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The Wonderful O
Great American humorist James Thurber's beloved and madcap fairy tale about an island society robbed of the wonders of the letter O--in a stunning Deluxe Edition featuring the original, full-color illustrations
Littlejack has a map that indicates the existence of a treasure on a far and lonely island, and Black has a ship to get there. So the two bad men team up and sail off on Black's vessel, the Aeiu. The name, Black explains, is all the vowels except for O--which he hates since his mother got wedged in a porthole: They couldn't pull her in, so they had to push her out. Black and Littlejack arrive at the port and demand the treasure. No one knows anything about it, so they have their henchmen ransack the place--to no avail. But Black has a better idea: He will take over the island and purge it of O.
The harsh limits of a life sans O (where shoe is she and woe is we) and how finally with a little luck and lots of pluck the islanders shake off their tyrannical interlopers and discover the true treasure for themselves (Oh yes--and get back their O's)--these are only some of the surprises that await readers of James Thurber's timelessly zany fairy tale about two louts who try to lock up the language--and lose. It is a tour de force of wordplay that will delight fans of Lewis Carroll, Dr. Seuss, Edward Lear, and Roald Dahl.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Littlejack has a map that indicates the existence of a treasure on a far and lonely island, and Black has a ship to get there. So the two bad men team up and sail off on Black's vessel, the Aeiu. The name, Black explains, is all the vowels except for O--which he hates since his mother got wedged in a porthole: They couldn't pull her in, so they had to push her out. Black and Littlejack arrive at the port and demand the treasure. No one knows anything about it, so they have their henchmen ransack the place--to no avail. But Black has a better idea: He will take over the island and purge it of O.
The harsh limits of a life sans O (where shoe is she and woe is we) and how finally with a little luck and lots of pluck the islanders shake off their tyrannical interlopers and discover the true treasure for themselves (Oh yes--and get back their O's)--these are only some of the surprises that await readers of James Thurber's timelessly zany fairy tale about two louts who try to lock up the language--and lose. It is a tour de force of wordplay that will delight fans of Lewis Carroll, Dr. Seuss, Edward Lear, and Roald Dahl.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
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About the author
James Thurber
357 books606 followersThurber was born in Columbus, Ohio to Charles L. Thurber and Mary Agnes (Mame) Fisher Thurber. Both of his parents greatly influenced his work. His father, a sporadically employed clerk and minor politician who dreamed of being a lawyer or an actor, is said to have been the inspiration for the small, timid protagonist typical of many of his stories. Thurber described his mother as a "born comedienne" and "one of the finest comic talents I think I have ever known." She was a practical joker, on one occasion pretending to be crippled and attending a faith healer revival, only to jump up and proclaim herself healed.
Thurber had two brothers, William and Robert. Once, while playing a game of William Tell, his brother William shot James in the eye with an arrow. Because of the lack of medical technology, Thurber lost his eye. This injury would later cause him to be almost entirely blind. During his childhood he was unable to participate in sports and activities because of his injury, and instead developed a creative imagination, which he shared in his writings.
From 1913 to 1918, Thurber attended The Ohio State University, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He never graduated from the University because his poor eyesight prevented him from taking a mandatory ROTC course. In 1995 he was posthumously awarded a degree.
From 1918 to 1920, at the close of World War I, Thurber worked as a code clerk for the Department of State, first in Washington, D.C. and then at the American Embassy in Paris, France. After this Thurber returned to Columbus, where he began his writing career as a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch from 1921 to 1924. During part of this time, he reviewed current books, films, and plays in a weekly column called "Credos and Curios," a title that later would be given to a posthumous collection of his work. Thurber also returned to Paris in this period, where he wrote for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers.
In 1925, he moved to Greenwich Village in New York City, getting a job as a reporter for the New York Evening Post. He joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1927 as an editor with the help of his friend and fellow New Yorker contributor, E.B. White. His career as a cartoonist began in 1930 when White found some of Thurber's drawings in a trash can and submitted them for publication. Thurber would contribute both his writings and his drawings to The New Yorker until the 1950s.
Thurber was married twice. In 1922, Thurber married Althea Adams. The marriage was troubled and ended in divorce in May 1935. Adams gave Thurber his only child, his daughter Rosemary. Thurber remarried in June, 1935 to Helen Wismer. His second marriage lasted until he died in 1961, at the age of 66, due to complications from pneumonia, which followed upon a stroke suffered at his home. His last words, aside from the repeated word "God," were "God bless... God damn," according to Helen Thurber.
Thurber had two brothers, William and Robert. Once, while playing a game of William Tell, his brother William shot James in the eye with an arrow. Because of the lack of medical technology, Thurber lost his eye. This injury would later cause him to be almost entirely blind. During his childhood he was unable to participate in sports and activities because of his injury, and instead developed a creative imagination, which he shared in his writings.
From 1913 to 1918, Thurber attended The Ohio State University, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He never graduated from the University because his poor eyesight prevented him from taking a mandatory ROTC course. In 1995 he was posthumously awarded a degree.
From 1918 to 1920, at the close of World War I, Thurber worked as a code clerk for the Department of State, first in Washington, D.C. and then at the American Embassy in Paris, France. After this Thurber returned to Columbus, where he began his writing career as a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch from 1921 to 1924. During part of this time, he reviewed current books, films, and plays in a weekly column called "Credos and Curios," a title that later would be given to a posthumous collection of his work. Thurber also returned to Paris in this period, where he wrote for the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers.
In 1925, he moved to Greenwich Village in New York City, getting a job as a reporter for the New York Evening Post. He joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1927 as an editor with the help of his friend and fellow New Yorker contributor, E.B. White. His career as a cartoonist began in 1930 when White found some of Thurber's drawings in a trash can and submitted them for publication. Thurber would contribute both his writings and his drawings to The New Yorker until the 1950s.
Thurber was married twice. In 1922, Thurber married Althea Adams. The marriage was troubled and ended in divorce in May 1935. Adams gave Thurber his only child, his daughter Rosemary. Thurber remarried in June, 1935 to Helen Wismer. His second marriage lasted until he died in 1961, at the age of 66, due to complications from pneumonia, which followed upon a stroke suffered at his home. His last words, aside from the repeated word "God," were "God bless... God damn," according to Helen Thurber.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
May 29, 2021
imagine a wrld withut the letter . a wrld withut chicken ndle sup r the mn (well...). where peple can eat ham but nt prk. it is very cmplicated, and incnsistent in its legislatin. but still pretty fun, and it's a kids bk, s we can ignre the little hiccups in lgic. and, n, it's nt written withut the letter , it's just abut a land where that particular letter is banned; it's n perec junir. but it's still a fun light read, and a lt less glmy than perec can be.
come to my blog!
come to my blog! 
October 22, 2013
This book was one of my favorites when I was about eight, and I read it innumerable times. I can still remember many passages verbatim. In case you don't know it, here is a brief summary of the plot. Two disreputable pirates, Black and Littlejack, arrive at the island of Ooroo. They have reason to believe that a fabulous treasure is buried there. They also have an insane hatred of the letter O.
They proceed to search for the treasure, and also to ban everything that contains an O in its name: clocks, dogs, boxes, whatever. The terrified inhabitants of the island are forced to speak an O-less language. They plan a revolt (or possibly a rebellion or a revolution). One of the theoretical questions which occupies their spare time is that of determining what the most important of the banned O-words is. Is it 'love' or 'honour' or 'valour'?
In the end, they win their fight, and they realize that, great as all these words are, none of them was the greatest.
The greatest O-word is FREEDOM.
This work by Manny is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
They proceed to search for the treasure, and also to ban everything that contains an O in its name: clocks, dogs, boxes, whatever. The terrified inhabitants of the island are forced to speak an O-less language. They plan a revolt (or possibly a rebellion or a revolution). One of the theoretical questions which occupies their spare time is that of determining what the most important of the banned O-words is. Is it 'love' or 'honour' or 'valour'?
In the end, they win their fight, and they realize that, great as all these words are, none of them was the greatest.
The greatest O-word is FREEDOM.
This work by Manny is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
August 12, 2011
I like The Wonderful O as much now as I did when I first read it at age 8. If you haven't come across it, imagine that George Orwell and Lewis Carroll got drunk one night and decided to collaborate on a short children's book. No description will do it justice.
But to give you a taste of what you're missing, here's the song that Black and Littlejack sing as they set out on their insane quest to ban the letter 'O':
But to give you a taste of what you're missing, here's the song that Black and Littlejack sing as they set out on their insane quest to ban the letter 'O':
I won't go down the horrible street
To see the horrible people
I'll gladly climb the terrible stair
That leads to the terrible steeple
And the terrible rats
And the terrible bats
And the cats in the terrible steeple
But I won't go down the horrible street
To see the horrible people
May 22, 2015
I'm just asking....
Was this Carl Sagan's favourite book when he was like eight?
Was this Carl Sagan's favourite book when he was like eight?
August 18, 2009
Sort of like OULIPO for kids. Or would it just be a kind of Perec for kids? Or maybe just a warning to kids to stay away from people who discriminate against particular vowels, and try to rid the world (or the text) of them.
Pirates attack a small island. When they find no treasures the head pirate gets very angry and punishes the island by ridding it of anything that has the letter O in it, the bane of his existence. What follows is an attempt by the pirates and their collaborators (I just realized that there is a kind of French resistance thing going on here, an added dimension to talk to children about, they love anything Nazi, even if it's fighting the Nazi's and love their books to subtly deal with the topic), to rid the island of O's. For examples pigs are fine, but not hogs, but swine's are, but they can be butchered into ham, but not pork or bacon.
The book is actually a lot of fun, and pretty funny in an absurd kind of way. I'm not sure about how much your average child will like this, kids today might cry because in this world they will no longer be able to LOL with their friends, while their parents and other adults will still be able to laugh, but the spellings that result from having to take O's out of words will probably delight them, even if they see no problem with why anyone would care about the nonsensical destruction that is caused by the pillaging of letters. Younger children will probably enjoy this more than teenagers, probably because they haven't become quite as language retarded yet as their older siblings. I'm being judgmental though, and probably not adding anything constructive to this legitimate forum of book reviewing by my non-sequiters.
Anyway a fun children's novel that plays with language in an appealing manner to this bookish reader, and it's easier to read than anything OULIPO has ever created.
Pirates attack a small island. When they find no treasures the head pirate gets very angry and punishes the island by ridding it of anything that has the letter O in it, the bane of his existence. What follows is an attempt by the pirates and their collaborators (I just realized that there is a kind of French resistance thing going on here, an added dimension to talk to children about, they love anything Nazi, even if it's fighting the Nazi's and love their books to subtly deal with the topic), to rid the island of O's. For examples pigs are fine, but not hogs, but swine's are, but they can be butchered into ham, but not pork or bacon.
The book is actually a lot of fun, and pretty funny in an absurd kind of way. I'm not sure about how much your average child will like this, kids today might cry because in this world they will no longer be able to LOL with their friends, while their parents and other adults will still be able to laugh, but the spellings that result from having to take O's out of words will probably delight them, even if they see no problem with why anyone would care about the nonsensical destruction that is caused by the pillaging of letters. Younger children will probably enjoy this more than teenagers, probably because they haven't become quite as language retarded yet as their older siblings. I'm being judgmental though, and probably not adding anything constructive to this legitimate forum of book reviewing by my non-sequiters.
Anyway a fun children's novel that plays with language in an appealing manner to this bookish reader, and it's easier to read than anything OULIPO has ever created.
April 30, 2019
A fable for all ages that would be *wonderful* as a family read-aloud. Beyond the crazy tongue-twisters created by taking the letters O out of our words, the language itself is brilliant... well, of course, it's Thurber. I'm not sure the plot is amazing, and the characters definitely aren't (only one female, a young woman who does happen to be the hero but is still not any more defined than the other stock characters). But the premise, and the development thereof, and the word-play, oh my.
Educational, too, as deciphering the words will fix the spelling of them in the reader's mind.
I want a box set of Thurber's five fables to read over and over....
Key words to live by, both in the book and in our own troubled times:
Hope. Love. Valor.
"... a man could say boo to a goose, and tell the difference between to lose and too loose."
Educational, too, as deciphering the words will fix the spelling of them in the reader's mind.
I want a box set of Thurber's five fables to read over and over....
Key words to live by, both in the book and in our own troubled times:
Hope. Love. Valor.
"... a man could say boo to a goose, and tell the difference between to lose and too loose."
November 1, 2025
Reading this story reminded me a bit of Orwell’s Newspeak in 1984, showing just how cruel a tyrant can be when controlling people. Thurber really deserves a tip of the hat here, he takes something as simple as removing the letter O and turns it into a story that’s actually more fun and engaging. One scene that really stood out to me:
“Hyde is a lawyer,” Andreus pointed out, “and he will still have his fees and fines.”
“And his quills and ink,” said the baker.
“And his paper and parchment,” said the goldsmith.
“And his chair and desk,” said the blacksmith.
“And his signs and seals,” said the tailor.
“And his briefs and liens,” said the candymaker.
It’s just brilliant how Thurber plays with words and makes the missing O part of the story’s charm.
All in all, I’d definitely recommend this book to my son one day.
-This book is included in the list: 1001 Books: You Must Read Before You Die-
“Hyde is a lawyer,” Andreus pointed out, “and he will still have his fees and fines.”
“And his quills and ink,” said the baker.
“And his paper and parchment,” said the goldsmith.
“And his chair and desk,” said the blacksmith.
“And his signs and seals,” said the tailor.
“And his briefs and liens,” said the candymaker.
It’s just brilliant how Thurber plays with words and makes the missing O part of the story’s charm.
All in all, I’d definitely recommend this book to my son one day.
-This book is included in the list: 1001 Books: You Must Read Before You Die-
November 21, 2022
LET ALL LIPOGRAMS COME TO ME!
“I would that I could banish body; then I’d get rid of everybody. No more anatomy, and no morphology, physiognomy, or physiology, or people, or even persons. I think about it often in the night. Body is blood and bones and other O’s, organs, torso, abdomen, and toes.”
Hyde curled his upper lip. “I’ll build you a better man,” he said, “of firmer flesh and all complete, from hairy head to metatarsal feet, using A’s and I’s and U’s and E’s, with muscular arms and flexible knees; eyes and ears and lids and lips, neck and chest and breast and hips; liver, heart and lungs and chin, nerves and ligaments and skin; kidneys, pancreas and flanks, ankles, calves and shins and shanks; legs and lashes, ribs and spleen—”
Short and sweet - compact and dense - funny and quirky - an ode to writing.
***
Was reminded of Chesterton's ideas on Phonetics in his All Things Considered:
"Suppose any sentence you like: suppose a man says, "Republics generally encourage holidays." It looks like the top line of a copy-book. Now, it is perfectly true that if you wrote that sentence exactly as it is pronounced, even by highly educated people, the sentence would run: "Ripubliks jenrally inkurrij hollidies." It looks ugly: but I have not the smallest objection to ugliness. My objection is that these four words have each a history and hidden treasures in them: that this history and hidden treasure (which we tend to forget too much as it is) phonetic spelling tends to make us forget altogether. Republic does not mean merely a mode of political choice. Republic (as we see when we look at the structure of the word) means the Public Thing: the abstraction which is us all. Properly spelt, these words all tell a sublime story, like Westminster Abbey. Phonetically spelt, they might lose the last traces of any such story. "Generally" is an exalted metaphysical term; "jenrally" is not. If you "encourage" a man, you pour into him the chivalry of a hundred princes; this does not happen if you merely "inkurrij" him. "Republics," if spelt phonetically, might actually forget to be public. "Holidays," if spelt phonetically, might actually forget to be holy. This does seem to me the case against any extreme revolution in spelling. If you spell a word wrong you have some temptation to think it wrong."
“I would that I could banish body; then I’d get rid of everybody. No more anatomy, and no morphology, physiognomy, or physiology, or people, or even persons. I think about it often in the night. Body is blood and bones and other O’s, organs, torso, abdomen, and toes.”
Hyde curled his upper lip. “I’ll build you a better man,” he said, “of firmer flesh and all complete, from hairy head to metatarsal feet, using A’s and I’s and U’s and E’s, with muscular arms and flexible knees; eyes and ears and lids and lips, neck and chest and breast and hips; liver, heart and lungs and chin, nerves and ligaments and skin; kidneys, pancreas and flanks, ankles, calves and shins and shanks; legs and lashes, ribs and spleen—”
Short and sweet - compact and dense - funny and quirky - an ode to writing.
***
Was reminded of Chesterton's ideas on Phonetics in his All Things Considered:
"Suppose any sentence you like: suppose a man says, "Republics generally encourage holidays." It looks like the top line of a copy-book. Now, it is perfectly true that if you wrote that sentence exactly as it is pronounced, even by highly educated people, the sentence would run: "Ripubliks jenrally inkurrij hollidies." It looks ugly: but I have not the smallest objection to ugliness. My objection is that these four words have each a history and hidden treasures in them: that this history and hidden treasure (which we tend to forget too much as it is) phonetic spelling tends to make us forget altogether. Republic does not mean merely a mode of political choice. Republic (as we see when we look at the structure of the word) means the Public Thing: the abstraction which is us all. Properly spelt, these words all tell a sublime story, like Westminster Abbey. Phonetically spelt, they might lose the last traces of any such story. "Generally" is an exalted metaphysical term; "jenrally" is not. If you "encourage" a man, you pour into him the chivalry of a hundred princes; this does not happen if you merely "inkurrij" him. "Republics," if spelt phonetically, might actually forget to be public. "Holidays," if spelt phonetically, might actually forget to be holy. This does seem to me the case against any extreme revolution in spelling. If you spell a word wrong you have some temptation to think it wrong."
July 4, 2016
While James Thurber might be best known for his wonderfully illustrated short stories, especially The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Other Pieces, he penned some tales for children, and The Wonderful O is one. Like the best children’s stories though — think The Chronicles of Narnia, The Book Thief, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, and The Magic Thief — The Wonderful O will appeal to adults who still enjoy some whimsy in their lives.
Just about anyone could have predicted that banning words containing the letter O on an island named Oonoo would be folly. However, Thurber’s execution, replete with treasure-hunting pirates and canny islanders, keeps the book fresh and funny, entertaining for the young and young at heart alike, while Marc Simont’s illustrations are a pure delight.
Special thanks to Manny Rayner for bringing this book to my attention, despite his name’s sorry lack of O’s.
Just about anyone could have predicted that banning words containing the letter O on an island named Oonoo would be folly. However, Thurber’s execution, replete with treasure-hunting pirates and canny islanders, keeps the book fresh and funny, entertaining for the young and young at heart alike, while Marc Simont’s illustrations are a pure delight.
Special thanks to Manny Rayner for bringing this book to my attention, despite his name’s sorry lack of O’s.
February 14, 2017
Thurber's story telling and use of the English language is simply brilliant, and this book is a delightful read aloud.
June 7, 2018
This is a cute and clever children's tale that I wish I had unearthed when my children were small. There it is: a review without the letter "O." Well, nearly!
July 4, 2019
A quirky little book wherein treasure-seeking pirates get annoyed when they can't find their treasure on the island and ban the use of the letter O.
Now I see where the author of Ella Minnow Pea got the idea :)
Now I see where the author of Ella Minnow Pea got the idea :)
April 8, 2009
I came across this book looking for something to get my niece Hailey for her birthday. The story is reminiscent of Mark Dunn's Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters, which also explores issues of hope, love, valor and freedom. Pirates invade the island of Ooroo looking for lost treasure. Their leader, the man named Black, loathes the letter "O" because his mother had suffered a terrible mishap involving a porthole so he outlaws any word containing it (which allows Thurber to get away with all sorts of linguistic fun such as poor Otto Ott and Ophelia Oliver: A man named Otto Ott, when asked his name, could only stutter. Ophelia Oliver repeated hers, and vanished from the haunts of men. (p. 26)
The islanders are flummoxed for a while as they try to rediscover the four qualities listed above - hope, love, valor and (the most important) freedom - but, when they do, they rise up under Andreus and Andrea and drive Black and his cronies from the island.
It's a very short read (72 pages in my edition) but great fun, and the 8-year-old you're reading to doesn't need to understand Thurber's deeper themes to enjoy the adventure.
The islanders are flummoxed for a while as they try to rediscover the four qualities listed above - hope, love, valor and (the most important) freedom - but, when they do, they rise up under Andreus and Andrea and drive Black and his cronies from the island.
It's a very short read (72 pages in my edition) but great fun, and the 8-year-old you're reading to doesn't need to understand Thurber's deeper themes to enjoy the adventure.
October 26, 2012
found this randomly in a used bookstore. it is wonderful indeed.
first paragraph:
Somewhere a ponderous tower clock slowly dropped a dozen strokes into the gloom. Storm clouds rode low along the horizon, and no moon shone. Only a melancholy chorus of frogs broke the soundlessness. Then a strange figure appeared out of the nocturnal somnolence, as unexpectedly as the blare of a bugle in a lullaby. He entered the tavern near the sea, and a blade of light flashed into the blackness and disappeared when the old oaken door closed once more.
now that i have typed that out i see just how brilliantly james thurber sets the whole story up. that paragraph is as brilliant as it is beautiful.
first paragraph:
Somewhere a ponderous tower clock slowly dropped a dozen strokes into the gloom. Storm clouds rode low along the horizon, and no moon shone. Only a melancholy chorus of frogs broke the soundlessness. Then a strange figure appeared out of the nocturnal somnolence, as unexpectedly as the blare of a bugle in a lullaby. He entered the tavern near the sea, and a blade of light flashed into the blackness and disappeared when the old oaken door closed once more.
now that i have typed that out i see just how brilliantly james thurber sets the whole story up. that paragraph is as brilliant as it is beautiful.
March 26, 2019
I'm not sure what it means when you read three books in one day and you understand none of them.
At least I liked this one.
It's the story of two pirates who come across a treasure map and set sail on a boat named Aeiu and arrive on an island called Ooroo and set about searching for jewels and in the process decide to get rid of all words with an O in them.
Yes, it's quirky. It's strange. But it's also filled with silly word play and clever asides and it's just plain fun.
Do I understand it? No, not really. Is there a point to it? I'd say again, no, not really. Is it worth reading? Yes, in an odd way, yes.
At least I liked this one.
It's the story of two pirates who come across a treasure map and set sail on a boat named Aeiu and arrive on an island called Ooroo and set about searching for jewels and in the process decide to get rid of all words with an O in them.
Yes, it's quirky. It's strange. But it's also filled with silly word play and clever asides and it's just plain fun.
Do I understand it? No, not really. Is there a point to it? I'd say again, no, not really. Is it worth reading? Yes, in an odd way, yes.
June 19, 2022
This story is like George Orwell ran slap bang into Norton Juster and the Brothers Grimm, with some Fahrenheit 451 and Treasure Island sprinkled about around the collision.
The letter O has been stricken from the island of Ooroo, because a nasty pirate newcomer hates it and assumes rule over the people. Chaos and confusion ensue (rather, chas and cnfusin) as the unfortunate inhabitants try to struggle on in the wake of insane banishments (of objects such as doors, roofs, and floors).
So clever and hilarious, it is also eerily relevant to present-day society, another book in my recent long line of cautionary tales regarding totalitarianism and bondage. I did not know that it fit into that category when I picked it up, but it does. It's just told with a whimsical charm that makes it appropriate for kids.
The simple joy of language and the love of liberty are celebrated within this short story. I love it.
The letter O has been stricken from the island of Ooroo, because a nasty pirate newcomer hates it and assumes rule over the people. Chaos and confusion ensue (rather, chas and cnfusin) as the unfortunate inhabitants try to struggle on in the wake of insane banishments (of objects such as doors, roofs, and floors).
So clever and hilarious, it is also eerily relevant to present-day society, another book in my recent long line of cautionary tales regarding totalitarianism and bondage. I did not know that it fit into that category when I picked it up, but it does. It's just told with a whimsical charm that makes it appropriate for kids.
The simple joy of language and the love of liberty are celebrated within this short story. I love it.
June 23, 2021
I found a copy in a new Little Free Library and am so glad I plucked this out. From the first page you are off on a rollicking adventure of humorous storytelling and word play. It reminded me very much of Neil Gaiman, and then it soon hit me it was indeed Gaiman who was responsible for bringing Thurber's The 13 Clocks back into print!
"Taking a single letter from the alphabet," he said, "should make life simpler."
"I don't see why. Take the F from life and you have a lie. It's adding a letter to simple that makes it simpler. Taking a letter from hoarder makes it harder." With a small shrug and a little leer, Hyde turned on his heel and walked away.
"Taking a single letter from the alphabet," he said, "should make life simpler."
"I don't see why. Take the F from life and you have a lie. It's adding a letter to simple that makes it simpler. Taking a letter from hoarder makes it harder." With a small shrug and a little leer, Hyde turned on his heel and walked away.
June 14, 2013
A magical little fairytale, with evil pirates Black and Littlejack seeking treasure on the island of Ooroo, and systematically robbing the letter o from out of the lives of the inhabitants. This causes all srts f prblems (especially for Ophelia Oliver, who had to withdraw from the society of men), as the lives f the ppulatin becme really difficult withut that letter. There are undertnes f ppressin and peaceful prtest, but thankfully nrmality is restred with the aid f magic.
Thurber's lve f language is apparent n every page with lng petical lists and a rhyming metre that makes it a jy t read alud. F curse it is nly a children's stry, but as anyne knws, the best kids' stries are thse which are gd fun fr lder flk t.
Thurber's lve f language is apparent n every page with lng petical lists and a rhyming metre that makes it a jy t read alud. F curse it is nly a children's stry, but as anyne knws, the best kids' stries are thse which are gd fun fr lder flk t.
January 8, 2019
A fairy tale in which the use of the letter "O" is forbidden. Very unusual (but maybe usual for Thurber!), and I wanted to like it, for I like the play of letters and words. But the story was just a little too strange for me.
However, if you enjoy this kind of book, I recommend Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn. It is a more recently written book in which less and less letters of the alphabet are allowed for use. I liked it a lot! And its story was much more readable (IMHO) :)
However, if you enjoy this kind of book, I recommend Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn. It is a more recently written book in which less and less letters of the alphabet are allowed for use. I liked it a lot! And its story was much more readable (IMHO) :)
August 8, 2015
Quirky fun. This is wonderful to read aloud to the right audience -- it's not about the story, but about what Thurber does with words and language. My kids gave it five stars. I don't love it the way I do The 13 Clocks, but the words and rhythms are really fun.
June 30, 2018
Review, minus the disreputable letter:
I was delighted with the cadence and linguistic play in this children’s tale. It was very reminiscent with Dr. Seuss’s writing style. Yet it did address the issues with banning letters in a way that might help children understand the perils present when making things illegal just because they disturb an individual.
I was delighted with the cadence and linguistic play in this children’s tale. It was very reminiscent with Dr. Seuss’s writing style. Yet it did address the issues with banning letters in a way that might help children understand the perils present when making things illegal just because they disturb an individual.
March 10, 2009
A very short tale about an island that is invaded by pirates looking for treasure. They can't find treasure so they remove everything with an "O" in it because the captain hates words with "O"s. At the end I didn't wish I had the time I spent reading back, but on the whole I was unimpressed.
August 6, 2017
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. I am paying it forward by passing this book along to a friend or family member who I think will enjoy it too.
September 6, 2017
A fun concept and story, but unfortunately it puts too much emphasis on word play and cleverness (which at times is very, very good) and not enough into the story itself, such that I was left feeling like "that was neat" but simultaneously unsatisfied.
September 30, 2025
Kind of disappointing in that I was expecting a more stringently lipogrammatic read. If that's your thing I think Ella Minnow Pea does better.
August 16, 2017
This was a book that was recommended to me by my sister who thought that I would enjoy it since of its similarity to the same format of "Animal Farm" and other modern-day contemporary fable-type stories. Although the story is written in a young adult format it is also directed to adults if they don't mind the frivolousness nature of the writing itself and the somewhat immature disguise that it wears to cover its more adult theme.
As for me this was one of those stories that knowing a bit about the actual conclusion of the book it did actually open my eyes to the fact in how much we actually use words that have the letter O in them, especially in the beginning sentences of the book itself. Furthermore I was also intrigued by the fact that the author was able to collect so many of these words and use them so creatively as his content although the reading at time was silly while unfortunately reminding me of the goofiness of other works like the "The Wonderland" series, which I am not quite a fan of.
Due to its directing to a younger audience there were pictures that were included and they shared the importance of the telling of the story to the reader while also in some examples emphasizing the events that were occurring. One particular illustration I enjoyed the most was the one showing what happened to the people when their musical instruments were condemned and the sparse remnants of O-less instruments were left. When compared to "The Tiger Who Would Be King", these illustrations were a lot more enjoyable in my opinion.
All in all it is an interesting book with a somewhat guessable end and one that brings up questions for the reader such as why the villagers of Ooroo were so willing to allow themselves to be put under the control of one ship of invaders when in the end they more than likely could have sent them on their way. Otherwise the remaining message pertains just as much to modern times with our whole need to be politically correct and attempts to make sure that we please everyone even when it is known to be quite impossible. In the end it is an interesting book and one that is most definately a quick read to pass away an afternoon or day for someone who just needs a break from life in general.
As for me this was one of those stories that knowing a bit about the actual conclusion of the book it did actually open my eyes to the fact in how much we actually use words that have the letter O in them, especially in the beginning sentences of the book itself. Furthermore I was also intrigued by the fact that the author was able to collect so many of these words and use them so creatively as his content although the reading at time was silly while unfortunately reminding me of the goofiness of other works like the "The Wonderland" series, which I am not quite a fan of.
Due to its directing to a younger audience there were pictures that were included and they shared the importance of the telling of the story to the reader while also in some examples emphasizing the events that were occurring. One particular illustration I enjoyed the most was the one showing what happened to the people when their musical instruments were condemned and the sparse remnants of O-less instruments were left. When compared to "The Tiger Who Would Be King", these illustrations were a lot more enjoyable in my opinion.
All in all it is an interesting book with a somewhat guessable end and one that brings up questions for the reader such as why the villagers of Ooroo were so willing to allow themselves to be put under the control of one ship of invaders when in the end they more than likely could have sent them on their way. Otherwise the remaining message pertains just as much to modern times with our whole need to be politically correct and attempts to make sure that we please everyone even when it is known to be quite impossible. In the end it is an interesting book and one that is most definately a quick read to pass away an afternoon or day for someone who just needs a break from life in general.
June 14, 2019
“Books have a way of rising from the ashes”
July 16, 2017
I enjoyed this childrens book. I like how James Thurber plays with words. I think other authors have borrowed from his technique.
pg 38, "..what was the letter of the law is now the law of the letter."
Reread it for #1001 summerroadtrip, a tour through Ohio. Reading it this time, I kept having thoughts of how we are dropping letters a lot with our chatting via apps and on-line technology. Is the alphabet changing.
Thurber is a man who loved words. I did not know that he went blind. He hired Marc Simont to illustrate his book. I have a copy of the book with the illustrations by Marc Simont. Marc Simont is the winner of the Caldecott Medal.
The back cover tells us that two men visit the island of ooroo on the boat Aeiu in search of jewels. These men start taking away the freedoms of the inhabitants of Ooroo one thing at a time until there is nothing left but cnfusin and chas. The islanders decide that there are 4 words with O that must not be lost, do you know what the 4 words are? rating 3.86
pg 38, "..what was the letter of the law is now the law of the letter."
Reread it for #1001 summerroadtrip, a tour through Ohio. Reading it this time, I kept having thoughts of how we are dropping letters a lot with our chatting via apps and on-line technology. Is the alphabet changing.
Thurber is a man who loved words. I did not know that he went blind. He hired Marc Simont to illustrate his book. I have a copy of the book with the illustrations by Marc Simont. Marc Simont is the winner of the Caldecott Medal.
The back cover tells us that two men visit the island of ooroo on the boat Aeiu in search of jewels. These men start taking away the freedoms of the inhabitants of Ooroo one thing at a time until there is nothing left but cnfusin and chas. The islanders decide that there are 4 words with O that must not be lost, do you know what the 4 words are? rating 3.86
February 23, 2016
I got about half way through this delightful volume before I gave in and started to read it aloud to my cats. I don't know whether they appreciated it or not but it certainly enhanced my reading experience. If you love words and language you should love this tale of pirates(?) who are willing to subjugate an entire peaceful island civilization in search of some jewels. Their method of oppression? Outlawing any word, or item, that contains the letter o. I pondered whether this was actually a political novel that was examining the same phenomena that Orwell introduced in 1984 with the concept of "newspeak". If you can't express a concept in words you can't think it either. And maybe Littlejack and Black represented totalitarian governments everywhere. Or maybe I was overthinking the whole thing. Yeah, probably that.
June 8, 2018
When evil treasure-hunters are unable to find precious stones on the island of Ooroo, they start banning all the "o"s in books, then in spoken word, then all the objects with "o"s in them. They succeed, partly with the assistance of a power-hungry lawyer, but a poet and a few other traditionalists search for a way to get their wonderful O, and all that comes with it, back.
This is a charming Thurber folk tale...not as perfect as Thirteen Clocks, but certainly humorous and clever.
This is a charming Thurber folk tale...not as perfect as Thirteen Clocks, but certainly humorous and clever.
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