Peter Pan (Aladdin Classics)
by J. M. Barrie
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Book Summary Information
Author: J. M. BarrieForeword: Susan Cooper
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-11-11
ISBN: 0689866917
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Aladdin
Book Reviews of Peter Pan (Aladdin Classics)
Book Review: All gay and innocent and heartless
Summary: 4 Stars
It doesn't surprise me particularly that the book "Peter Pan" (or, as it was originally titled, "Peter Pan and Wendy") is not read very often by children. Today kids have their Peter Pan animated movies, live action movies, television shows (of which the less said the better), musicals, stage plays, and what have you. There are a million different versions of the story out there, so it's no wonder the children feel that they don't need to read the original tale. I myself read it for the first time just now at the ancient age of 26, though I had been warned away from it many times. I knew about its more peculiar aspects (for example, that whole business involving Mrs. Darling's "kiss") so these didn't always shock or surprise me. They just weirded me out from time to time. What really did catch me unawares though was the wit in the book. This tale has its peculiarities, no question. But it also has amazing snatches of excellent writing. I just wish it had more of the latter and less of the former.
As every good schoolchild knows (or is liable to learn from Disney) Peter Pan is the boy who does not age. Living in Neverland, a kind of ageless fantasy-burg for kids, he is attended by the silly Tinkerbell, a fairy prone to continually shouting, "You silly ass". When Peter looses his shadow in the home of the Darling family, he meets Wendy for the first time. Wendy is entranced by Peter and with the promise of stories he agrees to take her and her brothers Michael and John with him to Neverland. While there, the kids encounter mermaids, pirates, Indians, and great swashbuckling adventures. They meet the Lost Boys and come face to face with the dreaded Captain Hook. But in the end everyone must grow up. Everyone, that is, but Peter Pan.
INTERESTING FACTS THEY NEVER TELL YOU ABOUT THE BOOK "PETER PAN":
1. Smee is declared to be the only Nonconformist in Hook's crew.
2. The fairies will occasionally stumble, "home from an orgy".
3. Tinker Bell is prone to wearing a negligee.
4. Hook attended private school and is said to bear a resemblance in his manner and dress to Charles II.
5. Peter Pan is an awful bore.
Readers of "Peter Pan" have to face up to several indisputable facts when perusing the tale. First of all, Peter's not that great a guy. I mean, it's a lot of fun to swoop around fighting bad guys and playing around all the time, but Peter's got a nasty streak about him. He's conceited and cruel (laughing when Wendy's brothers plunge out of the sky to their near deaths time and time again). He hates mothers as a rule and even goes so far as to try to trick Wendy into thinking her mother has forgotten her (though he repents at the last minute). He forgets anyone who loves him and is a combination of the worst aspects of all children. This isn't to say that his book doesn't make for interesting reading. I mean, it's not hard to work your way through "Peter Pan" and it has a lot of rewards. Barrie has an odd habit of sometimes getting wrapped up in his own peculiar thoughts for a moment before rushing back to the story in a hurry. The book is thoroughly English, containing such sentences as, "children at play are for ever beaching their coracles". Decipherable, but odd. If it weren't for statements like the ones about Mrs. Darling's kiss (creepy city) it would be an idea book. To my mind, it could stand a thorough editing job. As an author Barrie doesn't really seem sure as to who he's rooting for. One moment he's cruelly mocking Mrs. Darling and the next he's calling the children, "heartless" for leaving her in the first place.
No one familiar with the peculiarities of J.M. Barrie's personal life should be surprised by the book's moral. Mainly, that growing up is bad. This is the kind of moral kids like to hear and grown-ups, who idealize children in unhealthy ways, think is good. J.M. Barrie was perfectly aware of the cruelty of kids, but seemed to think it a good thing. When Wendy, her brothers, and the Lost Boys grow up it's written as a tragedy of epic proportions. For a healthier view of maturity, check out Madeline L'Engle's, "A Wind In the Door". Aside from its moral, however, "Peter Pan" is definitely a classic. It has influenced countless people around the globe for roughly a century. It has become a part of our culture and is vastly adored. I cannot love it wholly because I feel that it is a flawed novel. Nonetheless, I give credit where credit is due and say that it is one of the necessary books to read in the English language. If you have not familiarized yourself with it yet then you are denying yourself access to an important work. Lord, it isn't great, but it's well written and interesting. Few books can say as much.
Summary of Peter Pan (Aladdin Classics)
The character of Peter Pan first came to life in the stories J. M. Barrie told to five brothers -- three of whom were named Peter, John, and Michael. Peter Pan is considered one of the greatest children's stories of all time and continues to charm readers one hundred years after its first appearance as a play in 1904.Action & Adventure Books
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