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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
A wonderful book. As deserving of being remembered as it has been. For those with kids, I would suggest reading it before embarking on reading it out loud as standards for what is child appropriate has shifted from when it was written (largely to the child's detriment :) ). The book was written after the play, and you can still see some features of a live audience in the book. Having given my previous warning, I would suggest taking the opportunity to read outloud when appropriate, as the language is delightful.
I was surprisingly disappointed by this book. I love the play and so many of the movie adaptations but the book itself felt disjointed and flat. I was missing the magic it usually has in a visual medium I guess.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
You’ve probably seen the Disney movie or seen the play. But you should really give the short novel a try. The play predates the novel, but the prose is the best part of the story, so I highly recommend the novel.
There’s definitely a dream-like quality to Neverland, and it’s very effective.
Of course, because it’s over 100 years old, there’s some unfortunate racial stereotypes about the Indian tribe (they’re called the Pickaninny tribe, ffs!) but I attribute that to the pervasive white supremacy of Edwardian England and not any specific racial malice.
With those specific caveats, I think this story is fine for children of all ages.
There’s definitely a dream-like quality to Neverland, and it’s very effective.
Of course, because it’s over 100 years old, there’s some unfortunate racial stereotypes about the Indian tribe (they’re called the Pickaninny tribe, ffs!) but I attribute that to the pervasive white supremacy of Edwardian England and not any specific racial malice.
With those specific caveats, I think this story is fine for children of all ages.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"All children, except one, grow up."
I suppose the point of this book is telling kids that they absolutely have to grow up but it makes normal life and adults sound so boring, which they/we are. Whenever I read or watch any version of this story, all I want is to be a murderous flying elf child, too. Don't we all? I suppose that means we all have a kid in all of us. Either way, it doesn't matter the point of view. I'll always love this story and it'll always make me a little sad, like maybe I should have gone to Neverland too, but Peter never got around to kidnapping me. Maybe I saw Neverland in my sleep, who knows. I like to think I'm not that grown up just yet.
P.S. What kind of mother is Wendy letting her children fly away to live in a treehouse with a killer demon child, is she crazy? I know she was like in love with him, and while I get the appeal, she saw who he was. Do child services not worry about this?
Spoiler
Peter Pan is messed up. What kind of psycho child takes people from their homes so they can go and kill pirates for fun? What kind of boy tricks people into staying with him and forgetting their families just so he doesn't feel alone? What kind of PERSON "thins them out" when they try to leave him to go back home? Can you imagine knowing a kid that goes out to play in the jungle and, when he comes back, you go out and find a body because that's his version of an adventure? Peter was the only person the evil mermaids liked on that entire island, that has to say something about him. And yet, I love him. Disney!Pan has nothing on this guy. How Peter kept forgetting everything and everyone due to him having no concept of time whatsoever, because growing up isn't even an OPTION for him is absolutely fascinating. All I can think about is how lonely this kid is and, really, how lonely Hook was too. They were both absolutely horrible people, they should just have become bffs instead of making enemies out of each other. Neither of this characters showed any feelings towards or regarding other people besides themselves, hatred for each other, and perhaps fascination for Wendy. The extreme apathy and self-absorption in these characters is amazing. Or maybe I'm just wired to see he dark side of everything. Children do love killing pirates, right?I suppose the point of this book is telling kids that they absolutely have to grow up but it makes normal life and adults sound so boring, which they/we are. Whenever I read or watch any version of this story, all I want is to be a murderous flying elf child, too. Don't we all? I suppose that means we all have a kid in all of us. Either way, it doesn't matter the point of view. I'll always love this story and it'll always make me a little sad, like maybe I should have gone to Neverland too, but Peter never got around to kidnapping me. Maybe I saw Neverland in my sleep, who knows. I like to think I'm not that grown up just yet.
P.S. What kind of mother is Wendy letting her children fly away to live in a treehouse with a killer demon child, is she crazy? I know she was like in love with him, and while I get the appeal, she saw who he was. Do child services not worry about this?
adventurous
medium-paced
It is very interesting that I'm reading this book for the first time when I'm 25 years old. When I was younger, I enjoyed in a picture book and cartoon Peter Pan, also later in movies like Finding Neverland, but to read an original book written by J.M. Barrie, I started the week ago. And I really didn't want to finish her.
Book has that sort of magic, that we lost when we grew up, or just forget about it. The writer is guiding us through adventures of Peter, and there is always feeling that it is like we are writers, because of the comments that author brings, including many of them on how the stage is looking alike, because Peter Pan is a piece written like the theater play.
While I was reading it, in my head, I could remember scenes from a cartoon, but like in almost every ecranisation of the book, many important dialogues arent include. If we accept that magic and imagination that this book can give us, we can also find many real-life answers that are important to us. Things like love, mutual understanding, friendship, motherhood, the importance of growing up in the healthy family, and many other things, on which we didn`t focus when we were younger.
Also, for me to get this book now in my life, made me think about how old I`m or am I really old? About what society expects of you when you are 25, and what do I expect of myself?
It helped me to go back to my childishness and to accept it even if that isn't something that grown-ups do today.
So, book in your hand and by the route "Second to the right, and straight on till morning." Neverland really exists. <3
Book has that sort of magic, that we lost when we grew up, or just forget about it. The writer is guiding us through adventures of Peter, and there is always feeling that it is like we are writers, because of the comments that author brings, including many of them on how the stage is looking alike, because Peter Pan is a piece written like the theater play.
While I was reading it, in my head, I could remember scenes from a cartoon, but like in almost every ecranisation of the book, many important dialogues arent include. If we accept that magic and imagination that this book can give us, we can also find many real-life answers that are important to us. Things like love, mutual understanding, friendship, motherhood, the importance of growing up in the healthy family, and many other things, on which we didn`t focus when we were younger.
Also, for me to get this book now in my life, made me think about how old I`m or am I really old? About what society expects of you when you are 25, and what do I expect of myself?
It helped me to go back to my childishness and to accept it even if that isn't something that grown-ups do today.
So, book in your hand and by the route "Second to the right, and straight on till morning." Neverland really exists. <3
I remember wanting to read this book when I was a kid and thinking it was too long for me. When I finally read it, I thought it was actually pretty short. I was impressed with how faithful most of the plays and movies were to the original. One thing that was certainly changed was the violence. At one point in this book Peter Pan is killing pirates and the lost boys are counting how many he kills (I think he ends up with 15 or 16 kills). Another thing that is often lost in adaptations is the humor of the narrator, who says interesting and funny things all the time. I really liked his descriptions of Smee (who cleans his spectacles after killing instead of his weapon), and his declaration that "some like Peter and some like Wendy, but I like [Mrs. Darling] best of all." The parents are more developed in the book than in any adaptation I have ever seen.
The thing that surprised me the most about this book was the character of Peter himself. I haven't ever understood him fully. He isn't really a hero, although he is heroic at times. He has "good form," but he is selfish, conceited, forgetful and capricious. He completely forgets tinker bell ever existed, and has no lasting interest in anybody other than himself. I always saw him as a more caring and friendly character, but really, he is a small child and hasn't developed the necessary attributes of a true hero. It was interesting to be confronted with a favorite character who is so different than I had previously understood.
The thing that surprised me the most about this book was the character of Peter himself. I haven't ever understood him fully. He isn't really a hero, although he is heroic at times. He has "good form," but he is selfish, conceited, forgetful and capricious. He completely forgets tinker bell ever existed, and has no lasting interest in anybody other than himself. I always saw him as a more caring and friendly character, but really, he is a small child and hasn't developed the necessary attributes of a true hero. It was interesting to be confronted with a favorite character who is so different than I had previously understood.
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Well... At least we got the Tinker Bell movies out of this.