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Peter Pan

(Peter Pan)

J.M. Barrie

4.04 · Rating details · 316,431 ratings · 13,549 reviews

One starry night, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell lead the three Darling children over the rooftops of London and away to Neverland - the island where lost boys play, mermaids splash and fairies make mischief. But a villainous-looking gang of pirates lurk in the docks, led by the terrifying Captain James Hook. Magic and excitement are in the air, but if Captain Hook has his way, ...more

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Paperback, 207 pages

Published September 25th 2014 by Puffin (first published December 27th 1911)

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· 316,431 ratings · 13,549 reviews

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Aug 21, 2009 K.D. Absolutely rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to K.D. by: 501 Must Read Books

Shelves: 501, childrens

A story of a dead child and a mother who is missing him.

Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937), a Scottish, wrote this book in 1902 for an older brother, David (his mother's favorite) who died in an ice-skating accident the day before he turned 14. Thus, in his mother's mind, David always stayed as a young boy who would not grow up. J. M. Barrie, a middle-child and then only 6 years old, tried to assume David's place in his mother's heart by wearing the latter's clothes and speaking and sounding l A story of a dead child and a mother who is missing him.

Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937), a Scottish, wrote this book in 1902 for an older brother, David (his mother's favorite) who died in an ice-skating accident the day before he turned 14. Thus, in his mother's mind, David always stayed as a young boy who would not grow up. J. M. Barrie, a middle-child and then only 6 years old, tried to assume David's place in his mother's heart by wearing the latter's clothes and speaking and sounding like him. Barrie was 42 when Peter Pan (the character) first appeared in his other novel, The Little White Bird but the emotion of longing (the child missing his mother and the mother missing his son) can be felt by the readers as if the death only happened recently. For me, this attests to Barrie's brilliance as a novelist.

They say that losing one's child is the most painful grief that a parent can have. A parent burying his child is in contradiction to the natural cycle of life. Thus, it is a lifelong journey of grief for the parents. The very young Barrie saw this pain in his mother's heart and so he tried his best to act, speak and sound like his brother. A mother missing her child. In the story this is symbolized by the open bedroom window waiting for Wendy, John and Michael to return. When they finally do, Peter tries closing it but when he sees the tears in Mrs. Darling's eyes, he says "we don't want any silly mothers'"; and he flew away. making it a triumph of a mother's unconditional heart. A child longing for his mother's love. This is symbolized by Peter asking for Wendy to be his mother and probably Tink and probably even Mrs. Darling. This is the moral of the story: we all need mothers especially those whose windows are and will always be open for us.

A beautiful book. Mesmerizing prose. A fantasy adventure children's book on the surface. But a sad emotion-filled story of a mother and her son somewhere inside. It has the ethereal beauty of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's Le Petite Prince and the subtle meaningful cycle-of-life lesson in E. B. White's Charlotte's Web, two of favorite children's books. My only regret is that fathers like me are sidelined. We fathers have hearts too and we would like to be part of that love. Why did Barrie depict Mr. Darling as crazy feeding Nana his medicine and has to sleep in the kernel?

You see, my windows are also open.

...more

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Nov 15, 2021 Pauly Rodriguez rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Ever so beautiful and tragic

Peter Pan was a favorite when I was a child. It was a lovely thing to dream of a place called Neverland, where one may fly with fairies and splash with mermaids.

As an adult, you realize the truth of what Barrie himself once said… that he’d written a tragedy. Beautiful, selfish Peter, who forgets things so easily, has no realization of what he has cost himself, in his efforts to remain forever young. We realize it for him, and so the ending of Peter Pan is bittersw ...more

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Nov 16, 2021 Asael Dreyer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I always loved Peter Pan, not really as a kid but more as a teenager and young adult. And once again, the internet happened and every discussion or mention of Peter Pan ended up in a “but did you know he is actually a serial killer and way worse than Hook?” so I grew tired of it and decided to check it out for myself!

The good :
- I ALWAYS love a very biased narrator and it’s clearly the case. They just dunks on the children for not caring about what they parents might feel with them being missing I always loved Peter Pan, not really as a kid but more as a teenager and young adult. And once again, the internet happened and every discussion or mention of Peter Pan ended up in a “but did you know he is actually a serial killer and way worse than Hook?” so I grew tired of it and decided to check it out for myself!

The good :
- I ALWAYS love a very biased narrator and it’s clearly the case. They just dunks on the children for not caring about what they parents might feel with them being missing for days. And a sentence after they just DESTROYS the mother because they just can’t stand her. And that kind of pettiness makes the entire story so freaking hilarious and really something special. He also has some kind of power like deciding which pirate is going to get murdered or throwing a coin to decide which story to tell (and then being unhappy with their choice but still sticking to it)
- Peter Pan is a terrific character and I absolutely get how and why he turned into such a popular one. Let me be clear, yes he does kill lost boys when they grow up but not in a very sinister way if that makes sense? It just goes against his rules and he throws a temper in a very childish manner which makes sense with his character and depending on your point of view makes it worse or not.
He IS a child and a flying jerk but he is fantastic! Being dressed in leaves is HIS things so all the lost boys must wear furs is one examples. Also him switching side to fight on the side of the pirates because the fight is not fair now? You know, especially because the sudden lack of pirates is due to Peter murdering them two seconds ago?
- I love how, unlike in the movie, the kids actually stay in Neverland a few days-weeks unlike a single night.
- Wendy has a pet wolf just like in her daydreams but she forgets about said pet and it just vanishes from the narration and I found that level of detail really funny.
- Hook is great and I loved the crocodile part and its explanation. He also, kinda, faces his ultimate demise with dignity? I really liked that he was a merciless pirate but still had a sliver of decency: he found Peter unarmed and asleep and he was going to murder him but he is “I can’t kill my arch nemesis who looks like a child in his sleep” and then Peter just smirks in his sleep like a lil shit and Hook is “Nvm, murder it is”!
- I loved that the parents’ portrayal is different from the movie’s. Especially the father who is not such a flat character, he is nicer and kinder here.
- I knew of it but I still loved the ending! Both of the lost boys being adopted by the Darlings and Peter forgetting to visit Wendy because he never keeps track of time. Him not remembering Tinkerbell is brutal tho, especially since she became such a break-out character!

The bad:
- Obviously negative points for the treatment of the Natives. And don’t even start with the “It’s very one dimensional and racist because they are made up version imagined by children growing up with colonial source materials” and let’s be honest for a second. When the movie version that is TERRIBLE about this is better than the book, you know you fucked up! ...more

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Apr 13, 2017 Luca Ambrosino rated it really liked it · review of another edition

ENGLISH (Peter Pan) / ITALIANO

«All children, except one, grow up.»

The incipit of Peter Pan of J.M. Barrie is the perfect synthesis of the book. I will try to make the point using as inspiration the words of a child, namely three phrases from my daughter Arianna while in the evening she was listening in her bed my reading of Peter Pan (seventeen chapters read on as many nights with the emphasis of a talented narrator):

1 - "Peter Pan is a bad guy" Yes, my daughter did not like to the protagonist o

ENGLISH (Peter Pan) / ITALIANO

«All children, except one, grow up.»

1 - "Peter Pan is a bad guy" Yes, my daughter did not like to the protagonist of the novel. I did not investigate the reason for her grudge. Probably she didn't like the fact that Peter doesn't want to grow. Not strange, when you are a child usually you want to grow because several tings are forbidden, etc. It is only when you realize that those years are forever lost that you regret for the lost childhood. Everything normal.

2 - "But why Hook have to die?" My daughter almost burst into tears in the solemn moment of the pirate's death. The bad guy of the novel is not that bad after all? I like James Uncino too (it is obvious that the question was asked by the blood of my blood). Actually, it is the death of a central character that shakes the mind of children, a character they started to know and whose presence they are used to. And punctually the tremendous question arrives: "Why do we have to die?" (dear Arianna, if I exactely explain it to you, maybe you also become like Peter Pan, a child who refuses to grow). I buy time and go further.

3 - "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The scream is thrown by my daughter when Peter Pan closes the window of the children's room to prevent their home return. I think that one of the things that terrorizes more a child is to stay without their loved ones. The strenght and especially the desire to break away from the family is perhaps the best indicator of the lost childhood.

I instinctively associate Peter Pan with the The Little Prince of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. However, although speaking the same language (that of children), and dealing with common themes, I enjoyed more Peter Pan and its sad and sweet conclusion. Imagination is a powerful ability, but it is consumed by time. You just have to use it as long as you can. Thereby children fly with their minds and their hearts:

«It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly»

Surely, being all three things at the same time when you are an adult is impossible.

Vote: 8

«Tutti i bambini crescono, meno uno»

L'incipit di Peter Pan di J.M. Barrie è la perfetta sintesi di tutto il libro. Vista la tematica, cercherò di fare il punto della situazione utilizzando come spunti di pensiero le parole di una bambina, vale a dire due frasi pronunciate da mia figlia Arianna mentre la sera ascoltava nel suo letto la mia lettura di Peter Pan (diciassette capitoli letti in altrettante serate con un'enfasi da narratore rodato):

1 - "Peter Pan è un cattivone" Ebbene si, mia figlia non ha preso in simpatia il protagonista del romanzo. Non ho indagato a fondo il motivo del suo rancore. Probabilmente è stato il voler rimanere bambino a tutti i costi che a mia figlia proprio non è andato giù. Non c'è nulla di strano in questo, quando si è bambini si vuole crescere, parecchie cose ti sono proibite, etc. E' solo quando ci si rende conto che quegli anni sono persi per sempre che si rimpiange la propria fanciullezza. Tutto nella norma.

2 - "Ma perché Uncino è dovuto morire?" Mia figlia è quasi scoppiata in lacrime nel solenne momento della morte del pirata. Il cattivo del romanzo dopotutto non è poi così cattivo. A me James Uncino è sempre stato simpatico, difatti (è evidente che a formulare la domanda è stato il sangue del mio sangue... tesoro di papà!) In realtà è la morte di un personaggio centrale che scuote l'animo di un bambino, un personaggio che hai cominciato a conoscere e alla cui presenza ti sei abituato. E puntuale arriva il tremendo quesito, La Domanda con la D maiuscola: "Perchè dobbiamo morire?" (Cara Arianna, se te lo spiego per bene, magari diventi anche tu, come Peter Pan, una bambina che si rifiuta di crescere). Tergiverso e vado oltre.

3 - "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" L'urlo di disappunto viene lanciato da mia figlia quando Peter Pan chiude la finestra della camera dei bambini per impedire il loro ritorno a casa. Credo che una delle cose che terrorizza di più un bambino sia il rimanere senza i propri cari. La capacità e soprattutto la voglia di staccarsi dalla propria famiglia è forse il principale indicatore per la perduta fanciullezza.

Istintivamente mi viene da associare Peter Pan al Il piccolo principe di Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Tuttavia, pur parlando la stessa lingua, quella dei bambini, e trattando tematiche comuni, ho apprezzato di più Peter Pan e il suo finale triste e dolce. L'immaginazione è una capacità potente, che però va affievolendosi col tempo. Non resta che sfruttarla appieno fin quando si può. E allora volano con la mente e con il cuore i bambini.

«Solo chi è allegro, innocente e senza cuore può volare»

Una cosa è certa: da adulti, essere contemporaneamente tutte e tre le cose è impossibile.

Voto: 8

...more

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Nov 29, 2015 Mark Lawrence rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I read this to Celyn. It's a short book. Google tells me 47,000 words but it felt shorter than that.

Many of us know the story second hand through cartoons, Hollywood adaptations, and picture-books. The original item is not that dissimilar, though it's a fair bit more brutal that the cartoons and having been published in 1911 it's 100 years out of date when it comes to Native Americans!

The first thing to note is that it's not just the Never-Land that has a surreal, imaginary feel to it. The Darli ...more

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Oct 20, 2013 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: scottish, adventure, fantasy, childrens-young-readers, fairy-tales, british, classics, 20th-century, literature

‎Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie.

A young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, interacting with fairies, pirates, mermaids, Native Americans, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside Neverland.

The story has a special language; The author is always present in the story, c ...more

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Jan 15, 2018 Chelsea Humphrey rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: library

Oh boy. I'm not sure what to say other than I cannot think of one aspect I enjoyed about this book. I tend to gravitate toward dark, disturbing, and twisted stories (~~what does that say about me???~~), but this was just sad with no pay off. Each page felt like a chore to get through and I didn't even find the illustrations redeeming. I'm clearly in the minority, but I may have possibly been bit by the old "heard the story so many times that the original feels like a rip off" bug. Definitely not my ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 jessica rated it really liked it

‘all children, except one, grow up.’

perhaps i could call it a quarter life crisis, but i am definitely experiencing a little bit of peter pan syndrome lately. and this story is that wonderful adventure through childhood nostalgia that i am desperately needing.

a bit old fashioned, for sure, but this so perfectly captures what it means to be a child - to long for grand adventures, comprehending how belief alone can allow you fly, and how wishing on dreams will always be the greatest pastime. ...more

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Sep 24, 2008 Melissa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My children wanted to do our read aloud outside this evening. So we went on the patio and I began reading "Peter Pan." I read about how the mermaids would play with the bubbles, but when the children would come they would all disappear, but they would secretly watch. Pretty soon I hear over the fence our 11 year old neighbor boy say, "Is that Peter Pan?" "Yes," I say, "Would you like to come listen?" "I've been listening from here," he says. So I go on and read about Wendy's rule that all the bo ...more

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May 30, 2021 Lea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, fantasy, favourites, ya-childrens, recommended, book-club-d, classic, fiction

“To die will be an awfully big adventure.”

Peter Pan was one of my favorite childhood stories and I'm in awe of the layers upon layers I discovered reading it now as an adult. The narrator is inconsistent, almost vicious, changes opinions and switches sides, sometimes rude and insensitive, but always charming. The book is witty and sassy, and genius in a light, carefree way it touches heavy topics. If you are not paying attention a lot of content can go over your head, as almost every sentence ca ...more

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Feb 17, 2018 Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-stars, childrens-and-middle-grade

Not gonna lie, I had to push myself to get through this.

I just didn’t find it enjoyable in the slightest, which makes me feel like a loser since it’s such a beloved children’s classic.

But at least I’m an honest loser?

I didn’t really like Peter.
Wendy annoyed me.
And the humor and tone just fell flat for me.

But, on the plus side, at least I can count this as my first completed classic for the year. This was supposed to be my January read and it’s now February...but who’s counting.

Me, that’s who. On ...more

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Sep 22, 2015 Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-classics, classics, owned

Read for school*

Really enjoyed this!!

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May 06, 2017 Merphy Napier rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, five-stars

Reread #2
This is still my favorite book. It's whimsical, beautiful, heart-warming, heart-wrenching, dark... it's wonderful. I love it so much.
---------------------------------------

Upon Reread:
It's even better the second time. I will never stop rereading this book. It's so important to me and I don't even know why. Walt Disney, I've always loved you, but I'm never touching merch that reflects your version of this story. Nothing can compare.

----------------------------------------

This is one of m ...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Ariel rated it really liked it

INCREDIBLE! SO WEIRD AND GOOD.

Things that are great:
1) All of these tiny details that Barrie added in that just make everything feel really intricate.
2) Peter Pan is the most bizarre and interesting characters ever.
3) The whole concept of Neverland being fact of fiction? Fascinating.
4) The parents. WOAH SO INTERESTING.
5) I listened to an audiobook version while reading along which was read by Jim Dale and OMGSOGOOD.
6) The magic.
7) The pirates.
8) Understanding why Tinker Bell is called Tinker Bel ...more

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Aug 23, 2021 Gavin Hetherington rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, classics, 2021-reads

First time ever reading this and it was not as magical as I was hoping. So many problematic things about it, at times so unsuitable for children, and with unlikeable characters to boot. I've never hated Peter and Tinker Bell as much as I do in this book. Don't get me started on the racism. ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audible, audio, classic, fantasy, young-adult, 2020

4 to 4.5 Stars

Peter Pan has never really been one of my favorite classic stories. I know that some people have a lot of nostalgia from childhood for the Disney movie. Also, there have been so many spinoff and retellings of this story and the actual life of the author, that you know that it means a lot to a lot of people. As we are preparing to watch this with our kids for the first time, I figured I ought to check out the original so that I could get a real feel for where the story started.

At fi ...more

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Jan 02, 2009 Nicky rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-and-ya, fantasy, classics

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 14, 2011 Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: movie-seen, ebook, fairy-tales, mermaids, read-in-2016, sad, 5-star, childhood-nostalgia, coverartgraph, reviewed

“I suppose it's like the ticking crocodile, isn't it? Time is chasing after all of us.”

Beautifully written, hauntingly nostalgic, and adventure filled, Peter Pan is not a story that can be forgotten and that has made itself live on in childhood literature since its conception.

So many are familiar with the Disney version, a book and movie which highlights the fun and joyful adventures of youth as they escape a bedroom window and fly in the night to a hidden world rich with adventures. The origin ...more

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Jun 04, 2008 Brad rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: better-as-a-movie, children

I am not sure I can see why Peter Pan is such a beloved "classic." J.M. Barrie's story of the boy who wouldn't grow up just didn't reach me. And I read it aloud to 4 year old boy-girl twins.

Oh, they enjoyed it, and I may have bred a love for the story in them that will last (which could be exactly why the story has endured -- parental readings), but no matter how much they liked Peter Pan I could not see the appeal.

Wendy drove me crazy; Peter grew increasingly annoying; Hook bored me stiff; ther ...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Steph rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Firstly, let me make it clear that there is actually more than one J M Barrie 'Peter Pan' story (something that I did not initially realise). There is 'Peter Pan and Wendy,' which is the story we are all familiar with (immortalised - inaccurately - by Disney); there is 'Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens,' which tells the story of him as a baby with the lost boys when he was originally abandoned, (which I have not yet read) and then 'The Little White Bird' (which I have not read either), but is a s ...more

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Mar 11, 2017 James rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-fiction

Before I get into the review... it took me forever to go through all the editions of Peter Pan listed on Goodreads. While I suppose it's not too important to get the right version, I was shocked at how many there were, as well as that this was a longer series with multiple books. I guess I always knew that, but when I read it, it was just the Peter Pan book, which I believe was the third in the series. I could be wrong... nonetheless... wow... and it's review time and let's do some soaring...

The ...more

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Jun 26, 2013 Bionic Jean rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-and-ya, read-authors-a-b, classics, fantasy, 19th-century-ish, children-s-1900-1919

This edition of Peter Pan contains the text of J.M. Barrie’s 1911 novel, “Peter and Wendy”, which he wrote from his earlier play of 1904. The character of Peter Pan, the little boy who wouldn’t grow up, had already made an appearance in an earlier work by J.M. Barrie, “The Little White Bird” (1902). There continue to be many retellings of this magical story, and Peter is himself a timeless figure; one of the best-loved characters in children’s literature. There is maybe a little of Peter in ever ...more

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Jun 22, 2017 Sean Barrs rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 3-star-reads, children-of-all-ages

I’ve never really thought much to Peter Pan. I read it when I was very small and again in my late teens, though each time it didn’t particularly interest me. Sure, it was entertaining enough but that’s about it.

I’ve recently read Lost Boy by Christina Henry and the genius nature of her plot has made me reconsider the original work a little bit. She very cleverly tells the story from the perspective of Peter’s nemesis Hook. And coming from his point of view, it is Peter who is genuinely the one ...more

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Jun 25, 2014 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: children

"You need not be sorry for her. She was one of the kind that likes to grow up. In the end she grew up of her own free will a day quicker than the other girls."

I loved Wendy when I was little - I was a bit over two when I got to know her, so I probably knew I was going to grow up at some point too. And knowing what she chose, it was a deliberate choice in my case as well. Peter Pan is one of those many childhood classics I devoured, loved and cherished, only to put it aside and - seemingly - for ...more

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Aug 26, 2008 Andrew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

Third read: Still wonderful. A reflection on the child’s relation to Faërie and the evolution as you age. But more. This may be in fact a five-star but I am ever so stingy with fivers.

First read: I was surprised by this book in many good ways. I was expecting something that glorified the Child and its imagination, and perhaps cursed the unstoppable destruction of our Childinity. I was surprised to see this was not truly so. Barrie loves the Child, but he does not hide its foolishness, its selfis Third read: Still wonderful. A reflection on the child’s relation to Faërie and the evolution as you age. But more. This may be in fact a five-star but I am ever so stingy with fivers.

First read: I was surprised by this book in many good ways. I was expecting something that glorified the Child and its imagination, and perhaps cursed the unstoppable destruction of our Childinity. I was surprised to see this was not truly so. Barrie loves the Child, but he does not hide its foolishness, its selfishness, its ignorance. The Child in this is almost pre-moral. They have some understanding of villainy, but do not grasp the virtue of a hero. Barrie deems a key attribute to being a child as being heartless. All of this raises many points for potential argument and discussion and this is why this book so impressed me. Because I am still thinking about it.

It is interesting to think that Barrie was mostly a playwright because I highly enjoyed the playful narrative voice he employed and would mark it as one of my key delights of the book. I love a remarkable narrative voice, though I can't say it is entirely unique. However I may be judging it by its followers as opposed to its peers or master. Regardless, I was entertained and thus I applaud.

It should be noted that the sensibilities of this book are not those of today's children entertainment. Most notably, Barrie does not sidestep the fact that the lost boys actively seek to kill pirates. This goes back again to one of my earlier comments, but it may seriously affect the reader. This could bring up many discussions of its own: the place of killing in the imagination of a child, how a child views the struggle between good and evil when they perhaps can't properly discern the two, the distinction between our modern censorship and older standards and they why of all of that, and plenty of other things. However if a parent is looking for a book to read to their child, I just figured this should be brought up.

As an aside: for those who know the premise behind the comic series Fables, the writer originally intended for Peter Pan to be the Adversary only to find out that they didn't have rights to the character if they published in the UK. After reading this book I can totally see the interpretation he was going with. It makes for a fun idea. He would have obviously had to constructed the means of the Adversary differently, but Pan as a villain is not unbelievable after this book. ...more

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Apr 02, 2015 Kai Spellmeier rated it liked it · review of another edition

“To die will be an awfully big adventure.”

I didn't love this book as much as I wanted to. Peter Pan's world is this magical, wonderful, dangerous place full of adventures. One of those places every child wants to visit, exactly like Wendy and her brothers. Just open a window and fly away.
I read this book because 1. it's a classic and 2. because it's my friend's favourite book of all times. It was my duty to pick this up. But it wasn't completely what I imagined. The book wasn't as exciting, the ...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sweet-old-fashioned, read-2011, favorites-all-time, juvenile

Of course in the end, Wendy let them fly away together. Our last glimpse of her shows her at the window, watching them receding into the sky until they were as small as stars.

Reread in preparation for Neverland this coming weekend! ...more

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May 24, 2021 Bhavya rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: read-audiobook-2021, read-audiobook, read-2021, actual-morally-grey-characters, genre-classics, genre-middle-grade-or-younger, reviewed, genre-fantasy, dissapointments-of-2021, reviewed-2021

“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.”

~ Rating- 2 stars ~

Content/ Trigger Warnings- Blood, Death, Racism, Violence

-No mention of these in the review-

Peter Pan is a very well loved book. It is a beloved classic and I was really looking forward to enjoying it, but unfortunately it only left me disappointed.

Unlike most people, I've never watched the Disney version of Peter Pan. I don't have a specific reason as to why, but it never primari ...more

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Aug 18, 2017 Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-star, year-2017

Ever since I was a young girl, I've been obsessed with the musical performance of Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby (which you can view here on YouTube.) I don't think I've ever seen Disney's adaption because my mother & friends could not convince me that any other version in existence was worth watching.

As I've grown up (boooooo) I've really enjoyed the movie Hook, & didn't mind the concept behind the mini-series Neverland. However, nothing has ever stuck with me the way the musical did, and so I ...more

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Jan 11, 2021 Valliya Rennell rated it liked it

Shelves: d-classic, c-short-story, x-reviewed-books, a-2-75-stars, d-fantasy, b-middle-grade

2.75 stars

The Disney version of Peter Pan was one of my favorite childhood movies. After picking this original, literary version, I found myself very perplexed by the original tale. It isn't for everyone, and I don't think I was able to connect with it as much as some other people may, but I appreciated it nonetheless. We follow the Darling siblings, Michael, John, and (mainly) Wendy, as they are whisked off to Neverland by the mysterious boy called Peter Pan, who never wants to grow up. Upon re 2.75 stars

The Disney version of Peter Pan was one of my favorite childhood movies. After picking this original, literary version, I found myself very perplexed by the original tale. It isn't for everyone, and I don't think I was able to connect with it as much as some other people may, but I appreciated it nonetheless. We follow the Darling siblings, Michael, John, and (mainly) Wendy, as they are whisked off to Neverland by the mysterious boy called Peter Pan, who never wants to grow up. Upon reading this book I was amazed at some of the parallels and the importance of the theme of mothers to the story, however I wasn't as impressed by it as little me (or an older me) would have been.

This is one of those books where we get a bit of setting, plot, characters, but the major point of the story is themes. I, unfortunately am more of a character reader. Though I thought that Peter was an amazing character, perfectly showing the joy but also heartlessness and selfishness of children (their bipolarity in a sense) I didn't care about him or any of the other characters. Then we have the plot which was fun and heart-warming, but since I wasn't very invested in the characters, I wasn't interested in the plot by proxy. The setting was very interesting, and I loved the way it was presented in the beginning, but since I watched the Disney version so many times, I was kind of desensitised to it.

The themes were great, but I didn't really relate to them. Of course I related to the childhood elements, I lived through it not so long ago after all, but I found the themes of motherhood and of that motherly love to be much more prevalent. I am not a mother. I don't know if I want to be a mother. Seeing Wendy, such a young girl, being put into that position made me feel a bit... weird? At this point I've got no clue. I liked Captain Hook, the crocodile, Nana and all the other characters that not only show parallels to other characters but also the connections to the moment in history in which this was made. I did like this book! I thought it was juuust below good (factoring in my enjoyment of it; without enjoyment it would be much higher).

I respect this book. Just below 3 stars isn't a bad rating. Unfortunately, despite the wonderful themes, I didn't connect to anything and didn't love my time reading.

*book completed as part of the January Classics challenge ...more

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Books with male protagonists	1	2	Feb 05, 2022 09:26PM
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Play Book Tag: Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie (2 stars)	1	12	Sep 15, 2020 06:58PM
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About J.M. Barrie

J.M. Barrie

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Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan.

The son of a weaver, Barrie studied at the University of Edinburgh. He took up journalism, worked for a Nottingham newspaper, and contributed to various London journals before moving to London in 1885. His early works, Auld Licht Idylls (1889) and A Window in Thrums (188 ...more