Charlotte's Web

[kellyrfineman]

Continuing my series on books that I read and loved as a child, today I'm talking about Charlotte's Web. I first read the book when I was about 8, and I read it at least twice more as a child. This book is a fascinating one, because the main character is a talking pig named Wilbur: not Charlotte the spider, found in the title, and not Fern, the

Comments

[lisamullarkey]

Charlotte's Web is, I think, the most perfect book in every sense, isn't it? I've read it at least a dozen times. The last being two years ago to my daughter. I cry harder each time knowing what's coming. I simply adore this book. Even the cover is simply perfect.

Aw, Kelly. I think I'll have to reread it yet again.

[kellyrfineman]

I agree that it's perfect, in the same way that I think Holes by Louis Sachar was a perfect book, and so was Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. But I digress.

You are right about crying harder every time, because knowing what's coming makes it worse. Nevertheless, each reading also makes me tense with suspense: even though I know Wilbur ends up okay, I still worry that he might not.

[kellyrfineman]

You're right about the humor. I wasn't remembering it, but it's definitely there. And books that make you cry as well as laugh are some of the best sorts of books, I think.

[kellyrfineman]

'Tis true, indeed. Although I am lucky to have more than one true friend who is a good writer. Still, those folks are a rare gift.

[willowgreen]

I've never been able to read this book to my kids because it makes me cry so much! It's a great book, but underneath the obvious darkness there's an even more subtle thread of darkness--starting at the beginning when there's a totally unremarked-upon smell of bacon frying in the kitchen as Fern runs out to save Wilbur, and continuing right through the end as Fern grows up (rather prematurely, IMO) and pretty much forgets about Wilbur.

[kellyrfineman]

You are so right about the darkness under there. But Jenn was also correct about the humor scattered throughout the book. And some folks seeing the irony in the bacon at the start might find it kind of funny, rather than dark. So, really, there are both things going on. (But Pearl's drifting off is truly sad-making, in part, I think, because we meet her first, and for a while we think she might be our main character, until things shift to Wilbur - having your main character leave before the end is just not satisfying to kid readers.)

[writerlinda]

My favorite book also. It's been a few years so maybe it's time for me to read it again. Just thinking about it makes me feel all warm inside.

[kellyrfineman]

Don't you love books like that? Just seeing the cover of this book makes me inexplicably happy.