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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Great review -wonderful take on an old classic. I think it’s worth revisiting a lot of the stories behind the Disney movies!
Definitely! It’s always good to go back to the story’s roots.
Have you heard of Unhooked by Lisa Maxwell? I haven’t read it, but it seems like your kind of read!
Is that the new one that’s coming out soon? Or maybe it just came out? I saw it on Goodreads not too long ago. I think I added it to my TBR list, lol.
I’ve never seen this anywhere!
It randomly caught my eye in my bookstore. It’s a small, thin book. So it kind of hides on the shelves.
Mmm what section was it in?
Adult fiction, in my bookstore. Literary fiction I think.
Interesting to know it’s darker, I like that I think Disney needs to inject a little more grit and realism these days
Yes, but I think the cartoons are classic.
Nice review! It is a good read and the ending is indeed a bit bitter sweet. Kind of left me with mixed feelings! Check out my thoughts on the book if you like 🙂 https://sarareadsliterature.wordpress.com/2016/03/12/this-story-never-gets-old/
Thank you! Peter Pan is the best, in my opinion. 🙂
Peter Pan is one of my favorite classic literary fiction. I really like what Peter said to Wend: “You just think lovely wonderful thoughts, and they lift you up in the air.”
It’s a great story, I agree. 🙂
This is a great article. Thank you for sharing this with me on Twitter. 🙂
Anytime. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂