyed and any creative souls out there will definitly find a place in their heart and library for this very excellent and worthy contribution to literature.
I now wonder what the painting that inspired it looks like?

If the Puritans had kept their culture but thrown out their God and the Bible for the cult of Miss Manners and the Fanny Farmer Cookbook, you would have a similar civilization to that of Island in The Unnameables.

The book is a make-you-thinky. I had a hard time warming up to this book and had to eventually force myself to read past the first chapter. I am glad I did. I have not been able to interest any of my middle-school students in reading it, however, and I suspect it will have limited appeal to a middle-school audience.

The Unnameables took me back to the most memorable books I read when I actually was 10-14 years old. If you are looking for a book to give to your thoughtful early teen then this is for you.

Ellen Booraem's first book is a wonderful piece of word-painting. Her writing is economical but conjures a rich set of images. Life on Island is slow and considered, and the opening chapters convey this rhythm - although they hint at tensions beneath the surface too. The pace picks up as the tensions break through the surface, and the language takes on more urgency as well. Although as an adult reader I knew where Booraem was going with this story, I was carried by her prose through to the end with pleasure. An early teen reader would find the ending illuminating and perhaps inspiring.

The people of Island are a curious blend of old and new - they have created an island in Time to match the oddly inaccessible nature of their home. They speak in a mixture of deliberately archaic English and plain everyday speech - perhaps some modern readers would find the archaic language difficult but such readers are not Booraem's target audience. The kind of teen I was would eat this stuff up.

The society of Island is rigidly controlled despite its superficial egalitarianism. One of the themes in The Unnameables is how an idealistic society goes astray, to the point where it becomes a denial of its original values. This is a message for our time for sure! Although the Island bears some superficial resemblance to various traditionalist groups in real life, and is also similar to some religious groups in other ways, it should not be read as a commentary on such groups. Booraem is talking about a much bigger issue, and I don't think she intends the reader to be overly distracted by seeking parallels. The Unnameables is about individuality and identity, how a young person finds who s/he is, and how identity denied becomes a destructive force both for individuals and for societies.

I enjoyed The Unnameables and I look forward to more from Ellen Booraem.