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A review by tigerkind
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Not having grown up in the anglophone world, this was never part of the bedtime rotation for me. However, I now remember watching one of the newer movies and really liking it when I was about six.
That much for a child’s perspective.
As an adult, I really appreciate the complexity of the story – it takes its young readers seriously instead of falling into a trap of preachy morality and analogy. None of the usual animal stereotypes apply; if anything, the humans in this story are less complex than the animals. Probably exacerbated by the quite rigid gender roles they seem to operate under.
I wasn’t a big fan of Fern’s development, her just completely losing interest in Wilbur seemed uncharacteristic. But I guess that too is part of life – Friends come and go.
That much for a child’s perspective.
As an adult, I really appreciate the complexity of the story – it takes its young readers seriously instead of falling into a trap of preachy morality and analogy. None of the usual animal stereotypes apply; if anything, the humans in this story are less complex than the animals. Probably exacerbated by the quite rigid gender roles they seem to operate under.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death