| |||||||||||||||
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Fun,
This review is from: Peter Pan (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)
This was an interesting book, full of adventure but also has a more serious side about the need to grow up and grow in wisdom. It makes us realize the consequences of our actions and also the importance of family and friends. The questions it left unanswered for me were: -What school is it that Hook went to? What is known for its slouch and walk? -The question of fairies that are unsure of their sex? Androgynous like angels? -Forget fairies and you kill them the power of naming or unnaming A great read for children of all ages, and if you like Peter Pan then check out Capt. Hook: The Adventures of a Notorious Youth by J.V. Hart for an introduction to Hook as a young man. (First written as Journal Reading Notes in 1999.)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly.",
This review is from: Peter Pan (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)
Everybody knows and loves Peter Pan -- the immortal, flying imp who lives in a floating otherworld, battles pirates, and never has to grow up.
And J.M. Barrie's classic tale "Peter Pan" really hasn't lost any of its charm, although those who have only seen the Disney movie may be shocked at how dark it can be at times. It's a strange, whimsical little story with a bittersweet edge, but it also reminds you about the allure of never growing up... even if it is necessary. Young Wendy Darling is woken by a strange boy in her room, who has lost his shadow. That boy is Peter Pan, a flying boy from Neverland who regularly eavesdrops at her house because he likes the bedtime stories her mother tells. Since Wendy ALSO knows bedtime stories (and can potentially "make pockets"), Peter whisks Wendy and her brothers Michael and John off to Neverland. However, Neverland is not a place devoid of dangers -- there is a pirate ship there (don't as me how; if it's explained, I don't remember), led by the villainous Captain Hook. Hook is constantly trying to kill Peter and his Lost Boys, and it doesn't take long for Wendy and the other boys to be captured. Can Peter save them from his archnemesis? Children are "innocent and heartless" by nature, and it feels like "Peter Pan" was a homage to that -- it's a childish romp in a fantasyland, where kids can fly, fight pirates and have strange little adventures. Nobody really thinks about the families that are undoubtedly freaking out, or the lives they'll miss out on. And really, that's part of its charm. It's a fluffy little fantasy story that could have been transcribed out of any child's imagination, with a colorful array of characters who could have been taken out of a Victorian kid's imaginary games (mermaids I understand, but why are there American Indians here? HOW did they get there?). And Barrie spins out this story in the slightly twee style of Victorian kids' fiction, with lots of details and some charming scenes (the Lost Boys actually build a house AROUND WENDY). It gets a little cutesy at times (fairies are generated by.... baby laughter?) and the handling of the Indians is just horrible, but otherwise it's a fairly charming book. But it's also darker than you would expect -- Tinkerbell tricks the Lost Boys into trying to kill Wendy, and at first it looks like she's managed. And Peter almost DIES. For real. Not to mention the final chapter, which is a giant lump of bittersweet. Peter himself is a strangely enchanting figure -- he's almost like a lost Greek god, with a capricious ever-changing nature. And no matter what, you can never catch him or pin him down. As such, most of the other characters don't quite stand out as much, but they're all pleasantly handled -- particularly the three "normal" kids who are all too happy to go to Neverland, until they feel like going home again. "Peter Pan" takes you briefly back into the experience of being a small child, when you can easily imagine yourself going anywhere at all while still staying "innocent and heartless." It has some flaws, but is charming nonetheless
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic, without a doubt,
By Eric S. Kim (Southern California) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Peter Pan (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)
This is, without a doubt, a spectacular classic in children's literature. Everything that is well-known about it remains intact: Captain Hook and the ticking crocodile, the Mermaid Lagoon, Tiger Lily, Nana, etc.
Those who have seen the Disney film adaptation will see that the original novel is much darker and far more detailed. Although the basic structure of the story remains the same, the novel is far from being Disneyesque. I won't go into further details, but I will recommend Barrie's original work to those who have seen the Disney film. You'll probably prefer this over the animated movie, or not. I know I did when I finished reading it. Grade: A
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
See all 57 books this book cites
See all 100 books citing this book
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
|
|
