Don't Call Me Ishmael

One of the most hilarious books I have ever read; Don’t Call Me Ishmael gives ‘fun to read’ a whole new meaning. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to look at life through the eyes of Ishmael Leseur, who can handle (almost) any situation with smooth sarcasm. I will never be able to explain why this book is so funny – it just is, and I plan to buy a copy of my own so I can relive the laughs again and again.

It is said that people like books they can relate to, and I can relate to this book a lot. It is centred around bullying, (which I have experienced a lot of previously,) and debating, (which is something that I enjoy a lot, and a prominent part of my school life.) I may not be able to relate to Ishmael’s fear of public show more speaking, but I enjoyed every moment of the debating scenes and, after seeing so many books about football, soccer and basketball, am extremely pleased to finally read one about a competition I enjoy.

It is a shame that Don’t Call Me Ishmael has not necessarily had all the acclaim it is worthy of, as Bauer had extremely large shoes to fill after the success of his brilliant first novel: The Running Man. In my opinion, Don’t Call Me Ishmael is easily as good, but the trap it has fallen into is that it is a very different type of book, and many of the people who prefer books like The Running Man have been unwittingly dragged out of their preferred genres in the hope of something familiar, and upon finding a different style, have not given this book very good reviews. For anyone who is going to read this story, an open mind and a sense of humour are must-haves.

Don’t Call Me Ishmael is undoubtedly the best feel-good novel I have ever read; an absolute delight that nobody can afford to miss. It’s a story with a good old happy ending, and some well-communicated morals and messages, (but readers might want to make sure they don’t open it in a quiet library; I’d be very surprised to find a person who doesn’t laugh out loud at some point during this book.) show less

Anybody who has been bullied or intimidated at school will love the story of Ishmael Leseur, the fourteen-year-old boy whose unusual name has mapped out his destiny. The story of how Ishmael was named and his connection to Melville’s novel, Moby Dick, will have you laughing out loud, but what is most satisfying is that those characters who are initially seen as powerless or ‘geeky’ become winners, whereas those who throw their weight around, like the relentless bully, Barry Bagsley, are taken down many notches. Strength is discovered in unexpectedly forms in people, such as the sweetly spoken English teacher, Miss Tarango, and the ultimate geek, James Scobie, who is unable to feel fear due to a brain operation. Finally, the show more debating team, an unlikely group of odd characters, led expertly by the brilliant Scobie, discover surprising personal talents, and pull together as a group to excel beyond their wildest expectations. Ishmael, having made himself virtually invisible to avoid confrontation with Bagsley and his gang, is ‘saved’ by the arrival of the new student, Scobie, after which his life takes a dramatic turn for the better. The reader will enjoy the whole journey. Bauer creates believable characters and witty dialogue, and evokes hilarious scenes effortlessly. There is much that is memorable here.

Shortlist CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers, 2007 Age 12+ What a contrast to The Running Man. Bauer's second book is quite a surprise after his award-winning previous novel. Whereas his first story is dark and mysterious, Don't Call Me Ishmael! is light and humorous, fast-paced and witty.

Ishmael Leseur, of the title, is a fourteen-year-old boy attending St Daniel's College. Apart from the usual problems associated with being fourteen and attending school: bullies, embarrassment, schoolwork and a little sister, he has the added burden of a name that guarantees ridicule. The name also has a story attached, one that his father enjoys telling at every opportunity.

After some preliminaries covering Ishmael's home and name, the story settles into a tale of school life. Ishmael is having trouble with the class bully, Barry Bagsley, the school is facing defeat in the only rugby match of any importance and the English teacher, Miss Tarango, is keen for the school to become involved in competitive debating. Along the way, we meet James Scobie, the ultimate geek; Bill Kingsley, a Sci Fi and fantasy tragic; Orazio Zorzotto, a sort of latter-day Fonz (in his head, at least); and Ignatius Prindabel, a boy with millions of unrelated facts in his head. The reader soon learns that all is not as it seems with each of these characters.

I approached the novel with some trepidation: it is not easy to assess something designed to be humorous to young teenage boys from the vantage of middle age. However, I was very pleasantly surprised. Bauer's book is light reading, but with enough pop culture and even literary references to keep me interested. It also contains enough bite to provide some food for thought, with the issues not being resolved in simplistic or 'happily ever after' fashion. Don't Call Me Ishmael! will have very wide appeal across upper primary and lower secondary. show less

Lucky find at local library. As someone with an unusual name myself ("Hey, were you named after ...? - Uh, yeah...") I could quite relate. Being someone with an "odd" name does make life complicated sometimes, and this book describes it how it is. OK, some things that happen to poor Is(h)mael, when he has his run-ins with the school bully are a bit over the top, but still! With the help of a group of other oddballs, lead by the newcomer James, Ishmael finally learns how to confront people like Barry the Bastard. If you are planning to name your child after celebrities or literary characters you might want to read this first :-).
Read in German translation, which is actually pretty good, due to the fact that you "get" that the setting is show more Australia (more often than not, cultural differences get lost in sloppy translations). I loved the Rugby match, which the translator also had down to a tee. show less

Excellent book. Ishmael Leseur is stuck with a horrible name. It wasn't a problem in elementary school but when he starts high school he encounters, Barry Bagsley, the school bully who is relentless in his bullying. When James Scobie enters the picture and puts Barry in his place, things start looking up for Ishmael -- except for that unfortunate incident during the debate.

Anybody who has been a victim of bullying or has been intimidated at school will love the novel Don’t call me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer.
Ishmael Leseur is a fourteen year old boy attending St Daniel's College. Apart from the usual problems associated with being fourteen and attending school; bullies, embarrassment, schoolwork and a little sister, he has the added burden of a name that assures mockery and ridicule. The name also has a story attached, one that his father enjoys telling at every opportunity.
After some beginning, covering Ishmael's home and name, the story settles into a story of school life in year 9. Ishmael gets bully and teased about his name and tries his hardest to stay under the radar of Barry Bagsley, the show more school bully by blending in and making himself a small target as possible.
All this changes when a new boy named James Scobie, joins the class. James is different according to the people in Ishmael’s class and Ishmael and he is paired with Ishmael in class. Soon the pair have struck up a friendship, and together with their collection of other year nine misfits, they learn to take on not just Barry Bagsley, but also anything else life throws at them.
Don’t call me Ishmael is a humorous book in which will literally make you laugh out loud, and while it also has some frightening and emotional moments, the humour keeps the novel progressing along. The first time I read this book was in year 9, as a class novel. When I was told that we were going to read the novel. To be honest I wasn’t looking forward to it, but when I stared reading it, I couldn’t put it down. I would recommend this book to people of the ages of 12 and older who are looking for a good, funny and well paced book to read. show less

Very funny book by the author of the Running Man. Ishmael hates his name and is the butt of many jokes at high school because of it until the new boy James changes everything! James convinces Ishmael and three other boys to join an inter-school debating team. James also is bullied by the horrible Barry and Ishmael & the other debaters decide to do something about it. As well as that Ishmael falls in love with a fellow debater , faints and manages to grope her in the process.Bad Barry versus Twitchy James p.64 -71

With a name like Ishmael Lesuer it is hard to not be a target. But over the years Ishmael has learnt to fly under the radar of Barry Bagsley, the year bully. That is until Year Nine when James Scobie enters his life. Now, with a band of unlikely friends, Ishmael is about to become the centre of attention whether he likes it or not. This novel about bullies, mates and girls is laugh-out-loud funny! A 2007 Award winning book. The second novel follows the further hilarious adventures of Ishmael especially in his misadventures with girls.