"Stuart Little" by E. B. White (a book review)

Before you start to wonder, this is a book review, and no I haven't seen any of the movies based on the book. There is no way that the book I just finished could be transferred to any screen. With that being said, let's talk about E. B. White in general and Stuart Little in specific.

So what do I think about Stuart Little? I think it is a magnificent book. It certainly was not what I was expecting at all. More importantly, not a single one of the things that I expected happened. I should correct that just a little. I didn't get any of the endings I was expecting. Don't worry, I'm not about to give away the ending, but I want you to know that you won't get a simple ending even though this is a "simple" book. With Charlotte's Web, you get a nice neat ending. Everything comes together in the end, not so with Stuart Little.

The way the story starts lets you know right away that this won't be a typical story. After all, how many women give birth to a mouse? For those of you that are familiar with the Tom Thumb style story you have some idea of what to expect. The tiny child (Stuart eventually reaches 2-1/4 inches) grows into a tiny man and goes off into the world to seek his fortune. This is the same style of story.

Every hero needs a reason to leave the safety of home. We get lots of chances to see Stuart in action. He takes up sailing and wandering the city even though he is just a very small creature. His only fear is dogs. He isn't even afraid of the family cat, Snowbell. What really drives Stuart to wandering though is his concern for his best friend, a beautiful bird named Margalo. When she disappears, Stuart decides to go look for her. He doesn't have much to lead him in the right direction. He just has Margalo's explanation of who she is, "I come from fields once tall with wheat, from pastures deep in fern and thistle: I come from vales of meadowsweet, and I love to whistle."

This quote shows just how great a writer E. B. White was. He had an amazing way with words that make this book a pleasure to read. I won't give away the ending, but I will tell you that Stuart has adventures as a sailor, and a teacher. He also learns to drive and encounters a woman his own size. I can't say more without giving away the ending, and I really want you to read this book. 

Go find a copy right now. That's my opinion, of course and your free to have your own. If you want, you can leave any comments below.