Charlotte's Web

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For the 1973 film, see Charlotte's Web (1973 film). For the 2006 film, see Charlotte's Web (2006 film).

Image:CharlotteWeb.png Charlotte's Web is a children's book by acclaimed American author E. B. White, first published in 1952. It tells the story of a spider named Charlotte and her friendship with a pig named Wilbur. It was illustrated by Garth Williams.

1 Plot
2 Sales
3 Film adaptations
- 3.1 1973 version
- 3.2 2006 version
4 Printed editions and ISBN numbers
5 External links

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Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Wilbur is the pet piglet of a young girl named Fern Arable. Unfortunately, when he grows into an adult pig, Fern is forced to take him to the Zuckerman farm, where he will be prepared as dinner in due time.

Charlotte A. Cavatica, a spider, lives in the space above Wilbur's sty in the Zuckermans' barn; she befriends Wilbur and decides to help prevent him from being eaten. With the help of the other barn animals, including a rat named Templeton, she convinces the Zuckerman family that Wilbur is special by spelling out such descriptions as "Some Pig" in her web. Charlotte gives her full name as "Charlotte A. Cavatica", revealing her as a barn spider, an orb-weaver spider with the scientific name araneus cavaticus.

Written in White's dry, low-key manner, Charlotte's Web is considered a classic of children's literature, enjoyable to adults as well as children. The description of the experience of swinging on a rope swing at the farm is an oft-cited example of rhythm in writing, as the pace of the sentences reflects the motion of the swing.

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Sales

Publishers Weekly lists the book as the best-selling children's paperback of all time (cited at [1]). It is 78th on the hardback list. According to publicity for the 2006 film adaptation (see below), the book has sold more than 45 million copies and been translated into 23 languages. It is a Newbery Honors book for 1953, losing out to Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark for the medal.

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Film adaptations

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1973 version

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The book was adapted into an animated feature by Hanna-Barbera Productions and Sagittarius Productions in 1973. The film, distributed to theatres by Paramount Pictures on February 22, 1973, is one of only two Hanna-Barbera features not based upon one of their television cartoons—Heidi's Song (1982) being the other—and was a moderate critical and commercial success.