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You have that backwards. White wrote all of "Charlotte's Web" and much of "Elements of Style".
Charlotte's Web is also a literary masterpiece - definitely reread as an adult if you only remember it from your childhood. The Audible is narrated by EBW himself.
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Charlotte's Web is also a literary masterpiece - definitely reread as an adult if you only remember it from your childhood. The Audible is narrated by EBW himself.
I just started re-reading Charlotte's Web after reading this comment a few hours ago, and wow. What a charming and elegant book! I had no idea the book was so funny: Wilbur paused and listened. All the other animals lifted their heads and stared at him. Wilbur blushed. But he was determined to get in touch with his unknown friend. “Attention, please!” he said. “I will repeat the message. Will the party who addressed…
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Can you elaborate, for the non-linguists? His prescription seems sensible: i. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. ii. Never use a long word where a short one will do. iii. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. iv. Never use the passive where you can use the active. v. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can t…
For example, "the passive" is rarely defined in a coherent way, or matches the actual definition of "passive voice". Worse, though, is that it is very bad advice. What are called passive senses are tools to correctly place emphasis which, done well, aids clarity. Often a long word captures a nuance the short version can't. Its presence, by itself, calls the careful reader's attention to the distinction between it and…