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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
After we finished Mr. Popper's Penguins, I thought to read Stuart Little to my grandson. He wasn't getting into it, so we switched to Charlotte's Web. But, I decided I wanted to finish up Stuart Little, and so I have.
Stuart Little was born to a "normal" family, but he came out small and very mouse like. Still they loved him and Stuart thrived. At some point they took in a bird named Margalo. Then one day, Margalo disappeared and Stuart went off in search of her. He had a small motor car and decided to head north.
I found it rather a cute little book. I'm not sure what it was that didn't capture Anderson's fancy.
Stuart Little was born to a "normal" family, but he came out small and very mouse like. Still they loved him and Stuart thrived. At some point they took in a bird named Margalo. Then one day, Margalo disappeared and Stuart went off in search of her. He had a small motor car and decided to head north.
I found it rather a cute little book. I'm not sure what it was that didn't capture Anderson's fancy.
Stuart Little is the eponymous lead character and, from the outset, is confusing. Is he a mouse or is he a mouse-shaped human? Does it even matter? Am I attempting to read too much into this? We're briefly introduced to Stuart and his family and the first chapter feels like it's setting the stage, developing the world for what comes next. But it isn't.
This book reminded me very much of the [book:Curious George|808853] stories: There's a monkey, there's a guy with the monkey, ooh, they're going somewhere...oh! That crazy monkey has done a terrible thing...no, wait, the terrible thing has been resolved, partly by the monkey, the monkey is a HERO!!! I'm prepared to cut George some slack because he's starring in 16 page adventures that aren't really meant to be more than mild entertainment and reading practice.
Stuart, on the other hand, is allegedly a novel. It isn't, it's a bunch of short, fantastical, disjoint, almost incoherent mouse-based adventures collected in a set. And the mouse is kind of a jerk. If I didn't know that [author:E. B. White|16183237] was also the author of [book:Charlotte's Web|24178] then I certainly wouldn't have picked them as stable-mates!
The main redeeming feature for me was the final chapter. There's absolutely no closure to the quest that Stuart embarked upon in the closing chapters of the book. None! This led to some interesting discussions with the kids (we read this as a bedtime book) about what might have happened next and was a great introduction to stories not having all the loose-ends neatly tied up (just like real life)!
I didn't enjoy it, the kids seemed to however. The chapters are short enough and there were pictures enough (there's only the occasional double-page of uninterrupted text) to keep the five-year old listening. The seven year old seemed to be buying into the story and was particularly interested in working out what happened after the book finished.
This book reminded me very much of the [book:Curious George|808853] stories: There's a monkey, there's a guy with the monkey, ooh, they're going somewhere...oh! That crazy monkey has done a terrible thing...no, wait, the terrible thing has been resolved, partly by the monkey, the monkey is a HERO!!! I'm prepared to cut George some slack because he's starring in 16 page adventures that aren't really meant to be more than mild entertainment and reading practice.
Stuart, on the other hand, is allegedly a novel. It isn't, it's a bunch of short, fantastical, disjoint, almost incoherent mouse-based adventures collected in a set. And the mouse is kind of a jerk. If I didn't know that [author:E. B. White|16183237] was also the author of [book:Charlotte's Web|24178] then I certainly wouldn't have picked them as stable-mates!
The main redeeming feature for me was the final chapter. There's absolutely no closure to the quest that Stuart embarked upon in the closing chapters of the book. None! This led to some interesting discussions with the kids (we read this as a bedtime book) about what might have happened next and was a great introduction to stories not having all the loose-ends neatly tied up (just like real life)!
I didn't enjoy it, the kids seemed to however. The chapters are short enough and there were pictures enough (there's only the occasional double-page of uninterrupted text) to keep the five-year old listening. The seven year old seemed to be buying into the story and was particularly interested in working out what happened after the book finished.
This is the first book I ever read that felt melancholy to me. Strange children's book, but a classic.
Wo hat Margalo Stuarts Lieb gegangen? Wir werden nie wissen.
Vielleicht war Buch 2 geplant aber nie geschrieben.
Das ist ok. Whites zweite Buch, Charlotte und Wilbur, war sehr besser.
I highly recommend this book for German Learners at B1 level. The simple plot and vignette style of the chapters keeps things simple. The illustrations are enjoyable.
Vielleicht war Buch 2 geplant aber nie geschrieben.
Das ist ok. Whites zweite Buch, Charlotte und Wilbur, war sehr besser.
I highly recommend this book for German Learners at B1 level. The simple plot and vignette style of the chapters keeps things simple. The illustrations are enjoyable.
I wonder if we listened to an abridged version on Audio, my version was adapted for radio theatre. I feel something was off, or is the ending supposed to be open? The final challenge for Stuart was never resolved in my edition. EDIT: Note to self - After a bit of research I see that the ending was supposed to be like that. I guess I am just not used to reading children's books with open endings.
This is the story of a family whose child is, inexplicably, a mouse. He is almost murdered by a cat, and develops an unhealthy obsession with a bird. He also self sabotages a date with a woman who is two inches tall.
The ending involves advice from a telephone repair man and includes a somewhat sudden cliffhanger.
There are also an inordinate number of tiny boats involved, which always takes me out of the narrative.
The ending involves advice from a telephone repair man and includes a somewhat sudden cliffhanger.
There are also an inordinate number of tiny boats involved, which always takes me out of the narrative.
So, I read this with my six year old son. It's a cute book, a nice little story about a mouse and his adventures. My son thought it was funny. However - the ending? So weird, so abrupt. What the heck happened? No resolution! #ugh Basically, it's a weird book to read as an adult. End of story.
Read with my four-year-old. Some classic scenes...but also a little weird? The last several episodes are just bizarre and maybe a little dated. There's some novelty in the early chapters, but it wears off by the end of the book.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I read this book as a kid and was in a stage production of it. I have no memory of it being such a boring, rambling, confusing, and aimless book. It’s terrible. So much opportunity for life lessons and growth, but it misses the mark. The characters, including Stuart, are selfish and oblivious to the world around them or how normal people behave. I’ve heard EB White rushed to finish this book, and it’s obviously true.