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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is FULLY uncanny valley.
When you step back and try to look at it with a brain that has never heard any Peter Pan mythos before, it's easy to see why it became a classic. There's so much pure imagination here. And there are several gems of childhood encapsulated, like the scene at the beginning where John and Wendy are playing house, or the part where John and Michael will only agree to become pirates if they can also "remain respectful subjects of the king."
Then, you have everything else. Some of this, while uncanny, makes it more compelling -- like the widespread slaughter that seems to go on in Neverland as a matter of course, and Tinker Bell's overt swearing and attempts at murder. This is a book for children, right? Then there's the one-sided romance between Peter and Wendy, while we are still completely unaware of how old at least Wendy is (since Peter is seemingly immortal).
Then there's the fey, amoral nature of Peter himself:
Overall, the impression is deeply eerie. All of this combines to make the experience of reading extremely weird but also like... spellbinding? You have to keep reading if only to find out WHAT the hell is going on.
And finally, you have the racism, which... wow.
The natives are literally called the "Picanniny Tribe," which I guess was supposed to be a joke? There's some talk about their "savage" natures, average caricature stuff, and then there's an exchange after Peter saves Tiger Lily which, UH. The natives speak in broken English, the horrible cringy nature of which I cannot accurately describe to you and don't choose to reproduce here. And after they ally themselves with the Lost Boys, they call Peter Pan "the Great White Father."
Yeah. This does not make anything more compelling. It's more like a slap in the face to an unsuspecting reader, and it doesn't help that nearly the entire tribe is massacred shortly after.
When you step back and try to look at it with a brain that has never heard any Peter Pan mythos before, it's easy to see why it became a classic. There's so much pure imagination here. And there are several gems of childhood encapsulated, like the scene at the beginning where John and Wendy are playing house, or the part where John and Michael will only agree to become pirates if they can also "remain respectful subjects of the king."
Then, you have everything else. Some of this, while uncanny, makes it more compelling -- like the widespread slaughter that seems to go on in Neverland as a matter of course, and Tinker Bell's overt swearing and attempts at murder. This is a book for children, right? Then there's the one-sided romance between Peter and Wendy, while we are still completely unaware of how old at least Wendy is (since Peter is seemingly immortal).
Then there's the fey, amoral nature of Peter himself:
• Forgets who people are if they're not immediately before him. At the end of the book, he has even forgotten Tinker Bell.
• Genuinely believes anything he says is true, even to the point of "make believing" things like dinner and other people.
• Does great exploits, but "...it was his cleverness that interested him and not the saving of human life." Sociopath, or average child? Opinions are divided.
• It's implied that he kills or otherwise disposes of Lost Boys as they seem to be growing up.
Overall, the impression is deeply eerie. All of this combines to make the experience of reading extremely weird but also like... spellbinding? You have to keep reading if only to find out WHAT the hell is going on.
And finally, you have the racism, which... wow.
The natives are literally called the "Picanniny Tribe," which I guess was supposed to be a joke? There's some talk about their "savage" natures, average caricature stuff, and then there's an exchange after Peter saves Tiger Lily which, UH. The natives speak in broken English, the horrible cringy nature of which I cannot accurately describe to you and don't choose to reproduce here. And after they ally themselves with the Lost Boys, they call Peter Pan "the Great White Father."
Yeah. This does not make anything more compelling. It's more like a slap in the face to an unsuspecting reader, and it doesn't help that nearly the entire tribe is massacred shortly after.
A classic story from Neverland, ‘all children grow up expect one.’ I love the imagination that is sparked in the children and the adventures they get up to. I love the narration of the author and how J M Barrie intertwines lives like he is has jumped straight into their mind. I wish Barrie made Wendy less of a stereotypical woman but it is also made in 1911 so I guess I can forgive the author.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good God I just finished it today and I’m devastated and need to air off somewhere. Not at all what I expected , sharply more painful and tragic and raw than I would have thought for an enduring children’s classic. Peter carries inner trauma that contrasts sharply with the carefree persona we see in Peter Pan. He rejects his parents and growing up, but he also misses having a mother. And he has bad dreams that need comforting but until Wendy comes there’s no one to console the inner child in him. And there’s a good bit of sadistic violence with the pirates and Hook, juxtaposed with tender whimsical fantasy in the little cosy house where Wendy is mother. All in all, it’s just haunting. Wreaked emotional havoc with me and left me wondering what wounds the author carried to write so?
Of course the answer came when I read his life, as I knew it would. It was a devastating life, marked by his older brother dying the day before his 14th. Peter Pan is the older brother who never grew up.
Of course the answer came when I read his life, as I knew it would. It was a devastating life, marked by his older brother dying the day before his 14th. Peter Pan is the older brother who never grew up.
His courage was almost appalling. "Would you like an adventure now," he said casually to John, "or would like to have your tea first?" Wendy said "tea first" quickly, and Michael pressed her hand in gratitude, but the braver John hesitated. "What kind of adventure?" he asked cautiously. pg 28 (project gutenberg edition on Nook)
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Three's A Crowd is book 2 in the Love in Apartment 3B series of standalones. This is a cute, best friend's older brother, enemies to lovers, close proximity romance.
Keane is an interesting character. Constantly judged based on his teenage antics, there is a lot more to adult Keane than most people (his parents and Fiona) give him credit for.
Fiona has hated Keane since HS (and maybe even before that). Being forced to share living space with him pushes her to see him in a new light.
I liked how easy it was for these two to transition from enemies to friends to lovers, and I especially loved how Keane jumped in with both feet and his whole heart.
What I didn't like...
The older I get, the less patience I have for unnecessary drama and conflict in romcoms. I was enjoying this one up until a very specific conflict that didn't need to exist. At all. There were so many other avenues of conflict this author could have chosen, which would have further enhanced the story and character growth.
That being said, I'll probably read Book 3, as I'm pretty invested in Marlowe's HEA.
Keane is an interesting character. Constantly judged based on his teenage antics, there is a lot more to adult Keane than most people (his parents and Fiona) give him credit for.
Fiona has hated Keane since HS (and maybe even before that). Being forced to share living space with him pushes her to see him in a new light.
I liked how easy it was for these two to transition from enemies to friends to lovers, and I especially loved how Keane jumped in with both feet and his whole heart.
What I didn't like...
The older I get, the less patience I have for unnecessary drama and conflict in romcoms. I was enjoying this one up until a very specific conflict that didn't need to exist. At all. There were so many other avenues of conflict this author could have chosen, which would have further enhanced the story and character growth.
That being said, I'll probably read Book 3, as I'm pretty invested in Marlowe's HEA.
ok obvs this is a classic & tbh i only listened to it bc i got a free audible download of it like 3 years ago still in my library. i had fun.
the book is cool in itself but all the analysis is really insane. thanku jen campbell. the whole genderedness of it, neverland as the subconscious, wendy and peter as a split self and hook and her father as mirrors of each other. the performance of it. wendy fighting growing up thru peter fighting hook. etc. really cool. the colonialist bits not so much .
the book is cool in itself but all the analysis is really insane. thanku jen campbell. the whole genderedness of it, neverland as the subconscious, wendy and peter as a split self and hook and her father as mirrors of each other. the performance of it. wendy fighting growing up thru peter fighting hook. etc. really cool. the colonialist bits not so much .