Summer Reading.

charlottePreviously on Freethinkers Anonymous: In The Web, a slightly more serious look at Charlotte’s Web.

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7 Comments

  1. Gina

    Is that supposed to Templeton the Rat? If yes, I still feel a little sorry for him, even if he was an unlikeable character. When I was in second grade, this was my FAVORITE book. I probably read it a gazillion times, plus or minus a million.

    Reply
    1. Christopher Waldrop (Post author)

      It was one of my favorites too. I shared some thoughts about it here a few years ago. But I always thought Templeton was cool. He brings Charlotte newspaper clippings to copy and carries her egg sac down to Wilbur. And if this was your favorite book why don’t you like spiders more?

      I just ran across this picture in Google books and found the idea of a twisted sequel to Charlotte’s Web funny.

      Reply
      1. Gina

        I see your point Christopher but I can’t agree with you. I also liked the book “Stuart Little” and yet I hate mice and want them dead and not living in my house. I liked the Disney movie “Ratatouille”, yet I still loathe rats. That’s all the examples I can think of for now but I’ll probably wake up at 3:00 a.m. with some more. Go ahead and give me your phone number so I can call you directly with my examples. 🙂

        Reply
  2. Ann Koplow

    My favorite book when I was a kid. I mean, the original. I brought it up in a therapy session last week, when somebody was talking about their fear of spiders. The guy with arachnophobia thought that Charlotte was the name of the pig.

    Reply
    1. Christopher Waldrop (Post author)

      Thinking Charlotte was the pig is somewhat understandable since Charlotte makes her webs for Wilbur. I feel sorry for arachnophobics because they’ll never be able to enjoy the original book.
      I’ve been told there is such a thing as arachnophilia, the exact opposite of arachnophobia. I think it describes me, but I always have to clarify that it just means I really like spiders, not have sex with them.

      Reply
  3. Chuck Baudelaire

    I always disliked Templeton until I saw the movie, where he was voiced by Paul Lynde. How can you hate anything voiced by Paul Lynde, amiright?

    Reply
    1. Christopher Waldrop (Post author)

      Exactly! My introduction to Charlotte’s Web was completely backward–I saw the movie then read the book, so I always had Paul Lynde’s voice in my head for Templeton. The others sort of shifted around, but Templeton never varied. Paul Lynde made him what I think E.B. White always intended: thoroughly disgusting but impeccably charming at the same time.

      Reply

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