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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was unsure before reading this whether I'd read it previously, but as soon as I started I was sure that I hadn't. It's a very odd book, even more so than I realized from the stage or Disney versions, which lend its strangeness a sense of whimsy. I would not give this book to a child, not only because it's racist AF, but because it's pretty dark — the lost boys, and even the Darlings, murder pirates, who murder some of the boys and one another, and at the end not only has everyone grown up but it also mentions casually that Mrs. Darling and Nana are both dead. Peter is extremely narcissistic, doesn't take care of the Darling children at all, and forgets nearly everyone and everything in a short span of time.
I understand what Barrie was trying to do (I think). The book kind of imagines what would happen if the make-believe world of children — where they can fly and there are mermaids and pirates and they can play house without ever actually having to grow up — were a real place. It is not, however, an idealized world; it is rather sad. There are certainly moments of humor, and I enjoyed many of them, like how Peter can't tell the twins apart so they just kind of stay near each other and try not to be too different so as not to embarrass him. I'm not sure if the tone of the book feels more adult to me because it's actually geared toward adults or because what we consider children's level of narrative has changed so much over the last 100 years.
The book gets an extra half-star from me simply because I enjoyed seeing how the book compared and contrasted with the Disney movie and the stage version. If I weren't familiar with those versions I think I would have enjoyed the book much less and just found it a bizarre, dark little classic.
Overall, I can't say I particularly recommend the read unless you're a big fan of the Disney movie and want to see Barrie's version. I wouldn't read this to a child.
I understand what Barrie was trying to do (I think). The book kind of imagines what would happen if the make-believe world of children — where they can fly and there are mermaids and pirates and they can play house without ever actually having to grow up — were a real place. It is not, however, an idealized world; it is rather sad. There are certainly moments of humor, and I enjoyed many of them, like how Peter can't tell the twins apart so they just kind of stay near each other and try not to be too different so as not to embarrass him. I'm not sure if the tone of the book feels more adult to me because it's actually geared toward adults or because what we consider children's level of narrative has changed so much over the last 100 years.
The book gets an extra half-star from me simply because I enjoyed seeing how the book compared and contrasted with the Disney movie and the stage version. If I weren't familiar with those versions I think I would have enjoyed the book much less and just found it a bizarre, dark little classic.
Overall, I can't say I particularly recommend the read unless you're a big fan of the Disney movie and want to see Barrie's version. I wouldn't read this to a child.
challenging
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
v imaginative and classique and all of that but the racism and the way it kept hitting the reader over the head with the gender binary were not cute
I do love this book. The way it's written, the storyline and most of all; the characters.
Yes there are plotholes (where did Wendy's pet wolf go?). Yes there is racism (I certainly wouldn't let a child read this book without having some conversations with them about it afterwards). But there is so much feeling, and rather interesting world-building for such a small "world", and again - the characters!
As so many before me I've identified a lot with Peter Pan for several reasons. I've experienced Peter Pan in several forms/variations - I saw a couple of films as a child but I didn't actually read the book until I was a teen (and loved it). So I didn't actually grow up with Peter Pan but instead truly "came into it" later on - probably when I could identify with this "boy who never wants to grow up" the most.
So yes I'm biased. Still love the book though. ;)
Yes there are plotholes (where did Wendy's pet wolf go?). Yes there is racism (I certainly wouldn't let a child read this book without having some conversations with them about it afterwards). But there is so much feeling, and rather interesting world-building for such a small "world", and again - the characters!
As so many before me I've identified a lot with Peter Pan for several reasons. I've experienced Peter Pan in several forms/variations - I saw a couple of films as a child but I didn't actually read the book until I was a teen (and loved it). So I didn't actually grow up with Peter Pan but instead truly "came into it" later on - probably when I could identify with this "boy who never wants to grow up" the most.
So yes I'm biased. Still love the book though. ;)
Not exactly Disney. Tinkerbell was a really nasty little thing! Fun to compare to the movie.
I've always loved the idea of Peter Pan, and I finally got around to reading the novel. Like all the other stories that have been changed by Disney, it was a bit different. I loved it.
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Maybe I just hate this book because I didn't read it until I became a parent? The writing isn't bad; I just don't want my son to get any bad ideas when he's old enough to read it!