Monday, December 11, 2023

Charlotte's Web

Title: Charlotte's Web
Author: E.B. White
Published: January 1, 2012 by Harper Collins (First published October 15, 1952)
Format: Hardcover, 182 pages
Genre: Children's Classic

First Sentence: Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.

Blurb: Some Pig. Humble. Radiant. These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high up in Zuckerman's barn. Charlotte's spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, who simply wants a friend. They also express the love of a girl named Fern, who saved Wilbur's life when he was born the runt of his litter.

My Opinion: This is the first time that I have read the book. I know, I should have read it as a child, but here we are. My first take is that it is scary and sad, maybe too much for a child. As an adult, it is just heartbreaking.

Wilbur, the pig that should not have lived, is the one left behind to remember all the stories and can only share them with the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those who were so important to the humble pig.

Maybe I’m reading too much into it and it’s just a great book about the antic in a barnyard and county fair, but Wilbur is just one of those characters that will stay with the reader whether they are 5 or 50. There is just so much heart in that little runt.

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