Reviews

Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie

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5.0

Peter Pan is a classic children’s book that follows the story of Wendy Darling when she meets Peter Pan and learns how to fly.

I had seen the film versions before but never read the book. I found the book more humorous and the characters more nuanced than in the film. The beginning was particularly funny as the author makes fun of his characters in a satirical way and makes them look silly.

The narrator tells us that Peter Pan is cocky and arrogant, and I got the impression that the author meant us to get annoyed with him. He does have redeeming qualities as well, and you can see why he hates grown-ups from the things you learn about his past.

Wendy gets treated like many women at that time — as a mother who sits and darns stockings and makes a home. She accepts this role but she also takes control of the boys and is quite a dominant character. To counteract this there are also the characters Tiger Lily and Tinkerbell who do not conform to the female stereotypes.

Even Hook, the villain has a softer side, and you get to learn a little about why he turned bad.

I particularly enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book, and I felt that the narrator brought out the tone and the humour of the writing.