White on White: Selections from the Works of E. B. White

Product Description E.B. White, the eminent essayist, poet and storyteller has delighted generations of readers. He is the author of 18 books, among them the children's classic Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, Second Tree from the Corner and One Man's Meat. White on White presents the selections from his work that White chose to have read time and again. Listeners will hear E.B. White's own favorite pieces read just the way he himself wanted to hear them. From Library Journal This audiobook features poems and essays by White, who the New York Times once called "the finest essayist in the United States." This may have been true at one time, but there is nothing in this recording that is likely to grab most listeners, with the possible exception of "A Letter to the IRS." The language is simple, and points are made in a straightforward manner. But while the grammar is impeccable (White was the coeditor of the fabled Elements of Style, after all), the style of writing is almost automatic, especially the rhyming poetry, and aren't some subjects too minuscule for even a poet/essayist's consideration? The poem "Song of the Queen Bee," for instance, offers more rhyming couplets on how bees mate than one may care to know. Segments are lovingly introduced and read by White's son, Joel. White will remain best-remembered as the writer of such children's classics as Charlotte's Web (1952). Only large literary collections need consider.?Mark Pumphrey, Polk Cty. P.L., Columbus, N.C. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. From AudioFile This collection should be prized by any admirer of E.B. White. The poems, essays and letters paint an intimate portrait of White, which is enhanced by his son Joel's readings. Joel White's voice is very similar in cadence and tone to his father's. His reading is clear, appropriately unpolished, and he creates just the right mood for his favorite pieces from his father's work. Each poem or essay reflects the wit and wisdom of its author. One only wishes there were more! The program is over too quickly, leaving us with what has seemed like a very real visit with E.B. White. It's almost as if he'd come back to set us straight on a few things. R.F.W. An AUDIOFILE Earphones Award winner. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine