Customer Reviews

Writings from The New Yorker 1927-1976

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Writings from the New Yorker" is a poorly organized commercial re-packaging of E. B. White snippets banged-out under the pressures of deadlines in the work-a-day world. In spite of my respect for the man and my love of his more carefully crafted writings, this book sputtered and stalled as I read along.

But E. B. White does manage to shine through this collection in spite of its hodge-podginess and your reward for plowing through it will be the discovery of a gem here and there.

Were he still with us, White himself would likely have a field day editing this book, tossing out stuff. For one thing, his editors made him use "we" instead of "I" in these unsigned pieces which he objected to and which makes you wonder just how "handcuffed" he was in other unspoken ways as he wrote them.

If you're an E. B. White groupie who simply must read everything White has ever written, buy this book. Otherwise--save your money.

I can't think of a book or collection of EB White's writing to which I wouldn't give high praise. Here, the writing is good (of course, it always is) but that the collection was put together by someone not in the writer's family or intimate (editorial) circle may explain why it seems a bit void of that quintessential EB White spirit. Understand, these are not essays or letters. These, for the most part, are very short pieces, most of which ran in The New Yorker as short, witty fillers or, as that genteel set liked to refer to them, "occasionals." Some, because they were written many decades ago ('30s and '40s) are dated. Some references or phrases are left unexplained, leaving this reader stumped. If you want to read classic EB White, aside form his children's classics, I recommend his "Essays" and "Letters," and "The Second Tree from the Corner." THESE are classics. This collection, on the other hand, demonstrates that, while EB White was always a top-notch writer, even the best have their mediocre days.

I say, and not for the first time or after reading his first book (I've read them all, again and again) that anyone who wants to learn to write contemporary English as it should be written should close himself in a room with EB White for as long as it takes. He or she might even learn to be a better person from the example.

If this is the Great & Powerful E.B. White I think I'll pass.

It's a collection of vignettes about everything and nothing. Ladles of words dipped from his stream of consciousness.

I was bored.

If you have NOT read E B White, it is time to begin. If you Have read him you need no further advice. Is there any
better ?

Fantastic, splendid, stunning, excellent...if there is numerous adjectives in English to describe my delectation, I would like to utter them endlessly in order to describe the book.

I intend to have the very first item in this read at my memorial service - which I hope won't be soon! Some of this was slightly dated, but always good reading. He had such a unique take on his world and such a down-to-earth way of looking at the goings-on around him.

This book is perfect for the business traveller. It is a quick read in part because the pieces are brief, and in part because of E.B. White's flawless command of the English language. The compilers of this anthology may not have a key to E.B. White's soul, as other reviewers expected, but why should that matter?