The essays in this collection were written between 1934 and 1977 and are divided into seven sections: The Farm, The Planet, The City, Florida, Memories, Diversions and Obsessions, and Books, Men, And Writing. As I perused the table of contents, I wondered how the co-author of "The Elements of Style" would approach each subject. White belonged to a patriotic generation that经历了两次世界大战. The generation gap between us is significant. With this in mind, I began reading the foreword.
The foreword immediately caught my attention. It described the essayist as a self-liberated man, sustained by the belief that everything he thinks and experiences is of general interest. White's essays are a living example of "The Elements of Style." He writes with straightforwardness and an admirable degree of honesty. His elegant prose transports the reader to the places he writes about. I could feel the winter chill of his Maine farm, even though I was reading his essay in the California sunshine of June. His work is timeless, like an ancient redwood standing firm in the face of modern technological progress.
To my surprise, my initial doubts about the generation gap were quickly dispelled. White's essay on visiting the World Fair is a fascinating exploration of the disillusionment with technology. While most people were amazed by the promised future, White looked on with suspicion. He noted that there was more electrically transmitted joy than spontaneous joy at the fair. The music of tomorrow, he observed, often came from yesterday's singer. White's crowning achievement in this collection is his essay on New York, "Here is New York." This piece of writing is a masterpiece that deserves a review of its own. While I did find a few essays a bit dull, the inclusion of the New York essay more than makes up for it. For this reason, I gave the book five stars.
I'm very glad to have discovered this book. White's prose is so clear that it gives the impression of him defying death. I was also surprised to see him break some of the rules of "The Elements of Style." However, I think I understand why he chose to do so. He wrote because he enjoyed it, just as he enjoyed his walks in the woods. Writing essays and living were not a race for White. I wish the modern world could have a similar understanding.