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Charlotte's Web

by E.B. White, Garth Williams (Illustrator)

4.07 · rating details · 176,569 ratings · 4,667 reviews

Beloved by generations, "Charlotte's Web" and "Stuart Little" are two of the most cherished stories of all time. Now, for the first time ever, these treasured classics are available in lavish new collectors' editions. In addition to a larger trim size, the original black-and-white art by Garth Williams has been lovingly colorized by renowned illustrato

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Paperback, Full Color Edition, 184 pages

Published October 1st 2001 by HarperCollinsPublishers (first published 1952)

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Apr 05, 2010

Ceridwen rated it

Recommends it for: the boy, the girl

Recommended to Ceridwen by: Grandma Dory

Shelves: childrens, omg-were-all-going-to-die, america-and-environs, books-about-books, daddy-drinks-because-you-cry, grandparental-overshare

I liked sad things when I was a child. I probably still do like sad things, the lovely feeling of loss and connection one gets when unfortunate things happen to imaginary people in books. I would beg my Grandma Dory to read me The Little Match Girl over and over, and I would weep giant crocodile tears of pain and empathy at the girl's frozen body, the grandmother and the candles, the matches all struck and burnt down to a flash of pain and then the letting go...

Charlotte is something...moreI liked sad things when I was a child. I probably still do like sad things, the lovely feeling of loss and connection one gets when unfortunate things happen to imaginary people in books. I would beg my Grandma Dory to read me The Little Match Girl over and over, and I would weep giant crocodile tears of pain and empathy at the girl's frozen body, the grandmother and the candles, the matches all struck and burnt down to a flash of pain and then the letting go...

Charlotte is something of this for me, but it's worse, her little spider body grown stiff and brittle and almost silly. I don't know why I think about the corpses these ladies leave, but there's something incredibly sad about how Charlotte diminishes from this great spinning speaking voice into a dead bug. Sad, so so sad.

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I've tried to write this review a couple of hundred times, but it keeps falling apart. This story is so light, so airy, that it resists too much pressure, or goes squishing out the other end. I've half-written a dozen childhood reveries; I've cracked some jokes about how well punctuated this book is; I've talked about Charlotte-as-writer. None of this worked, and I promise it was all fumbling garbage. The following story comes closer to capturing how this book makes me feel than any other thing I've written for this review. I'm not satisfied with it, but it's what I've got.

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My Grandma Fran was dying, and I was a thousand miles from home. The hospital was like a hospital. My two-year-old-girl did the very best a 2-year-old could do with the beeping boredom of sitting for hours at a hospital bedside, but often we would have to go rambling around just to see what we could see. The hospital had no grounds to speak of, very little grass, but it did have a square pool of water that we considered every time we walked in from the parking lot. I think it may have been a fountain at some point, but it had been turned off or broken so it was just water in the ground.

We walked up to the edge. We took off our shoes and put in our feet. She splashed with her hands held so tight that her fingers curled up, a funny, baby-like gesture from a someone who was tending towards girlishness more and more at the time. Even though the air and the water were the same temperature, the air felt warm and the water cool. We rolled up our pants and walked around. She fell onto her butt and I laughed. She splashed me and I splashed her back. We found cars in my purse and drove them around the edges and fished them off the bottom. Then a security guard came and told us that the pool was only for decoration and we had to get out. We did, and went back to the hospital room, dripping. We told Grandma about swimming in the forbidden fountain, and she laughed. Grandma was still dying.
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Jan 28, 2012

Tanu Das rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: children-lit, classic, coming-off-age, short-and-sweet

It may sound weird but this is the first time I am reading this book. I don’t know how I missed out on it when I was a kid. Maybe it was the Famous 5 or Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. Anyway, if I had read it as a kid I might have mustered some sympathy for Wilbur. Right now though, I am just mad. Such a whinny and annoying crybaby. Met enough people like him in real life. Poor Charlotte!

My personnel bitchy nature aside, this book was amazing. A quick read, but it makes an impact. Beauti...more

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Dec 12, 2009

K.D. rated it

Recommended to K.D. by: 501

Shelves: 501, childrens, fantasy

One of the best books written for children that I've read so far this year.

It has full of lessons that anyone including adults can learn from or at least be reminded of. It has many interesting characters that anyone can relate to. It's about life - the young pig Wilbur learning his life important lessons from the caring spider Charlotte. It's about friendship - Fern taking care of runt Wilbur, Charlotte weaving for Wilbur, rat doing favors for Wilbur and Charlotte, etc. Most importa...more

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Nov 25, 2007

David bernardy rated it

I grew up without reading this book. For some, that seems to be unimaginable. I can maybe understand why. My wife and I are reading it now, or I should say, I am reading it aloud before bed, and it's really wonderful. I could totally see why it would be a kind of life-formative book. I was reading a passage last night and laughing at it (there is so much in here that is really funny), and it made me wonder about the level of the humor. That is, would the kid me have thought this was funny o...more

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Apr 30, 2011

jzhunagev rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Kids at ♥!

Recommended to jzhunagev by: the "Voice"

Shelves: 2011-reads, adventure, classics, comedy, award-winning-best-seller, fiction-contemporary, from-book-to-film

Web of Friendship
(A Book Review of E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web)

My first encounter with E.B. White is through this slim book called The Elements of Style, written in part by his former English professor William Strunk Jr., and a tiny thing though it is, nonetheless it packs up a lot of amusing, informative and useful instruction in the elementary usage of grammar and composition. If you’re not familiar yet with the book well checking this one out is worth your while, Gentle Rea...more

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Mar 30, 2008

Ji rated it

Shelves: childrens-teen-literature

I read this book three times and my opinion of the book has changed each time. The importance of this? Just think how complex and well written a book is if you can take different meanings from a novel at different stages of your life.

Here is a mini recap of what I thought each time I read it...

4th Grade: Poor piggy! I'm glad he found a nice spider friend. I'm so sad that Charlotte died at the end! But I still hate spiders.

8th Grade: I guess it is a really go...more

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Jan 20, 2009

Sylvia rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: children-books

Kelar dalam beberapa jam! What a wonderful story! Kenapa juga nggak baca dari dulu? Karena gw pikir ini cerita anak-anak *emang iya sih* dan gak seru. Tapi ternyata... uhuu seru banget, dan mengharukan!

Persahabatan antara Wilbur si babi dan Charlotte si laba-laba di sebuah peternakan. Wilbur yang takut disembelih dan dijadikan daging asap, menjadi panik ketika omongan diantara hewan mulai santer bahwa dia akan dipotong di malam natal.

Charlotte, teman sejatinya, berjanji b...more

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Apr 06, 2009

Michael Mungin rated it

Shelves: lis-565

Annotation:
A young pig's life is saved by a Charlotte, a wise spider. Through Charlotte, the pig learns important lessons about friendship and loss.

Review:

Perhaps the most striking aspect of E.B. White's 1952 classic Charlotte's Web is abundance of endearing, clearly-drawn characters. White's tale of friendship, altruism and loss rings very true because of how quickly the reader comes to care for and identify with the characters. Despite being written for children, ...more

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Sep 05, 2007

Stephanie rated it

Recommends it for: people who failed English, but love books

Shelves: favorites, greatfnwriting

Within 3 minutes of reviewing its Top 100 Novels Written in English List, I knew The Modern Library was irrelevant. That's because it failed to include CHARLOTTE'S WEB. I mean, I realize that children's literature is considered a joke by most intellectuals, but get serious. Anybody who reads this story and fails to recognize its greatness doesn't really like books, in my opinion.

Not only does CHARLOTTE'S WEB feature one of the most ingenious plots in all of literature, its prose is b...more

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Nov 14, 2008

Susanna rated it

In my desperation for a good night's sleep, I jettisoned my Nguigi wa Thiong'o novel (as Em says "is there any great African literature that's not about war or hunger or political corruption?") and, as after Mom's going, delved into some children's books. This was all I remembered it being when I read it at 8 and more.

I can't say more than Eudora Welty did:
"What the book is about is friendship on earth, affection and protection, adventure and miracle, life and d...more

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Mar 04, 2009

lAuRa rated it

Okay I have a lot to say about this book! I couldn't have read this at a more perfect time in my life. Charlotte's Web to me is a story about true friendship, standing up for those and what you believe in, and heroes. Charlotte was obviously the main hero because she was so brave, humble, and kind to take on the act of saving Wilbur's life. She asked for NOTHING in return and that is what a true friend is. When she died Wilbur wanted to take her children and she knew they would be safe with him ...more

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Jan 18, 2012

L12_tomj rated it

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi

Charlotte's Web is an endearing and beautifully tender story about the joy, sharing, and sacrifice that is inherent in any true friendship. E.B. White also expresses in an eloquently simple and genuine voice the innocence and pleasures that come from working and living on a farm. Except in the most remote corners of America, the sixty plus years since E.B. White wrote about this type of simple farm life have likely disappeared and have been replaced by the daily trappings of the 21st century inv...moreCharlotte's Web is an endearing and beautifully tender story about the joy, sharing, and sacrifice that is inherent in any true friendship. E.B. White also expresses in an eloquently simple and genuine voice the innocence and pleasures that come from working and living on a farm. Except in the most remote corners of America, the sixty plus years since E.B. White wrote about this type of simple farm life have likely disappeared and have been replaced by the daily trappings of the 21st century invasion into the routines of the farm community's daily life. There is a certain nostalgia for many Americans who read White's novel, and who likely wish for the quietly and deeply felt turning of the seasons, heartfelt troubles and comedy expressed in its character's interactions, and simplicity of speech both from the author, Wilbur, Fern, Dr Dorian, Charlotte, and Mr and Mrs. Zuckerman. The loyality illustrated during the various trials of Wilbur from his near death at the hand of Mr. Arable as a runty spring pig and that demonstrated by Charlotte, Fern, and Wilbur as they come up with a plan to save Wilbur's life creates a fast paced and suspensful plot. The reader seems to run along the top fencing of White's words and story scenes as if balancing with their hands out on railed fence hoping with their own hearts that Wilbur will live another day. Meanwhile they see the muddy earthly demise that seems to await Wilbur at the turn of every page and chapter. As the seasons pass from one to another in slow procession, the theme that life is fragile and brief is captured in broad and beautifully colored phrases that infuses seemingly every quiet depiction of farm life and its landscape. What prevents E.B. White's book from dipping into sentimentality and saccharine speech is the very real emotions of Fern, the harsh judgements of the the sheep and Templeton the rat on Wilbur's likely fate, and the very real earthy descriptions of farm life where the joy of birth and regeneration and voided beginnings, expressed in the dud egg, and the cyle of life are represented in the changing seasons making the farm setting nearly another character. Charlotte's Web is a wonderfully spun tale which mixes reality and fantasy to transport readers young and old to a world where innocence, beauty, and friendships are tested and confirmed through the characters trials on the Arables and Zuckermans farm.

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Apr 23, 2009

J.R. rated it

· review of another edition

I read Charlotte's Web as a child, and loved it. Recently I had the pleasure of rereading it with my daughter, taking on a chapter a day. The descriptive phrases E.B. White uses while helping us to fall in love with the characters and their world are wonderful.

I will admit I was concerned reading some parts of the story to a 4 year old, whether it be the "circle of life" comments by Charlotte or the fear of Wilbur being killed. However, I took it slow, answered question...more

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Oct 06, 2008

Beth F. rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: childhood-favorites

This was the very first book that ever made me cry. I cried for days after finishing this one. I've always meant to re-read it but I'm afraid it will make me cry all over again (some things never change, even with age).

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Jan 18, 2012

L12_sarah rated it

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, traditional-lit

What makes this book so good is its handling of deep issues like finding one's purpose in life, fitting in/sticking out (i.e. conformity vs. individuality), friendship, acting selflessly, and death in a way that makes them appropriate and understandable for children. White uses characterization effectively to create characters that the reader can not only picture clearly, but also relate to and empathize with. This is no small feat when the main character is a pig! Finally, the amount of realist...more

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Apr 11, 2011

Jessica rated it

Shelves: theclassics, kidlit

Okay, seriously: you see a spider web that says, "some pig" and you think, "Wow! That's some pig all right!" Um. Nooooo. You think, "HOLY CRAP, THE SPIDER CAN WRITE!"

But put that aside, folks, and just enjoy this charming story of a young, innocent pig being saved from the frying pan by his clever spider friend. This is a tender and funny look at loyalty, friendship, and the realities of farm life.

I saw the cartoon movie many times as I ki...more

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Apr 08, 2008

Belinda Yong rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Pupils like me

I think that this book is really an interestingt book and i would recommend students like me to read this book.The main characters in this book includes Wilbur and Charlotte.

Charlotte’s Web” is a tale of unconditional, selfless love. A love not unlike that of our Savior. The story’s beauty lies in its simplicity. I was moved deeply by this faithful presentation of E. B. White’s timeless classic children’s story.

Charlotte (the soothing voice of Julia Roberts), a spider who...more

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Sep 04, 2007

Susan rated it

Shelves: yomr, childrens

A beautiful book. I think one of my favorite things about it (and probably one of my favorite things when I was a kid reading it) is that it doesn't talk down to the reader while providing a whole lot of interesting information. Let's face it, you learn a lot about spiders! I could never convince myself that any of them were as cool as Charlotte, but it was nice to know why they did what they did. The feelings were also very recognizable, even if life on a farm was not, starting with Fern's lov...more

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Sep 10, 2007

Lisa Vegan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: absolutely everyone

Shelves: reviewed, fiction, favorites, childrens, novels

This is one of my favorite books from childhood. I read it around the time I read Stuart Little and The Wind in the Willows and it won hands down. It’s the one I reread many times from age eight to the present. It’s a beautiful fable, and it doesn’t talk down to kids, yet even young kids (as long as they’ve been introduced to the concept of death) can enjoy it. All the characters are interesting, and I thoroughly enjoy the story. However, it sure didn’t help me be any less frightened of spiders....more

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Jan 24, 2012

L12_luisespinoza Espinoza rated it

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi

I had heard about this book and even caught a glimpse of the movie, but this was the first time I actually read the book (believe it or not). I really enjoyed reading it and it strongly resonated with me. I enjoyed the friendship aspect of this story and all that comes with true friendship (loyalty, sacrifice, camaraderie to name a few). I can see why this book won the awards it did.

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Aug 17, 2008

LINDA rated it

Shelves: children-s-books, discovered-in-the-details

I recently listened to an interview on NPR with E.B. White. I wanted to re-read this book after hearing the interview and came across a used copy at a great little bookstore named the Paradox Book Store in Wheeling West Wirginia while on a weekend camping trip!

Sadly, I barely remembered anything from my initial reading of this book as a child.

I loved this quick read! Several times I caught myself laughing out loud, and the ending touched my heart.

The aut...more

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Aug 03, 2007

Kasey rated it

Recommends it for: people who don't deserve to get punched in the face

There is a little "bring one take one" library at one of the schools I work at. I got all excited till I saw that all the books were crap. But, excitement came back when I saw the children's library, "take one home for your kids." I saw Charlotte's Web and read it on my breaks which prompted some stupid lady to inform me, "You know there are adult books here too!" I didn't punch her, but I wanted to.
So anyway...I was reading it and, although it was super...more

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Mar 07, 2009

Sophia Clark rated it

read it so long ago but i never forgot what a beautiful story it was about friendship and when charlotte died i cried....charlotte was the spider right??

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Jun 14, 2008

Maria M. rated it

Shelves: not-owned, childrens, 2-stars, 2008

Before you see the rating and become outraged, keep in mind that this is GoodReads - not Amazon. 2 stars means "It was OK". Also you need to know that I read this book for the first time at the age of 28 (I'd seen the cartoon, but that's it). I can see that it'd be a sweet and charming book for children who're only just starting to learn to read, but without the element of nostalgia... sorry, it doesn't cut it. Unlike books like Narnia, it doesn't have anything to endear it to adults.....more

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Jan 15, 2009

Karinne rated it

This book really expresses my personality, because I would never alllow a pig to be killed anywhere near my house.

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Feb 19, 2009

♪ Lavi ♪ rated it

This story was really touching. It had a lot of heart and optimism in it. I wish she wrote Charlotte's Web 2.

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Feb 14, 2008

Jodi rated it

Shelves: childhood-favorite

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like 1 like

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Jun 06, 2011

Anabertha Ramirez rated it

was a very nice book(:

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Jan 24, 2009

Jonathan rated it

Charlotte's Web is a fascinating story about friendship. The protagonist of the story is a piglet named Wilbur. The story starts out with a sad tone, seeing that the farmer wanted to kill one of the newborn pigs because he was weaker than the rest. Fern, the farmer's daughter begged to spare his life, and so, she names the pig Wilbur. They shared a happy life together and Wilbur was a curious piggy, always exploring. But with each passing hour, time flew by. Wilbur was sold to another ranch and ...more

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Feb 05, 2012

Nicole Isernio rated it

Charlotte’s Web is a tale of the importance of friendship and unconditional, selfless love. Both children and adults can enjoy this classic piece of children’s literature due to its many life lessons that can be beneficial for all ages. I read this book as a child and watched the movie and did not pick up on many of the lessons, but now looking back it is a great book. The main character Wilbur the pig is the runt of his owner had just planned to kill him to feed the family, but is saved by y...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The thing you remembered the most	73	218	1 hour, 3 min ago
Kneisel/ Rdg 334 ...: Week 2 Book	2	3	Jan 17, 2012 06:57am
Great book	21	57	Nov 24, 2011 08:54pm
persian translation	2	19	Aug 18, 2011 02:58pm
Children's Books: Charlotte's Web--Classic or Irrevelent?	6	28	Jun 14, 2011 10:24pm
Children's Books: Charlotte's Web--Your Thoughts	2	9	May 25, 2011 01:21pm
Overwhelming Saddness	4	62	Apr 02, 2011 12:32am

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