BOOK REVIEW:
Classics deserve places on bookshelves. Just as this reviewer
thought he had a place on his for this timeless storybook
written by E.B. White, he was proven wrong as he frantically
searched high and low for it.
And
just as he thought he remembers the story about the noble
spider, he was again proven wrong as he flipped through the
review copy of this well-loved classic.
This
only goes to show how we do not treasure little gems like
this in our lives.
Some
of us may have studied this extremely easy-to-read book during
Literature classes. Some of us may have loaned it from the
library when we were little kids. Some of us, well, may have
not read it before, or worse still, heard of this book’s
existence.
For
the uninitiated, this charming tale tells of the friendship
between Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider, and how the
latter saves the plump and cute piglet from being slaughtered.
Miraculous and touching episodes occur along the way, and
the story concludes with a ray of hope.
Sounds
mushy and predictably kiddy, you say? It is a children’s
book after all. But that doesn’t mean that we adults
should miss this inspiring book.
Whether
or not you are an animal lover, you’d be drawn into
the vivid descriptions of life at the barnyard. Garth Williams’
sketchy illustrations are also a joy to look at. The animated
style of how the animals talk to each other will have you
picturing the book as a movie. And yes, there is already one
directed by Gary Winick and starring Julia Robert’s
voice as Charlotte.
Things
get emotional towards the end of this thin book, and the scenarios
in the book are definitely good analogies to real-life situations.
That makes for good personal reflections, if you ask us.
While
we are inspired by the book to treasure those whom have helped
us in some way or other, we are also inspired to tell all
you readers to go get a copy of this for your bookshelf -
it is not that expensive. Anyway, you could do with a little
less booze, food and partying this festive season.
This
is definitely a book you could read again and again years
down the road to open your eyes to the most wonderful yet
simplest of things.
CHOICE
XCERPT:
Charlotte stopped. A moment later a tear came to Wilbur’s
eye. “Oh, Charlotte,” he said. “To think
that when I first met you I thought you were cruel and bloodthirsty!”
When he recovered from his emotion, he spoke again.
“Why did you do all this for me?” he asked. “I
don’t deserve it. I’ve never done anything for
you.”
“You have been my friend,” replied Charlotte.
“That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs
for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life,
anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die.
A spider’s life can’t help being something of
a mess, which all this trapping and eating flies. By helping
you, perhaps I was trying to life up my life a trifle. Heaven
knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”
VERDICT:
Whether
you are a kid, a teenager or a cynical adult, this is one
book you should have on your bookshelf. Simple and affecting,
it provides a light yet meaningful reading experience. Not
to be confused with George Orwell’s more vicious and
symbolic Animal Farm.
Review
by John Li
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