I can't decide how I feel about this book. I'm not sure if I liked it. There were parts I enjoyed that made me laugh out loud..but it wasn't enough to sway my opinion. It was mostly strange. Not my cup of tea. ( )

8420470767

I have reenacted the story of Peter Pan, in the staring role myself, countless times throughout my childhood. The story of Neverland and the lost boys, the pirates, it all has fascinated me for a very long time. Last Christmas my husband got me tickets to see a reinterpretation of the play and it was the two of us, and two hundred children at the Arden Theater in Philadelphia. It’s a deep and abiding love I have for these characters, and their creator, J. M. Barrie.

J. M. Barrie wrote Peter Pan, I am convinced, with the primary purpose of it being read aloud to children. Often times he address the reader and his prose affects that of a parent telling a tale that is well known and well recited. There are times when it goes on a bit too long – as when the children are first flying to Neverland – and there are words and turns of phrase that one would never find in a book published in the 21st century. However, as such is also offers a wonderful teaching point for small children (I refer here to the terms used for Tiger Lily and her community) as to not only how we address different groups of people, but also how language and society change over time.

For being more than a century old, Peter’s tale is still one of childhood adventure and, most importantly in this, the technology age, of using your imagination. Children should have the opportunity to play act, to feel wild and free in the great outdoors, to be able to fall down and skin their knees without adults hovering over them waiting for the first sign of stress or a tear. Peter Pan embraces all that makes childhood exciting, and for that reason, and so many more, it is the perfect book for children of all ages. ( )

Well...I read it. Like any other classic literature that has been turned into a childhood animated movie.

The Disney adaptation follows the original story far more than other movies based on books. I easily visualized scenes as they appeared in the movie. I don't think I ever truly liked the movie and probably saw it just a few times, so many parts I have no idea if they were the same.

Movie or book, I still feel like sending Peter to military school because he's so bratty, and I'm still creeped out how parentified Wendy is, like it's all a male writer could do in this era was to make a young girl nothing but maternal traits. On the other hand, it fits the theme. Mothers--women--in this story remember Peter even as adults, but men seem to be implied that they don't. So daughters and granddaughters go on to follow Peter to Neverland and mother him...nope, still sounds creepy.

It'd be better if Wendy and her descendants were presented as eldest siblings simply being responsible, but no, it's full-on mothering. The story intentionally limits the female characters to be mothers, regardless of age, and to be surrounded by clueless male children who grow up into clueless adults. Maybe that's another angle to how some wives see men as children and there's some degree of caring for husbands in the same way as offspring. Either way, it's just plain weird and I don't have confidence that this is what the author intended. I'm sure the intent is lost on me. ( )

Summary: Short punchy adventure story for kids and adults who want to remember what it was like to be a kid.

Things I liked:

* Perspective: I really loved the way he was able to really nail the way some kids look at the world (or at least it reminded me of how I used to see the world when I was a kid).

* The narrators voice. The charming English professor style reminded me of books like Narnia and The Once and Future King.

* The dark undertones: I definitely felt the author trying to share a few things outside of a kids adventure story, it made me glad to be reading a book versus watching a movie.


Things I didn't like:

* The perspective changed quite a bit quite quickly (made it a little hard to follow sometimes).

* Some of the characters felt a little boxed up. You got given a character portrait versus the opportunity to find out about the character from their words and actions (made it a little bit more like a comic book or a fairy tale then a novel.

Highlight: The end with Wendy and her daughter. The cumulation of the novel made me sad and happy. I think sticking to the character of Pan versus taking the easy option of having everyone live happily ever after was bold and effective choice. I loved the bitter-sweet feeling it left me with. . I remember about two pages into the book I had a great tingly feeling that made me already glad I was reading a book versus watching a disney movie. ( )