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Quo Vadimus? Or, The Case For The Bicycle
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- GenresFiction
219 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1974
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54 people want to read
About the author
E.B. White
115 books3,307 followersElwyn Brooks White was a leading American essayist, author, humorist, poet and literary stylist and author of such beloved children's classics as Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan. He graduated from Cornell University in 1921 and, five or six years later, joined the staff of The New Yorker magazine. He authored over seventeen books of prose and poetry and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1973.
White always said that he found writing difficult and bad for one's disposition.
Mr. White has won countless awards, including the 1971 National Medal for Literature and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, which commended him for making “a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”
White always said that he found writing difficult and bad for one's disposition.
Mr. White has won countless awards, including the 1971 National Medal for Literature and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, which commended him for making “a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.”
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 16, 2019
A small book of brief vignettes by the talented and irrepressibly charming EB White.
Originally published in 1938, my weathered reprinted copy from 1946 held fragile, yellowed pages. A torn page,11-12, was from the story titled “Dr. Vinton” and one side had only -flow, was, A,and, ingly -all a vertical list aside the torn paper. On its reverse was- neck, tire-,was he, the, and ward. Still, the story held its own, descriptively carrying me along the sea voyage and its tragic consequence that changed life focus, or rather, enhanced it.
Another page in “Dusk in Fierce Pajamas” was heavily marked in pencil as if an unsupervised child had once had possession of the book. Readable still, White’s subtle humor not covered by lead.
While I have favorites, “How to Tell A Major Poet from a Minor Poet” and “Irhog”, each entry is a condensed view into the mind of Mr.White and possesses its own status of gem.
Reading the entirety in one seating was done to fill time waiting for a heater repairman. It carried the time and provided warmth but I think each story should be read in singular moments. Give them the warranted time to review mentally and savor the often satirical, always subtle humor of EB White.
The book, “Quo Vadimus?” will have a home in the bookcase to be utilized in just this fashion in future reads.
Originally published in 1938, my weathered reprinted copy from 1946 held fragile, yellowed pages. A torn page,11-12, was from the story titled “Dr. Vinton” and one side had only -flow, was, A,and, ingly -all a vertical list aside the torn paper. On its reverse was- neck, tire-,was he, the, and ward. Still, the story held its own, descriptively carrying me along the sea voyage and its tragic consequence that changed life focus, or rather, enhanced it.
Another page in “Dusk in Fierce Pajamas” was heavily marked in pencil as if an unsupervised child had once had possession of the book. Readable still, White’s subtle humor not covered by lead.
While I have favorites, “How to Tell A Major Poet from a Minor Poet” and “Irhog”, each entry is a condensed view into the mind of Mr.White and possesses its own status of gem.
Reading the entirety in one seating was done to fill time waiting for a heater repairman. It carried the time and provided warmth but I think each story should be read in singular moments. Give them the warranted time to review mentally and savor the often satirical, always subtle humor of EB White.
The book, “Quo Vadimus?” will have a home in the bookcase to be utilized in just this fashion in future reads.
June 11, 2019
This collection of essays, stories, and pastiches appeared in the early years of The New Yorker (late 20s and through the 30s). Many of the pieces allude in their satirized content to people or events that at this far remove require footnotes. The gist of most—despite not being able to pin down the specific person or event that is the piece’s prompt/target—is clear enough and the allusion tantalizing, like a bit of overheard gossip about someone one doesn’t know.
This is the same EB White who collaborated with William Strunk on Elements of Style. That slim writer’s guide was a staple in my youth, along with Orwell’s essay, “Politics and the English Language”. When reading the young White in Quo Vadimus? I see him felicitously applying his own rules of engagement in treating his ephemeral topics. The volume begins with a little parable, the story of a happy marriage of an ambitious wren and his supportive mate. The easy, simple description of thoughts and events in this wren’s quest to tow another bird with a shoe string is understated and droll, and I at one point burst out laughing. Sorry to say, nothing else quite tickled my fancy as had that first story. While there’s nothing substantive in these slight pieces, there is much occasion to chuckle, and to admire in this young writer his well-groomed—almost fussy—style and its benign, unpretentious irony.
This is the same EB White who collaborated with William Strunk on Elements of Style. That slim writer’s guide was a staple in my youth, along with Orwell’s essay, “Politics and the English Language”. When reading the young White in Quo Vadimus? I see him felicitously applying his own rules of engagement in treating his ephemeral topics. The volume begins with a little parable, the story of a happy marriage of an ambitious wren and his supportive mate. The easy, simple description of thoughts and events in this wren’s quest to tow another bird with a shoe string is understated and droll, and I at one point burst out laughing. Sorry to say, nothing else quite tickled my fancy as had that first story. While there’s nothing substantive in these slight pieces, there is much occasion to chuckle, and to admire in this young writer his well-groomed—almost fussy—style and its benign, unpretentious irony.
July 3, 2018
E. B. White is an amazing author that brings dreams to life. This is a collection of short stories that can be enjoyed by all and are great to read out loud.
March 27, 2018
I've been gradually working my way through E.B. White's work ever since finishing the Elledge biography. While I enjoy reading (and in many cases, re-reading) almost anything that White wrote, some collections are better than others. That is definitely true of "Quo Vadimus?" It seems that White was definitely in a good place during this period - experienced and funny, but not yet obsessed with the direction in which the world seemed to be going. (Not that I would ever blame anyone for such concerns.) "How to Tell a Major Poet from a Minor Poet" is especially funny. Other essays such as "Dr Vinton," "Irtnog," and "Getting Along with Women" - just to name a few - are also highly worthwhile. This is a wonderful collection of short pieces.
September 25, 2017
I enjoyed this strange little book. Full of short stories.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews