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reading (Stuart Little)
I read "Stuart Little" yesterday. This is one of the books I remember loving as a kid and even remember chunks of from my first reading so many years ago.
The reread provided me with perspective that memory didn't maintain. I was surprised by the audacity with which White throws out the unbelievable with not so much as a "by your leave". The opening lines firmly establish that this is just for pretend so lets get on with it. This contrasts notably with the little detailed devices and tribulations that are part and parcel of Stuart's life.
All my memories of my first reading of this book were from the first half of the book. On rereading, I can understand why. The early chapters are much stronger than the latter ones. The inventiveness and problem solving in the early chapters is exchanged for walkabout philosophy. Characters who support Stuart are exchanged for passing encounters and purely financial transactions, a thoroughly pessimistic representation of the transition from childhood to adult relationships.
45. E. B. White "Stuart Little"
The reread provided me with perspective that memory didn't maintain. I was surprised by the audacity with which White throws out the unbelievable with not so much as a "by your leave". The opening lines firmly establish that this is just for pretend so lets get on with it. This contrasts notably with the little detailed devices and tribulations that are part and parcel of Stuart's life.
All my memories of my first reading of this book were from the first half of the book. On rereading, I can understand why. The early chapters are much stronger than the latter ones. The inventiveness and problem solving in the early chapters is exchanged for walkabout philosophy. Characters who support Stuart are exchanged for passing encounters and purely financial transactions, a thoroughly pessimistic representation of the transition from childhood to adult relationships.
45. E. B. White "Stuart Little"