How do you feel about the title?

Use this forum to discuss "Dumb" Orphans: The Bundu Bunch Trilogy by Allan Low, the November 2024 Book of the Month.
Noyamanu
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 15
Joined: 01 Nov 2024, 22:40
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 4

Re: How do you feel about the title?

Post by Noyamanu »

I mean, isn't that the point of the book? That they aren't actually "Dumb," people just treat them as such? That's why "Dumb" is in quotations, implying that it's not true. I feel like that was pretty easy to pick up on, even without reading the book.
User avatar
Seetha E
Minimum Wage Millionaire Reader
Posts: 1794
Joined: 02 Mar 2023, 10:18
Currently Reading: Vibrant Veggies Delight
Bookshelf Size: 349
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-seetha-e.html
Latest Review: Vibrant Veggie Delights by Michael Feeney
2025 Reading Goal: 51
2025 Goal Completion: 62%

Post by Seetha E »

The cover catches the eye, drawing the prospective reader in. The choice of the word "dumb" in reference to the orphans, based on the review points to a poignant reality of the society around the vulnerable kids. The author skillfully draws the reader to delve into the content and find the deeper implications of the title.
M Grogan
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 59
Joined: 02 Feb 2023, 19:17
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 10
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-m-grogan.html
Latest Review: Alfie's Attack by David Bohline

Post by M Grogan »

The title was off-putting, and I wasn't considering reading this one until I delved deeper into the summary and realized it actually sounds like a very worthwhile novel. I think the author would do better if he changed the title.
User avatar
Gabriela Contreras Gonzalez
Minimum Wage Millionaire Reader
Posts: 236
Joined: 28 Oct 2024, 12:55
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 62
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gabriela-contreras-gonzalez.html
Latest Review: Brothers Bound by Bruce K. Berger

Post by Gabriela Contreras Gonzalez »

Based just on the title, I would not read this book, is not appealing to me, I feel it is rude.
User avatar
Kutloano Makhuvhela
In It Together VIP
Posts: 514
Joined: 28 Aug 2023, 07:39
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 102
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kutloano-makhuvhela.html
Latest Review: Re-Enlightening by Erik Hare

Post by Kutloano Makhuvhela »

I haven't read the book so I am not yet in know of its contents to match them up with the title. But if I were to give our my first impression of it, I would say I find it offensive.
‘When you do a good deed, people are grateful, and that creates a nice feeling inside you; and then because it feels good, that makes you want to do more good deeds. That repetition is the cycle of goodness.’

~Hogoromo.
User avatar
Caroline Anne Richmond
Minimum Wage Millionaire Reader
Posts: 840
Joined: 24 May 2020, 17:41
Currently Reading: The Little Book of Bad Intentions
Bookshelf Size: 201
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-caroline-anne-richmond.html
Latest Review: How to Discover the Authentic Life Story by L. E. Rhoden

Post by Caroline Anne Richmond »

Although at first glance the title may appear derogatory towards the orphans, the author has used the word 'dumb' in a sarcastic and ironic way. The orphans are far from dumb and the title is a way of describing them in an intentionally incorrect way.
User avatar
Diana Lowery
Moderator
Posts: 3667
Joined: 11 Feb 2019, 07:39
Currently Reading: The Lathe of Heaven
Bookshelf Size: 392
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-diana-lowery.html
Latest Review: The Trouble With Medicine by Sheryl Walker, MD
Reading Device: B00IKPYKWG

Post by Diana Lowery »

RJ Reviews wrote: 04 Nov 2024, 11:45 While the title may sound rude, it also has a sense of mystery. I imagine readers questioning themselves, "Why ate they being called dumb? Are they really so?" These questions would certain force a few readers to pick up the book. And that is what the goal is. So I will say it serves its purpose.
I do agree with you that the title would cause a few readers to pick up the book; however, since the audience for this book is children, I can see some negativity caused by displaying a word that the children are normally told to avoid.
Yin Jiang
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 142
Joined: 19 Jan 2024, 01:37
Currently Reading: The Undercover Economist Strikes Back
Bookshelf Size: 36
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-yin-jiang.html
Latest Review: Doyle's Law by Sam Roberts

Post by Yin Jiang »

I think the title has the purpose of sparking interest. Potential readers might wonder if the orphans are dumb as in mute, or if it actually refers to their intellect. It also sparks contrast to the actual narrative, which shows the children overcoming obstacles in their lives. I think it can serve to inspire and show that we are more than what others may label us as.
Sandra Engelmeyer
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 90
Joined: 29 Nov 2023, 08:11
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 38
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sandra-engelmeyer.html
Latest Review: Impact by Mark D. Owen
Reading Device: B00I15SB16

Post by Sandra Engelmeyer »

The title was the first thing to catch my attention. After reading the story, I feel it fits and is an intriguing title for a children's book.
Latest Review: Impact by Mark D. Owen
Goodness Richman
In It Together VIP
Posts: 77
Joined: 21 Oct 2024, 04:43
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 28
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-goodness-richman.html
Latest Review: Speak Up! Tell Your Story to Influence Others by Susana G Baumann

Post by Goodness Richman »

"Dumb" as in the title is a metaphorical assertation given to the orphans featured in the narrative to mirror the fact that their voices are considered insignificant because of the condition they found themselves. But such assertation can only be made if the tried speaking but wasn't heard, so it shows their efforts to escape into a better life despite life's ugly vicissitudes.
User avatar
Alice Fu
In It Together VIP
Posts: 504
Joined: 16 Dec 2021, 12:19
Currently Reading: What Every Teen Should Know About Money, Accumulating Wealth and Becoming a Millionaire
Bookshelf Size: 104
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-alice-fu.html
Latest Review: Even A Pandemic Can't Stop Love and Murder (Volume One of Paying the Price Series) by A.E.S. O'Neill

Post by Alice Fu »

I feel like the title plays into rude stereotypes regarding potential negative perceptions of orphans. However, it is also strangely eye-catching and it makes me want to know more about the main characters in the book
Love Ukaegbu
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 601
Joined: 26 Jan 2024, 12:29
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 130
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-love-ukaegbu.html
Latest Review: Speak Up! Tell Your Story to Influence Others by Susana G Baumann

Post by Love Ukaegbu »

At first I was skeptical about it but I could see reasons why it made sense.
Lal Roni
Minimum Wage Millionaire Reader
Posts: 100
Joined: 11 Jun 2024, 07:55
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 32
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lal-roni.html
Latest Review: America: The Obliged by Nathan O'Discin

Post by Lal Roni »

The title "Dumb Orphans" is definitely provocative and even uncomfortable. It's meant to be jarring, and it certainly caught my attention.
Natalie MT
Minimum Wage Millionaire Reader
Posts: 201
Joined: 02 Mar 2018, 03:24
Currently Reading: Apollo's Raven
Bookshelf Size: 63
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-natalie-mt.html
Latest Review: The Enpirion Project: Exordium (Book 1) by L. Bossi

Post by Natalie MT »

I think it's meant to be self-deprecating or ironic. Unfortunately, I think irony rarely translates well in text. Without the differences in intonation we've come to expect in verbal conversation, it's hard to identify the real intent of a section.
User avatar
Ganeefa Karan
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 264
Joined: 07 Feb 2022, 08:44
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 36
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ganeefa-karan.html
Latest Review: Deceit v. Deceit by Vernon Baumrind

Post by Ganeefa Karan »

At first glance, the tittle seems jarring, but upon closer inspection, it's clear that the label is meant to be ironic and sarcastic.
Post Reply

Return to “Discuss ""Dumb" Orphans: The Bundu Bunch Trilogy" by Allan Low”