Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Title: Peter Pan
Author: J.M. Barrie
Genre: Literary Classic
How I got the book: I bought it

Summary (from Amazon):

Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A mischievous boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang, the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Native Americans, fairies, pirates, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside of Neverland. In addition to two distinct works by Barrie, the character has been featured in a variety of media and merchandise, both adapting and expanding on Barrie’s works.

My Review (may contain spoilers):

Peter Pan was always my favorite growing up. I loved the idea of a silly boy never growing up in a magical place such as Neverland–and he can fly. How cool is that?

Of course I grew up only knowing the cartoon Disney movie version. I never really knew the original story.

I’ve always wanted to read the original and it wasn’t too long ago that I was at my local bookstore and the book caught my eye. I bought it on a whim because it was calling to me. I read it in a day, being such a short tale.

As I read the story, I realized that the Disney movie wasn’t too far off the money with the old classic. I knew Disney made the story “lighter” and more kid-friendly. The original certainly was darker. For example, when Wendy is flying through the air and Tinkerbell tells the Lost Boys to shoot down the “Wendy Bird,” they don’t miss in the book. They actually strike her with an arrow.

However, being a darker story is really the only main difference between the book and movie. I was surprised just how well the Disney movie remained true to the original story.

Jane, Wendy’s daughter, was even mentioned in the book. The ending was bittersweet, but it was a happy ending.

I loved reading the original story of where my fictional boyfriend came from. It was a short, easy read. The language was also easy to understand despite the time period.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie gets 5 out of 5 stars.

Favorite Quote:

“To die will be an awfully big adventure.” –J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

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