Review: Peter Pan

My rating: 4 stars

This book was read as part of a YouTube readalong with Jen Campbell (@aeroplanegirl)  and is ongoing until the end of August 2016.

Well I have just completed reading this and I have to say it is 

far from the hearts and roses pastel Disney version most 

readers grew up with as a child and would anticipate. 

To be honest at 41 you may be wondering why I chose to 

read this book and it is for two reasons, 

primarily I wanted to extend my reading of classics and 

secondly take part in my first YouTube readalong hosted by 

Jen Campbell during August 2016. 

I am in no way literary far from it and trying to write this 

review is somewhat reminiscent of my misplaced education.

Despite both loving reading assignments and writing fiction 

(of a loose sort) in my brain I am not a deep thinker to the 

intricacies put before me in some written texts until it is 

pointed out to me with a glowing arrow.

In this instance however, I found the the darkness in the 

narration of the story to be a welcome change from bright 

pastel colours and bursting into song.

I found Peter himself to be far from loveable a manipulative 

and cruel individual who lies to both the lost boys and 

Wendy for his own means.  Tinks character however dark is 

masterful and I love the honesty portrayed in her jealousy 

and behaviour towards Wendy.

The darkness of the scenes on Neverland are equally 

unanticipated more from knightmare than dream.  The scary 

loss of memory experienced by all its residents, the dark 

behaviour and lack of moral judgement portrayed not only by 

Pan but by his Lost Boys towards violence.

There is also a somewhat narcissistic way in which   

J.M.Barrie portrays parenthood which makes me want to 

research into his life further and gain where he got the idea 

for the book.  His treatment of women is very much of the 

time the book was written and therefore I don't think 

intentionally meant to be belittling of women, or so you 

would think initially.  The ending however, opened my eyes 

to the era's subjugation and servitude of women and the 

hereditory nature of the women's place in the home at that 

time.

I would recommend this books to lovers of the Pan of your 

youth or a new lover of classics.  It has not tarnished my 

happy Disney experiences of a child, just enlightened me to 

a new Neverland in my adult life.

Enjoy for now

Em