Peter Pan

Find this review and more at On The Shelf!I absolutely LOVE Tinkerbell, and I am ashamed to say I had never readPeter Panonly seen the Disney version, so I decided to change that and grabbed the audiobook from the library. I thought it was so good and I am glad I finally decided to read it. The language is much different from nowadays of course, but it was still really great. Well-written and very fun, Barrie created a marvelous story for kids and adults. The Neverland world is so creative and must have been such a pleasure for Barrie to write. A little bit of the humor slipped by me since it was written so long ago, but not much. I really enjoyed the reader as well, especially when he did the classic nasally Captain Hook voice we all know so well! The characters were really great as well. The lost boys were adorable and Peter was so stubborn. The only character I really didn’t care much for was the father because he was so incredibly whiny and at one point argued with the youngest child just like a little kid. I liked the way the story ended and I even saw a bunch of references from the movie Hook that I never knew were from the book. If you like classics, this is a must read book! Fun, well-written, wonderful classic, fast read, one for my library!

This was so fun to read, my introduction to Peter Pan was in 1955 when Mary Martin did the TV presentation. This follows what I remember of the TV performance as I remember it. It brought back so many nice memories.

3.5

This was better than I expected. The ending brought it all full circle. A nice little touching piece with the theme of childhood intertwining with the yarn.

23 (re-read) Peter Pan or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up, by J. M. Barrie. This was on Starrett's 1955 list of "books which will live", and I forgot to check my list of books read and so read it. It seemed so familiar, but I did not think I had actually read it. But I did--tho probably not in play form, as this was. It is so saccharine, I really cannot say as an adult it is worth reading. (read Aug. 8, 1998)

Although the story was very familiar to me, I don’t recall ever reading the book before. I saw the Mary Martin version on TV as a child. It struck me this time around how odd the plot is, with everyone expecting Wendy to assume the role of mother to Peter and the Lost Boys. Things have changed in the century since this book was written. Infant and child mortality was a lot higher in the early 20th century than it is now. Women’s mortality from childbirth (or other causes) was also a lot higher then. Children who had lost their mothers, or who had friends or relations who had lost their mothers, might see themselves among the motherless children of Neverland. The story may not resonate with 21st century children in the same way, and that’s a good thing.

I knew the basic story of Peter Pan; still, I was a little surprised at just how dark the book is. I loved the writing style, and the adventure and excitement, but the ending and Peter in general made me sad.I tried to read this with my 6-year-old, but had a hard time keeping his interest. He loved the illustrations and interactive elements of this gorgeous edition.

I've always loved the story of Peter Pan and finally got around to reading the book. I think that it brought out the character of Peter more than I was used to and I really enjoyed that.

Maybe I would have enjoyed this book more if I'd read it as a child, but as an adult I found it just annoyed me, tremendously, especially the character of Peter. I think this is one case in which the Disney adaption was better than the source. Seriously.

About 50 years ago I saw the Broadway show starring Sandy Duncan as Peter Pan. It was much better than the book! 176 pages 3 stars

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie is the classical tale of Peter Pan that boy who could not grow up and his adventures in Neverland with Wendy, lost boys, Tinkerbell and Captain Hook. The book have beautiful illustration throughout and is written like a beginners chapter book The first chapters of Peter Pan begins with Peter Pan visiting Wendy, John and Michael Darling, later with Tinkerbell who help the children fly with the help of fairy dust to Neverland . In Neverland the children met the Lost Boys, the Natives and Captain Hook and set sail on a fun adventure. The theme of this book is childhood and imagination which is shown through the character Peter Pan.

I was pleased with how close this is to the stage play (a favorite of my childhood). After Peter Pan in Kensington Park, I expected this to suck. Color me pleasantly surprised.

I probably don't need to say much about this one, right? Classic vintage children's fare: a charismatic yet dangerous young main character, a small army of assorted children, lots of adventures, some dubious attitudes towards women and Native Americans, a dose of tongue-in-cheek humour and plenty of magic. I actually really enjoyed it!

This was a tough one to read aloud. I read the book, to myself, several years ago but didn't really remember it all. If I had, I don't think I would have chosen to read it aloud. The first few chapters were rather boring and very old-fashioned. Once Peter entered the picture, the story picked up and ds became interested. But then once again, the narrative would seem to just go on and on about nothing until something happened in the plot every once and a while. I found the writing very didactic, conceited and smug and just downright difficult to read out loud. I could just imagine the author chuckling at how witty he thought himself. I have to say the 7yo enjoyed this much more than I. I asked him twice (once near the beginning and once at the mid-point) if he'd like me to stop reading this book and he said no. So he, at least, got something out of it. I have always enjoyed reading the classics to my children but have to say this is one that has not stood the test of time very well.

When I began reading Peter Pan, I was stunned at how much children's literature has changed since this book was written. I actually felt uncomfortable reading it to my kids. The author seems very much convinced that children should be seen and not heard, and the book says things like, "Children are such naughty creatures; they are selfish and only care for themselves. They should be thankful that adults are willing to love them." Well, that's paraphrasing, but these are the sorts of ideas the book puts forth. However, I don't think this book should be forgotten. It's a treasure of classic literature because it truly is an enchanting and wonderful tale. I recommend it for those who wish to expand their knowledge of classic literature, but not for a parent searching for a read-aloud bedtime tale.

In this classic tale of the boy who never grows old Wendy, is whisked away to Neverland to become the mother of aband of lost boys. She faces many adventures and dangers as she tries to take care of this group of rowdy boys. Great book.

The most beautiful, delicately illustrated, unabridged edition I've ever seen. No need to comment on the content. Everyone knows how wonderful the story is.

Having been a fan of Peter all my life since listening to the Mary Martin musical soundtrack at a tender age, I am surprised that it took me so long to actually read the original, unabridged story. It is, as an actor from the most recent film version put it, "The most famous book nobody's ever read."I find the book incredible...besides sheer entertainment value and a magical quality that will keep the kids mesmerized, it is packed with odd psychological symbolism that many adults will recognize as the author's venting of his own childhood traumas. A brief look into Barrie's bio makes a lot of the stranger things in Pan far more understandable, if undoubtedly tragic. Barrie does have a rather flippant way of engaging the reader, teasing and goading much the same way as his mischeivous, conscience-less hero. But he also writes with poetic beauty, filling his characters with rich and quirky descriptive elements such as Peter being somehow very like the unnattainable kiss Mrs. Darling keeps in the right-hand corner of her mouth (which only he is then able to get). The book does betray the social conventions of its time in Wendy's attitude toward motherhood (which is only problematic if you are a raving feminist) and a bit more uncomfortably in its depiction of the Indian culture on Neverland. These elements need not detract from the story if one is careful to put them in context for its young readers. The recent film adaptation, although closest of all the films in its adherence to character, is misleading in its interpretation of the story being about the sexual awakening of adolescence. The hidden theme of the book is overwhelmingly the innocence of childhood - innocence in the sense not of inherent goodness, but in inherent un-self-consciousness. Peter is a symbol of eternal childhood, not human at all, and as such is incapable of reciprocating or even understanding Wendy's budding romantic notions. He is selfish, but not self-aware. Ultimately, he is the lament of one man who lost his own mother too soon, and consequently never grew up himself. Be assured, however, that all this goes right over the heads of young readers, and even adults will only catch it by reading critically and analytically. Brilliant literature that deserves its place as a long-beloved children's classic

I read this book somewhat late in life, simply because I thought it was a children's book. Not that I am against reading children's literature, but I really thought that I was too old for this book. Man, was I wrong! This book is actually very adult. Peter's life, how he will always be a child, and will always be alone, made me cry. And the illustrations in this particular edition were gorgeous.

This was a lot of fun to read. Much better and very different than the Disney version or any of the other Hollywood attempts, predictably.

The story of the boy who never grows up. Having listened to Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson's wonderful prequels to Peter Pan (Peter and the Star Catchers and Peter and the Shadow Theives), I wanted to listen to the original - I never had. Well, I really didn't like it. The reader was good, but Peter is a little brat. I think Disney improved on Peter.

Because Peter Pan is such a well loved, well (over?) produced story, everyone knows the basic plot: three kids unhappy with the way their father has treated the family dog run away with an orphan boy to his Neverland (not to be confused with Michael's Never Land Ranch). Peter and his Lost Boys are looking for a mother and they think they have such a figure in Wendy, one of the Darling children. It's a magical adventure full of danger in the form of pirates, "redskins" and a ticking crocodile. Even the fairies and mermaids are not to be trusted.Upon rereading Peter Pan I was surprised by how slow the story moved in certain sections. Because of the glossed-over, dumbed-down, glitzed-up theater/movie/storybook versions that have popped up over the years I had forgotten Barrie's original 1911 language and long since deleted details. It was hard to picture reading this aloud to a young child. Peter Pan seemed slightly evil (being described as cunning and sly), Tink seemed downright dirty as she responded to her own jealousy over Wendy (gleefully leading Wendy to her death). True to fairy tale form, it does have a happy ending. Sort of.

No wonder this book is a classic. It is a brilliant story about a boy who never grew up.It is a tiny bit hard to read and a little confusing at parts, but if you read it through you will be glad you did.

still one of my favorite light reads. great book for anyone :D

I obviously knew the story but never actually read the J.M. Barrie original until recently and was pleasantly surprised by what a great read it was. I think we tend to think of classic stories as known, boring and old-fashioned not realizing that there are reasons they became classics. The writing, as well as the story, of Peter Pan are magical weaving the reader into the story with the narration that is lyrical, witty and engaging. Tim Curry's reading on the audiobook is a treat. He plays the roles of narrator and characters well drawing listeners in to the magical story.

I loved the beginning and end of this book, with the poignant reflections on the pain both of letting children grow up and of losing them before they're grown, but feel uncertain about the middle. I remembered pretty quickly why I stopped reading this aloud to my daughter when she was four or five when the Lost Boys shot Wendy out of the sky.

The whole thing is just so violent, what with killing pirates and being eaten by crocodiles and Tinkerbell's homicidal jealousy of Wendy. My inclination is to shy away from the book because of this, but when I sat and really thought about it, it's really a sort of childish violence. It reads like the kinds of games my otherwise nonviolent children play together around the house as they work out the intense emotions of childhood and try to make sense of their world.

This book reminds me that my own kids have the same kind of melodramatic, violent imaginary play going on as they pretend to hunt and skin animals and protect their couch cushion fort from enemies. I think I feel uncomfortable with the book because I've not figured out just how to reconcile my own children's sometimes not-so-peaceloving playtime themes.

Well, whatever my own hangups are with the book, my kids enjoyed it. I can psychoanalyze myself on my own time.

A fun re-read, which had everything to do with the book being offered for free as an e-read, watching the "Once Upon a Time" Peter Pan subplot on Netflix , and reminiscing about my childhood, and nothing to do with the rather dreadful redo of the play that aired while reading this. I just can't unseen Christopher Walken's Captain Hook being carried off stage left by his band of pirates. I'd forgotten how much fun Barrie's language is, and how charmingly the story tells itself.

An odd little book. Short and sweet, but with some quite dark images. The character of Peter is very well imagined.

Plot: 3 stars
Characters: 3 stars
Style: 3 stars
Pace: 3 stars

Had a review, logging out by mistake ate it. Better than The Little White Bird only because the plot didn't meander quite as far at random, but not what I'd thought it would be. Disney definitely sanitized this, but instead of being shocked, all I could see was how weak Wendy constantly was. She could have been a puppet, for all the difference it made, being nothing more than a "mother" Mary figure. Still, it served the purpose it needed to for the story, so... there's that, at least.

A children's classic, much beloved by thousands of kids who have never even read the book (thanks to Disney and Tinkerbell). I finally got around to reading it and discovered that, unsurprisingly, the story was much more complex than the cartoon movie version might lead you to believe. We learn a lot more about the Darling family, including the mother and father who are just caricatures in the Disney version, and the theme of not wanting to grow up is fleshed out as Barrie examines the pros and cons of staying forever young. Peter Pan is at once the light-hearted and mischievous imp we all love, but he is also tragic in his eternal youth. Did you ever wonder what happened to the Lost Boys? Or what the family reunion was like when Wendy and her brothers finally return home? Or what became of Wendy as she inevitably grew older? Read the original to find out.The illustrations in this particular edition are gorgeous, one reason I sprang the extra money for a hardcover book. They capture the charm and wonder of Neverland, the whimsy of the story. A wonderful story on both fronts, and well deserving of being called a classic. *On a side note, I believe that the recent live action film version does a much better job of capturing the original spirit of the story.

I re-read this recently, and it was actually much better than I'd remembered from my childhood.