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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
Had only ever watched the cartoon as a kid and the live-action film as an adult, never read the book. It's good and so very English. It's sad and funny and poetic and the illustrations are great.
fast-paced
I was not prepared for this wonderful spider and her pig friend to make me tear up ummmmm anyway
Such a good book. A great story if friendship and devotion. And no matter how many times I read it, I will always cry at the end. And my kids loved it, too. C
Cute story most people read as children. It kept appearing on lists of classics everyone should read, so I did. It's not meant for adults, though, so obviously it is not going to be as impactful to me as it may have been 35 years ago, or so. Still cute though, even though the narration is a little too caustic for my tastes and the internal logic, especially around language, is highly inconsistent.
Re-read Charlotte's Web for the first time in approximately 40 years, this time with my 6 year old son. I read it with some trepidation, as beginning to read Little House in the Big Woods with him was so disappointing, both due to the less than stellar writing and most urgently to the disgusting racism...we didn't finish it and he hasn't asked for it. I was a bit worried that re-reading Charlotte's Web would be similar...but I was pleasantly surprised to find it as rich and beautiful as I did 40 years ago, enjoying through my child's eyes the humor in so many scenes and unique perspective of this lovely pig and his friendship with a spider.
I did warn my son ahead of time that the book had a very sad ending, and I think he feared for most of the book that it would be Wilbur, so the death itself was less upsetting to him than I had worried it might be. He did have one of only a handful of nightmares in his life the night after we finished that chapter, so it definitely affected him deeply. But I think the experience of reading it together was wonderful for both of us, and it's a great relief that a childhood favorite is a favorite for my own child, too.
I did warn my son ahead of time that the book had a very sad ending, and I think he feared for most of the book that it would be Wilbur, so the death itself was less upsetting to him than I had worried it might be. He did have one of only a handful of nightmares in his life the night after we finished that chapter, so it definitely affected him deeply. But I think the experience of reading it together was wonderful for both of us, and it's a great relief that a childhood favorite is a favorite for my own child, too.
My favorite of White's books for kids has always been [b:The Trumpet of the Swan|24335|The Trumpet of the Swan|E.B. White|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388308307s/24335.jpg|1835542]. It has probably been decades since I read Charlotte, but it returned to my TBR pile when I found out that E.B. White read the audiobook himself (same for Trumpet of the Swan, but I don't think he narrated [b:Stuart Little|138959|Stuart Little|E.B. White|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347367311s/138959.jpg|2884160]). I love his New England accent.
It's a lovely story, though part of me can't help feeling a bit like Charlotte got shortchanged. At one point, someone even says something like "that's one special pig, I mean it's not like the spider wrote those messages, ha ha." Sheesh. However, all of the characters are great, the language and writing is wonderful, and there's a lot of existential stuff to ponder.
It's a lovely story, though part of me can't help feeling a bit like Charlotte got shortchanged. At one point, someone even says something like "that's one special pig, I mean it's not like the spider wrote those messages, ha ha." Sheesh. However, all of the characters are great, the language and writing is wonderful, and there's a lot of existential stuff to ponder.
Such a great book. Teaches you about the most important things in life: Love, Friendship, Self-love and Death. I read this now in my late 20's and made me tear up a little because, really we're lucky to be able to experience life to its fullest.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was pretty special to read this is the first full read aloud chapter book with my son. So that might be coloring my opinion. There’s something so wonderful about how straight forward this children’s book is about death. And how hopeful, charming, and beautiful it is. As predicted I sobbed through the end of it.