内容简介
Fordecades,E.B.White'scharming,bittersweettalesoffriendshipandadventurehaveenchantedaudiencesyoungandoldalike.Nowthemagicofthisbelovedclassiccomestolifeinadelightfulandcompletelyunabridgedrecording,readbyaward-winningactressJulieHarris.StuartLittleisashy,philosophicallittlemousewithabigheartandatasteforadventure.Inspiteofhisdiminutivestature,barelytwoinchestall,Stuartsetsforthintotheworldwtihsomemightybigplans:torideaFifthAvenuebus,towinasailboatraceinCentralPark,andtoteachschoolforaday.ButStuart'sgreatestadventurebeginswhenhedecidestofindhisbestfriend,Margalo,aprettylittlebirdwhooncelivedinaBostonfernintheLittles'houseinNewYorkCity.Climbingintohistinycar,Stuarthitstheopenroad,surehe'sheadingintherightdirection,onlytofindhimselfinforabigsurprise.Filledwithwarmth,witandwonder,StuartLittle,isatimelesstalethatspeakstotheheroicspiritinallofus-nomatterwhatoursize.
作者简介
"Styleisevenmoreimportantinchildren'sbooksthaninthoseforadults,saidtheNewYorkTimesreviewerofStuartLittle,E.B.White'sfirstbookforchildren,in1954.White--anessayistwhoseelegant,deceptivelysimplewritingsforHarper'sandTheNewYorkerhadgarneredhimnationalacclaim--mayhaveseemedanunlikelychildrensbookauthor,butStuartLittleprovedthatgoodwriting(andstyle)couldtranslatetoanygenre,eventobooksforreaderstooyoungtoenjoyhisTalkoftheTownpieces.Whitehadinfactbeenwritingeversincehewasachild,growingupinthe"leafysuburbs"ofMountVernon,NewYork."Ifellinlovewiththesoundofanearlytypewriterandhavebeenstuckwithiteversince,"hesaidlater.AftergraduatingfromCornellUniversityin1921,hetriedtoturnhisfacilitywithwordsintosomeformofgainfulemployment,butfoundadvertisingtoodullandnewsreportingtootaxing.FinallytheSeattleTimesaskedhimtocreateasmalldailycolumnofbriefanecdotesandlightverse,andWhitejoinedMarkTwaininthepantheonofAmericannewspaperhumorists.In1926,afledglingpublicationcalledTheNewYorkerofferedhimajobonitsstaff.There,hehelpedcreatethesignaturestyleofclear,elegantwritingwithwhichthemagazinewouldthereafterbeassociated.InNewYorkhebefriendedwriterslikeJamesThurberandDorothyParker,andmetthewomanwhowastobecomehiswife,theliteraryeditorKatharineSergeantAngell.White'ssecondliterarycareer,asawriterofchildren'sbooks,haditsoriginsinadreamofalittleboylikeamouse,"allcomplete,withhishat,hiscane,andhisbriskmanner."Hebegantomakeupstoriesaboutthisdappercharactertopleasehisnephewsandnieces,andeventuallyorganizedtheStuartLittlestoriesintoabook,whichwaspublishedtohighacclaimin1945,andmadeintoafeaturefilmin1999.ThebarnofWhite'sfarmhouseinMaineprovidedtheinspirationforasecondchildren'sbook,Charlotte'sWeb(1952).ThisfableaboutaheroicspiderandhereffortstosaveapigfromslaughterwasevenmoresuccessfulthanStuartLittle."Asapieceofworkitisjustaboutperfect,"wroteEudoraWeltyinTheNewYorkTimes,andmillionsofreadersagreed.Charlotte'sWebwasstillhighonthebestsellerlistsin1970,whenitwasjoinedbyWhite'sthirdandfinalbookforchildren,TheTrumpetoftheSwan.Whiteproducedanotherbestsellerin1959,whenherevisedandexpandedalittlehandbookofgrammarandusagewrittenbyhislateteacheratCornell,WilliamStrunk,Jr.NowfamiliartogenerationsofcollegestudentsasStrunkandWhite'sTheElementsofStyle,thebookmadeawiseandwittycaseforwhatWhitecalled"clearness,accuracyandbrevityintheuseofEnglish."White'sassessmentofhisownwritingwasacharacteristicmixofhumilityandgrandeur:"AllthatIeverhopetosayinbooksisthatIlovetheworld.Iguessyoucanfindthatinthere,ifyoudigaround."
