Author : E.B. White (= Elwyn Brooks White)
Illustrations by Garth Williams
Score: 10/10
Year: 1952
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN 9780061124952
Pages 184
Language: English
Charlotte's Web was suggested to me by my wife, who read it when she was a girl, marking her strongly and helped guide her towards vegeterianism.
Now that I've read it, I can see why. Right from the start, Fern Arable who lives with her partents on a farm, learning of what her father is about to do, pleads with him, askling him a very important question that helps sway his mind. She then starts caring for Wilbur the pig that was about to be killed.
Fern loves the animals ; her family even worries about her passing so much time on the farm with them, especially when she reports their conversations...
Charlotte is a small spider that Fern and Wilbur come to love. She weaves words in her web, in attemps to attract the humans' attention to save Wilbur's life, as the fate of all pigs on the farm is revealed...
The novel addresses this consequential topic of animal rights, via Fern, an 8-year old's point of view and compassion, as well as the dialgues between the animals.
The novel relies strongly on friendships and mutual cooperation towards a goal : this story carries a lot of positive reinforcement and messages to any child, that any adult should remember.
Subjects of affection and protection, trust and treachery, cycles of life and death are all integrated in this novel, where E.B White never talks down to his children audience ; his writing mixes serious topics with eloquent, yet easy to understand languag - often musical in its tonalities- alternating serious and humourous wording as not to make the novel solely heavy.
Through the web's changing words and changes of relationships in the story, as well sa the changing seasons, the importance of flexibility to change is told to us, the readers, just like they are to Wilbur and the other animals on the farm.
Through Fern's learning the truth about what her father was going to do, she outgrows her childish innocence and matures.
Dealing with these, the author didn't forget to also move us, even to tears.
Characterization is really interesting as we learn about the humans and animals of the tale ; the way that each has qualities and flaws, and that the real enemies aren't the ones you expect is very refreshing.
I love the originality of this story and the important messages it conveys. Had I not already been a vegan for years and had I first read it as a child, it probably would have impacted me the same way as it did my wife. It should be a required reading, and I consider it an influencial one to children and adults alike - each for different reasons, either to create a new mindset, or to remind us of our childhood's vision and values, which shouldn't ever been forgotten ; the awe towards life, all life, and that even the smallest of us (humans or animal alike) may yet play important roles.
Charlotte's Web was adapted into a 1973 animated movie with a direct-to-video sequel in 2003 ; a live-action in 2006 ; on stage, there was a musical performed in 1989, 2006-2007, 2013 and another in 2015 ; and a videogame in 2006.
I haven't seen any of them, but I doubt I'd like the musical nor the live-action using real animals, but may watched the animated 1973 movie as suggested by my wife, once again.
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