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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this to my son. I have to say I didn’t really like it at all. The Disney version ( as crazy as this sounds ) is far superior.
I found Peter to be nothing more than a narcissistic bully and I couldn’t take to him at all.
My son is 6 and if I ask him what Peter Pan is he just says Bully.
Maybe I missed the point of this but there was no magic in it at all.
Very disappointed
I found Peter to be nothing more than a narcissistic bully and I couldn’t take to him at all.
My son is 6 and if I ask him what Peter Pan is he just says Bully.
Maybe I missed the point of this but there was no magic in it at all.
Very disappointed
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is such a great book. A fantastic story, wonderful characters, and full of wit and charm. The characterization of the redskins is the only problem I see for readers in the 21st Century. But we've got pirates and mermaids and fairies and wolves and lost boys which all make for a grand adventure.
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
I chose to read Peter Pan because my mom recommended it to me, and I love Disney movies. Granted, this book was very different from the Disney movie, though it was nice to know a little bit about the story before I read the book. There were so many parts about this book that I just loved, however, there were also parts of it that I really disliked. While reading, I was constantly going between feeling overcome with how adorable something was, to feeling horrified. People say that a good story should make you feel something, and based off of this philosophy—this was a very good book.
In the beginning of the story, I was kind of shocked to see how dark the author’s perspective was on certain topics. For example, on the first page it states (talking about age), “Two is the beginning of the end” (Barrie 1). Something else that I noticed in the beginning of the story that I found strange was the author’s use of personification towards Nana, their dog. At first, I couldn't tell if they were referring to a human or a dog, because of the way she was described. This strange use of personification showed up throughout the story, when describing Neverland, night lights, and other objects. In chapter one, when describing Neverland, it states “Neverlands have a family resemblance, and if you stood in a row you could say of them that they have each other’s nose, and so forth” (Barrie 6). There were many other things I found strange in this book, such as the description of Mrs. Darling tidying up her children’s minds, how Peter Pan’s shadow was treated like an object, and I found it both strange and disturbing was that the Darlings referenced whipping Nana—though they saw her as a servant and almost as a human. This makes me wonder if this treatment of servants was something that was acceptable during that time period. I also began noticing elements that could be considered magical realism in the story. For example, Wendy didn't even find it strange that there was a boy crying in her room, no one thought it was strange that their nanny was a dog—it was just accepted as a fact—and it just seemed to be common sense to sew on a shadow, (or even the fact that it could be sewed on, or come off). Another strange event comes later in the story: Wendy is shot with an arrow, the boys build a house around her, and when it is finished, she comes out of the house, completely healed.
It was also in the beginning of the story, where I began to see the dark side of Peter. For example: he would laugh when the children fell when they were flying. This brings me to what I disliked about this book. As I said earlier, I went from loving this book to being horrified, to loving it again, and this is why. At some points in the story, I just adored Peter and the lost boys. I would think that they were adorable and sweet, but then, they would go and murder pirates! It even indirectly stated at one point that Peter killed his lost boys! “When they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out” (Barrie 48). I thought that this was dark and horrible, and all the killing in the story made it harder for me to fully love their characters. Something that I found interesting about Peter was that he was so concerned about fairness, when he goes around killing pirates and such, but I realized after a while that the author could be portraying Peter as a symbol of children, and just magnifying all of the traits that he sees children having. Children often get upset when things are unfair, they often forget things and act impulsively, they can be sneaky when it comes to getting what they want, and they can be selfish. (If this is a reflection of the narrator’s feelings of children, doesn't seem to have a very positive opinion of them.) At some points, Peter even seemed like a dictator; he wouldn't allow them to know information he didn't know, he killed some of them, etc. He could be very intimidating, but then this also made other parts of the story even more sweet. For example, I found it adorable when all of the lost boys and Peter wanted to hear about the story of Cinderella, and when they talked about their mothers. In chapter six, they are having a conversation with her brother, John, and they say “‘For Wendy?’ John said, aghast. ‘Why, she is only a girl.’ ‘That,’ explained Curly, ‘is why we are her servants.’” (Barrie 63). As I mentioned earlier, there are several parts of this book that I loved—specifically parts where I thought Peter, the children, or the lost boys, said adorable things. In chapter two, Michael asked Mrs. Darling “Can anything harm us, mother, after the night-lights are lit?” (Barrie 20). I also thought it was funny when Wendy said that it was exactly like a boy for Peter to try to stick his shadow on with soap. Another thing that I loved about this book was how Peter talked about girls. At one point he and Wendy had a conversation I found cute, “‘Oh no; girls, you know, are much too clever to fall out of their prams.’ This flattered Wendy immensely. ‘I think,’ she said, ‘it is perfectly lovely the way you talk about girls; John there just despises us.” (Barrie 28).
To discuss some other characters, in chapter eight, I read the line describing Hook, that said “There was a break in his voice, as if for a moment he recalled innocent days when—but he brushed away this weakness with his hook” (Barrie 83). After reading this, I really wanted to hear more about Hook’s backstory, though, sadly, no additional information was given. It also stated that Hook only feared his own blood, but he seems to have a pretty vulnerable self esteem, which could be considered another weakness. I also found it creepy that Hook wanted Wendy to be his mother, when he is an adult and she is a young child, and I think that his desire for good form is very strange. I think that this desire will never be satisfied, because he doesn't even seem to know what his definition of good form is. It may possible that his idea of good form is whatever the person performing views as good form for themselves. One character that I liked in the Disney movie but didn't like in the book was Tinker Bell. She was so rude, and even had Wendy shot with an arrow! Shortly after this, however, there was a scene that I found very interesting and humorous—when Wendy needed doctor for her arrow wound to be tended, and Peter asked Slightly to get a doctor, so Slightly just put on a top hat and came back pretending he was a doctor.
A connection that I made while reading this was between the names of the characters and their characteristics. Mr. And Mrs. Darling, are, of course, kind and darling, and Nana, (obviously) is a nana. I also made several connections to the Disney movie in the first chapter, such as with Peter’s shadow, Nana getting chained up before Peter came, Mr. Darling struggling with his tie, etc. In chapter three, the part where Peter mixes up a kiss and a thimble is also in the movie Hook. Something I could relate to in this chapter was the children listening for the grownup noises and being completely still, so their parents wouldn't know that they were still awake—I can remember times when I did this at their age. Another connection that I saw, that led to a question is in chapter seven, Queen Mab is referenced. I wonder if this was the same Queen Mab alluded to in Romeo and Juliet. A comment that I thought was ironic was in chapter nine, when the narrator says “In fanciful stories people can talk to the birds freely, and I wish for the moment I could pretend that this was such a story…but truth is best, and I want to tell only what really happened” (Barrie 92). I found this ironic, because in every other aspect of the story, it is one of those stories.
I thought the ending was very sad—I wish Peter and Wendy could have stayed together either in Neverland or in the Darlings’ world. I also didn't like that the lost boys all forgot about Neverland. I found many things in this book to be strange, and I didn't like the violence that the lost boys and Peter participated in, but despite this I did enjoy the humor in the story, as well as how adorable it was. Overall, I loved this book.
In the beginning of the story, I was kind of shocked to see how dark the author’s perspective was on certain topics. For example, on the first page it states (talking about age), “Two is the beginning of the end” (Barrie 1). Something else that I noticed in the beginning of the story that I found strange was the author’s use of personification towards Nana, their dog. At first, I couldn't tell if they were referring to a human or a dog, because of the way she was described. This strange use of personification showed up throughout the story, when describing Neverland, night lights, and other objects. In chapter one, when describing Neverland, it states “Neverlands have a family resemblance, and if you stood in a row you could say of them that they have each other’s nose, and so forth” (Barrie 6). There were many other things I found strange in this book, such as the description of Mrs. Darling tidying up her children’s minds, how Peter Pan’s shadow was treated like an object, and I found it both strange and disturbing was that the Darlings referenced whipping Nana—though they saw her as a servant and almost as a human. This makes me wonder if this treatment of servants was something that was acceptable during that time period. I also began noticing elements that could be considered magical realism in the story. For example, Wendy didn't even find it strange that there was a boy crying in her room, no one thought it was strange that their nanny was a dog—it was just accepted as a fact—and it just seemed to be common sense to sew on a shadow, (or even the fact that it could be sewed on, or come off). Another strange event comes later in the story: Wendy is shot with an arrow, the boys build a house around her, and when it is finished, she comes out of the house, completely healed.
It was also in the beginning of the story, where I began to see the dark side of Peter. For example: he would laugh when the children fell when they were flying. This brings me to what I disliked about this book. As I said earlier, I went from loving this book to being horrified, to loving it again, and this is why. At some points in the story, I just adored Peter and the lost boys. I would think that they were adorable and sweet, but then, they would go and murder pirates! It even indirectly stated at one point that Peter killed his lost boys! “When they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out” (Barrie 48). I thought that this was dark and horrible, and all the killing in the story made it harder for me to fully love their characters. Something that I found interesting about Peter was that he was so concerned about fairness, when he goes around killing pirates and such, but I realized after a while that the author could be portraying Peter as a symbol of children, and just magnifying all of the traits that he sees children having. Children often get upset when things are unfair, they often forget things and act impulsively, they can be sneaky when it comes to getting what they want, and they can be selfish. (If this is a reflection of the narrator’s feelings of children, doesn't seem to have a very positive opinion of them.) At some points, Peter even seemed like a dictator; he wouldn't allow them to know information he didn't know, he killed some of them, etc. He could be very intimidating, but then this also made other parts of the story even more sweet. For example, I found it adorable when all of the lost boys and Peter wanted to hear about the story of Cinderella, and when they talked about their mothers. In chapter six, they are having a conversation with her brother, John, and they say “‘For Wendy?’ John said, aghast. ‘Why, she is only a girl.’ ‘That,’ explained Curly, ‘is why we are her servants.’” (Barrie 63). As I mentioned earlier, there are several parts of this book that I loved—specifically parts where I thought Peter, the children, or the lost boys, said adorable things. In chapter two, Michael asked Mrs. Darling “Can anything harm us, mother, after the night-lights are lit?” (Barrie 20). I also thought it was funny when Wendy said that it was exactly like a boy for Peter to try to stick his shadow on with soap. Another thing that I loved about this book was how Peter talked about girls. At one point he and Wendy had a conversation I found cute, “‘Oh no; girls, you know, are much too clever to fall out of their prams.’ This flattered Wendy immensely. ‘I think,’ she said, ‘it is perfectly lovely the way you talk about girls; John there just despises us.” (Barrie 28).
To discuss some other characters, in chapter eight, I read the line describing Hook, that said “There was a break in his voice, as if for a moment he recalled innocent days when—but he brushed away this weakness with his hook” (Barrie 83). After reading this, I really wanted to hear more about Hook’s backstory, though, sadly, no additional information was given. It also stated that Hook only feared his own blood, but he seems to have a pretty vulnerable self esteem, which could be considered another weakness. I also found it creepy that Hook wanted Wendy to be his mother, when he is an adult and she is a young child, and I think that his desire for good form is very strange. I think that this desire will never be satisfied, because he doesn't even seem to know what his definition of good form is. It may possible that his idea of good form is whatever the person performing views as good form for themselves. One character that I liked in the Disney movie but didn't like in the book was Tinker Bell. She was so rude, and even had Wendy shot with an arrow! Shortly after this, however, there was a scene that I found very interesting and humorous—when Wendy needed doctor for her arrow wound to be tended, and Peter asked Slightly to get a doctor, so Slightly just put on a top hat and came back pretending he was a doctor.
A connection that I made while reading this was between the names of the characters and their characteristics. Mr. And Mrs. Darling, are, of course, kind and darling, and Nana, (obviously) is a nana. I also made several connections to the Disney movie in the first chapter, such as with Peter’s shadow, Nana getting chained up before Peter came, Mr. Darling struggling with his tie, etc. In chapter three, the part where Peter mixes up a kiss and a thimble is also in the movie Hook. Something I could relate to in this chapter was the children listening for the grownup noises and being completely still, so their parents wouldn't know that they were still awake—I can remember times when I did this at their age. Another connection that I saw, that led to a question is in chapter seven, Queen Mab is referenced. I wonder if this was the same Queen Mab alluded to in Romeo and Juliet. A comment that I thought was ironic was in chapter nine, when the narrator says “In fanciful stories people can talk to the birds freely, and I wish for the moment I could pretend that this was such a story…but truth is best, and I want to tell only what really happened” (Barrie 92). I found this ironic, because in every other aspect of the story, it is one of those stories.
I thought the ending was very sad—I wish Peter and Wendy could have stayed together either in Neverland or in the Darlings’ world. I also didn't like that the lost boys all forgot about Neverland. I found many things in this book to be strange, and I didn't like the violence that the lost boys and Peter participated in, but despite this I did enjoy the humor in the story, as well as how adorable it was. Overall, I loved this book.
Sometimes you just need a nostalgic read. I was pleasantly surprised to learn Disney actually stuck close to the source material for once! A great read for the Peter Pan fans.