Peter Pan
Ratings208
Average rating3.9
I didn't realize how selfish he was in the book. The movies make him look nice.
This was so........ weird. Breaking down the review into two parts because it's essentially two separate stories.
Some general notes:
The writing style was very bedtime story-ish. Had a strong personal feel to it, and it broke the 4th wall several times. The poetic prose could be pretty at times, but otherwise redundant for beating around the bush so much.
Peter Pan:
INCEST!!!!!!!!!!! That is the only word I can use to describe what I got out of this. I thought that the subtle flirting between Wendy and Peter was really cute, but I got really uncomfortable reading the story about halfway? Which probably made me drag the whole book.
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens:
A bit confusing to comprehend in the beginning, but after a while, things started to make sense. Nice imagination in this, and I liked how everything came full-circle in the end.
We read 2 chapters tonight and the language is WAY too advanced (and way too British) for my five-year-old. He is pretty interested in the idea of a boy who never grows up, however, and I am hoping that once it moves past the parents' stories that the adventure with Peter and the lost boys will maintain Charlie's interest. Because I really, really like this and this edition is absolutely gorgeous.
I have never read the real book before this, but I did know the famous first line of it (“All children, except one, grow up.”) Reading this first line and opening chapter as an adult and a parent was simultaneously heartwrenching and thrilling.
I tried reading [b:Peter Pan 34268 Peter Pan J.M. Barrie https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1337714526s/34268.jpg 1358908] 15 years ago and could not get past the first chapter. Listening to the audio book helped me not only finish the book, but actually enjoy it.
The book is a little different from the Disney version everybody is used to. A bit more violent here and there but it was very interesting to read the original.
A fantastic, magical tale where reality and fantasy mix together to create fun-filled classic adventure that we all know and love. I loved the introduction that was in my edition, by Jack Gantos, “But it is up to you, Reader, to make a Neverland of your own. Make it now, while you are young, close your eyes and travel to a place full of adventure, where you are forever joyous and selfish and as much a part of nature as the animals and birds and trees... That is the real truth of Peter Pan. He is the living imagination we all want. So read this book and take it into your heart. Let the lesson of Peter Pan be a lesson from one youth to another, and you will never grow old.”
So glad I read this classic story.
Basically I can see why people would have nostalgia about this book, and the appeal of it as a classic children's tale; but, for someone coming into it in adulthood it was just a bit above average.
It was a good book for what it is just not something that excited me.
All these years I've travelled far away from the Peter Pan phenomenon, from Disney to the numerous movies inspired by the novel (the only thing I remember is that great attraction in Disneyland Paris where you're surrounded by stars and you fly in the Jolly Roger - but I think I digress). I still don't understand how I could have avoided such a masterpiece at school, or how nobody ever told me before to put down my cartoons and go read something that important.
Everything involved here is so beautifuly approached that I'm still emotional trying to explain myself. This is the kind of story which can follow you decades after, not only thanks to the writers' extraordinary writing style but also because of its poetry and the scope of its morality.
“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.”
I didn't realize what a funny book this would be. My favorite character is George darling Wendy Michael and John's father he is hilarious. I also enjoyed Nana's character. This is such an imaginative story.
Wow. So sweet, tragic, cunningly funny, and heartwarming. Since this is technically a children's story, I didn't expect this to be as detailed as it was! I also didn't expect to cry. Really enjoyed this.
So glad that I finally read this!
The ending made me so sad. I guess it is happy, but it's still rather heartbreaking. D:
This is the first time I read Peter Pan and I quite enjoyed it, though I believe I am too grown up and seem to have forgotten how to fly.
I recommend to everyone with kids, it's really heart warming.
Summary: The three children of the Darling family—Wendy, John, and Michael—find themselves going on a series of impossible adventures in the magical world of Neverland after meeting Peter Pan, the boy who never grows old. Peter is the leader of a band of “lost boys” who are constantly at war with Captain Hook and his pirate crew.
The book is, in many ways captivating and wonderfully weird, but it has a much darker side to it than the Disney movie would suggest, part of which comes from the racial and gender-based prejudices that are present in the writing. I found the book simultaneously repulsive and entrancing.
Well, I cried, I laughed, and I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I can’t wait to read it to my children. I just want to thank J.M. Barrie for this timeless work. If you have any little ones, do yourself a favor and grab Peter Pan for bedtime reading, and go on the adventure to Neverland.
First time I've read the original. It's wonderful! FYI to parents though, there are a few problematic bits (for example the “redskins”) but don't let that stop you. Wonderful story and better than the Disney version. Tim Curry at narrator was also awesome (as he always is).
A profoundly beautiful book.
I had never read this before, only knew it from the Disney movie. On the surface the two seem pretty similar but it takes a while to realise just how much is changed by those small alterations.
The innocent cruelty of Peter, the vague adolescent attraction, the extended ending. It all works to build this intensely touching story both honouring the joyful imagination of youth while at the same time showing how one day, it's nice to grow up.
Perfect.
Challenge: Read a classic Read a book by an author you've never read before
This book was OK.
The concept of Neverland was interesting but it wasn't developed enough, in my opinion. I liked Barrie's comments for the most part, as it seemed he was actually with me while reading. However, towards the end, his comments began to be not only annoying but completely unnecessary since he started spoiling the several details of the conclusion of the story
My main concern was Peter, actually. I found Peter to be very annoying and selfish, which made me not want to root for him and justify Hook's anger towards him a bit. There were no redeeming features in him that justified the obsession the girls and the lost boys had with him. I also hated that he forgot everything that had happened to him, especially the fact that he forgot Tinker Bell, who saved his life several times.
I was expecting more, as it is considered one of the most beloved children's stories.
I read this book for the first time when I was a lot younger, and I never understood the gravity of the ending until now. Reading it this time around, I wasn't all that impressed with the first 90% of the book. It was the same old story I'd heard many times before and seen in the movies, and it was cute and reminiscent of my childhood, but nothing huge. The last chapter, however, was different. It was much heavier and more realistic. It's hard to put into words, but Barrie somehow perfectly captures the nostalgia and pain of growing up without saying it directly. The last chapter was so bittersweet and sad but still very good and it stuck with me and made up for the rest of the book.
This one is kind of a mixed bag for me. I don't think I've ever read something so whimsical. There were SO many little details throughout that I absolutely loved and contributed so much to building this wonderful little world. The ending was also really sweet and beautiful, but man was it a challenge getting there. There was just so much of the book I didn't need... and it's not a long book.
Overall, I do think this is a special story, it just didn't really work for me.
When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.
After reading Alice's Adventures in wonderland , and now Peter Pan , i discovered that children's fairy tales are the best kind fantasy books. they are so pure and charming and beautiful and i waanna Read Them Aaaaaaaall !.
my favorite thing about this book was definitely Peter Pan's personality .he's brave and smart yet pure and amazingly cute . i just adored him