Book · 2011
Eloquent JavaScript
by Marijn Haverbeke
Marijn Haverbeke's free online JavaScript book — variables to async in one volume — by someone who said he wouldn't wish a game-programming career on anyone.
What does Reddit think of Eloquent JavaScript?
The core recommendation loop in that sub: someone asks how to learn JavaScript, and Eloquent JavaScript appears alongside freeCodeCamp and MDN as the text-based option for people who prefer reading to watching. The ↑128 comment puts it plainly — "Read Eloquent JavaScript, that will speed" things up — and the framing recurs. r/webdev adds 15 mentions with positive sentiment. The ↑77 comment calls it good for learning advanced JavaScript concepts; the ↑53 comment cites it as something a practicing developer keeps coming back to. r/compsci contributes 6 mentions, positive, placing it alongside Knuth and CLRS in theoretical reading lists. The author's quote about not wishing game programming on anyone (↑65, r/gamedev) is the most-cited single line. Peak year was 2020 at 29 mentions; 2025 dropped to 2. The free online availability keeps it referenced longer than it might otherwise last.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · JavaScript fundamentals through advanced patterns
- · Functional programming in JavaScript
- · Browser and Node.js runtime coverage
- · Learning to read and write real code rather than toy examples
- · Free access as a feature, not an afterthought
Common praise
- + r/learnprogramming commenters at ↑128 say it speeds up JavaScript learning in a way passive video courses don't.
- + The ↑53 r/webdev commenter cites it as something they return to while actively working, not just as a beginner text.
- + It's free online, which r/learnprogramming threads reference without needing to belabor the point.
- + Covers functional programming patterns in JavaScript at a time when most intro resources stop at loops.
Common criticism
- − The mention count dropped from 29 in 2020 to 2 in 2025, which tracks the shift toward video-first learning in the JavaScript space.
- − r/ExperiencedDevs has only 2 mentions across 7 years — experienced JavaScript engineers don't cite it as a reference they return to.
- − The difficulty curve is steep enough that r/learnprogramming sometimes qualifies it with 'once you have basics' — it's not universally the first book people finish.
Who it's for
You want to learn JavaScript and you prefer text over video. That describes the r/learnprogramming audience where 41 of the 69 total mentions live. The ↑128 comment recommending it says JavaScript is just the beginning of a web developer's journey, and the book acts accordingly — it doesn't stop at DOM manipulation. If you're already working in JavaScript professionally, r/webdev (15 mentions) suggests you'll still get something from it, but the r/ExperiencedDevs data (2 mentions) indicates it doesn't follow most engineers into senior roles as a reference. The free online version removes the cost friction that filters out other textbooks.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Eloquent JavaScript?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“Here's my list of the classics: **General Computing** * But How Do It Know? - The Basic Principles of Computers for Everyone * The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles * […
“How much? Don’t register a time frame or quantify how much you need to learn. Just try to be 1% better everyday and you’ll be 365% more knowledgeable every year. The learning will not stop and JavaScript is just the beginning of a web developers journey. Read Eloquent JavaScript, that will speed …
“I feel theoretical books are far more important than pop/hard non fiction. - **Concrete Mathematics**: A Foundation for Computer Science by Knuth et al. - **Introduction to Algorithms**, by Cormen et el ( or **The Algorithm Design Manual** by Steven Skiena — I'm particularly fond of this book than …
“Learning c is a good start, there are also some other resources I used Eloquent javascript is a good book for learning javascript advanced concepts Harvard cs50 (available on YouTube for free) is a great course if you wanna get a well rounded understanding of programming in general, nothing too lo…
“>I wouldn’t wish a career in game programming on anyone. Much like the music industry, the discrepancy between the many eager young people wanting to work in it and the actual demand for such people creates a rather unhealthy environment. But writing games for fun is amusing. \- Marijn Haverbeke, E…
“I started out just learning basic html/css/js before I got my first job (aside from the other things you just naturally stumble across when learning). I used youtube and udemy quite a lot for video tutorials, codecademy, studied a lot of pens from codepen, read articles, and I also read a really go…
“I had a slight realization of this or at least how advanced some devs are over me, this is going to happen forever though. Someone is always smarter. Couple things I have done for myself to at least keep myself fresh and actually have an understanding of what I do. 1. Reading Eloquent Javascript …
“1. Good design and test coverage are less common on the front end - I would do your best to make this happen. Aiming for 100% coverage isn’t necessarily desirable, but an automated test suite that gives you confidence your application is working as expected is invaluable. Be wary of too ti…
Convinced? Pick up Eloquent JavaScript
Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with Eloquent JavaScript — counted from the comments, not curated.
You Don't Know JS
Kyle Simpson
Kyle Simpson's free GitHub series that bootcamp grads keep crediting when they finally understand closures, this, and coercion.
Effective Java
Joshua Bloch
Joshua Bloch's item-by-item case for writing Java the way the platform was designed to be used, with 90 independent recommendations that aged better than most of the language.
The Art of Computer Programming
Donald E. Knuth
Donald Knuth's multi-volume monument to algorithms: the book programmers cite in library lists and almost nobody finishes.
Introduction to Algorithms
Thomas H. Cormen
The textbook four MIT professors wrote to settle every algorithms argument, cited by 254 Reddit commenters across 12 subreddits and still going.
Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
Charles Petzold
A retired software engineer builds a computer from telegraph relays and flashlights, one chapter at a time, until you understand what a CPU actually does.
The C Programming Language
Brian W. Kernighan
The 1978 book that defined C's syntax, co-written by its creator, still cited by name 281 times across Reddit in 7 years.
Eloquent JavaScript — frequently asked
Is Eloquent JavaScript good for complete beginners?+
Depends on your tolerance for difficulty. The ↑128 comment says it will speed up learning but assumes you've started. Some threads in that sub qualify it with 'once you have the basics' — it's not universally the first thing people finish.
What does Reddit think of Eloquent JavaScript as a learning resource?+
Positive, and concentrated in r/learnprogramming (41 of 69 total mentions) and r/webdev (15 mentions). The ↑128 comment calls it a book that will speed up your journey. The ↑77 r/webdev comment cites it for learning advanced JavaScript concepts specifically. r/ExperiencedDevs has only 2 mentions, so it's viewed as a learning text rather than a practitioner reference.
How does Eloquent JavaScript compare to just watching tutorials on YouTube?+
r/learnprogramming threads that mention it usually frame it as the text-based alternative to video-first paths. The ↑53 r/webdev comment describes it as something a working developer returns to for clarity — a different kind of engagement than passive video. The mention drop from 29 in 2020 to 2 in 2025 may partly reflect that video learning won the format war for most beginners.
Is Eloquent JavaScript available free online?+
Yes. Haverbeke makes it available at eloquentjavascript.net, and this comes up implicitly in nearly every r/learnprogramming thread that mentions it — it gets listed alongside paid alternatives without a price caveat, because there isn't one. The ↑65 r/gamedev quote, the author's own line about game programming careers, comes from the book itself.