Customer Reviews

Peter Pan: The Original Story

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Peter Pan is the timeless classic everyone has grown up to. It has been passed down from generation to generation but it all started with one man, J. M. Barrie. When anyone tells the story of Peter Pan most adults don't think it is suitable for them. They think that it is simply a children's story and always will be. However, Barrie made sure that this story would be appropriate for all ages. Some of the language might be a bit difficult for the youngest range but the context helps to figure out a funny word or two. It appeals to the older range because of the layers it conceals. Behind each game they play is a message. Hidden under each smile Wendy gives to Peter is her hidden kiss. However, this story relates mostly to teenagers as they are going through the stage of growing up. Just days before I read Peter Pan I thought of how nice it would be to be free of homework and school. I thought how wonderful it would be to grow up and be independent. After reading this story, and seeing it exactly how Barrie told it, I don't want to grow up as much as Peter Pan and Wendy don't want to. I first heard the story, from seeing the movie, at a very young age, probably around the time I was 2 or 3. Disney tried hard to incorporate everything from the book but they didn't get every meaning or all the symbolism. For example, Mrs. Darling and Wendy Darling both have a hidden kiss. This kiss is hidden under the right hand corner of their mouths and only their true love can find it. Because Mr. Darling can't find Mrs. Darling's kiss, perhaps Barrie is trying to say that although she loves Mr. Darling dearly, he isn't her true love. Barrie fills his book with the perfect amount of detail and color. Children don't get bored because there is too much and adults don't need any more. At one point in the story, Barrie writes about the adventures at the lagoon. "If you shut your eyes and are a lucky one, you may see at times a shapeless pool of lovely pale colours suspended in the darkness; then if you squeeze your eyes tighter, the pool begins to take shape, and the colours become so vivid that with another squeeze they must go on fire." It is work like this that captures the reader and makes them never put the book down. The action and the drama are another reason such a wide age range is attached to this story. The lost boys go on countless raids and enticing adventures that children can only dream about. The love story between Peter and Wendy thickens throughout the entire book and we don't know till the end whether the Darlings will return home to England or stay in Neverland forever. Barrie does such an incredible job with the characters I felt I had met each one personally. John and Michael are as adorable as ever, Captain Hook as evil, Tinkerbell as envious, Peter as cocky and Wendy as in love. Though the title expresses that the story is about Peter Pan, I think one of Barrie's hidden messages was that it was really Wendy's story. Peter Pan can meet many more pirates and have many more adventures but Wendy only had that one time with him. She could only be his mother, or possibly his only love, once in her life. She was supposed to go back to Neverland every spring to do Peter's spring cleaning but he forgot almost every year. Barrie might have been trying to show how forgetful little boys are. He also might have been trying to show Peter's denial that Wendy might grow up. If Peter didn't go back then Wendy might not grow up. If he didn't go back he wouldn't be reminded that he lost the love of his life. Barrie did a phenomenal job with this story. His ideas make you wonder why we have to grow up and why none of us have ever been able to see Tink's glow, outside of our dreams. This book is suitable for all ages and the only thing that could make it even better were if we could be in the story ourselves.

"Peter Pan," or by its original title, "Peter and Wendy," when considered in its entirety is a grand read for an adult. The key to its enjoyment is the realization that all spoken and written words are metaphor. For even when words sit closely to reality they are not, and cannot be, the actual things they represent. They are signs! And sometimes they are signs of things not readily apparent and requiring work. Imagination is needed. And that is why all written words are fiction regardless of category, for even as they reach toward reality they are not themselves the same reality. It is a very interesting philosophical concept. The answer is found in Tolstoy's definition of art.

J.M. Barrie uses his story to attack certain English pretensions and inane formalities at the beginning of the twentieth century, life by rote being one, but "Peter Pan" is primarily about the mind and world of a child. The adults in the story are childhood concepts, as are the animals, water, earth, weather and sky. Childhood has no chronological border even though concentrated at the beginning of our lives, for it is perfectly capable of coming back now and again. Mine does. I hope yours does too, for if childhood never comes back the result might be insanity. And if it never leaves that too might bring madness.

I think that the most important lesson of "Peter Pan" is the final description of Captain Hook near the end of the story, not of his physicality, but of his character. It might very well be a reading child's first realization that we are good and we are bad, at the same time, every damn one of us, and that our sharing of such disparate qualities is cause for love and compassion.

"James Hook, thou not wholly unheroic figure, farewell."

That night Peter cries in his sleep. Is he crying for Hook? I say yes, I hope so.

Perhaps the book's second most important lesson is found in the last chapter's picture of time rolling on and on, children replacing adults replacing children, over and over, again and again. As Barrie writes it, "When Margaret grows up she will have a daughter, who is to be Peter's mother in turn; and so it will go on, so long as children are gay and innocent and heartless."

Yes, "heartless," for that's just as much a part of being a child as the other two adjectives. "Peter Pan" is sprinkled with truths that are downplayed these days by too many adults trying like hell to avoid conflict. But children are too innocent for such tactics, for truth comes natural to them. Children are perfectly capable of creating their own self-esteem at the drop of a hat, or the tinkle of a faerie bell.

-----Joseph A. Psarto, Westlake, Ohio

Like "Tarzan of the Apes", I picked this up on a whim. It was only a dollar in a discount bin, so what the heck, right? Turns out to be a wonderful book, magical in a way that no movie can ever truly touch. And I generally prefer movies to books.

So what makes it so terrific? It's hard to explain unless you read it. Sufficient to say that it's much darker, much more fantastic, and just plain better than any version you've seen before though I've never seen the play so I can't say anything bad about that. Disney's animated film is a pale, pale immitation, and the recent live action version, while much better, still doesn't stand up against the book.

I think the narration is what won me over. The writer actually addressed the reader directly quite often, giving the sense of hearing a story, not just reading it. And every so often, the writer even whispers a thing or two to the characters in the story that should be silly but comes across as charming and whimsical.

But be warned. This is a dark story too. Not too dark, but more than the uninformed would expect from Peter Pan. But this is a classic for a reason, and if you're looking for a good story told well, you should definitely give it a look.

At its center, the story of Peter Pan is at once enchanting for boys and girls alike. The thought of being able to fly, to never grow up, much less grow old or the ability to thwart parental power by exploring never, never land where there is total freedom for enjoyment as well as the thrill of conquerable challenges by the guardianship of angelic magic in the form of Tinker Bell. But beneath the surface, Peter Pan is ultimately a lesson about growing up and having to take responsibility for one's actions, all the while wishing the opposite. For most children, the transition comes with age, and with good parental guidance; for others, sadly, it comes not at all. For those who are unable to make the transition and prefer to stay in the fantasy world of never, never land, heartache is bound to come, for it not Wendy, another love would be lost, which men are conditioned to accept and ignore, forever foreclosing the opportunity for the emotional intimacy they truly want and need, and the excitement of being able to share the wondrous world with someone who honors their effort and is inspired by their love and commitment. The story of Peter Pan is the definitive analysis of males at the point of transition where love and life intersect, and the choice they must make for themselves. It is a story about male commitment, whether that is possible, and for what reason, the ability to make the intellectual adjustment of self control to capture the joys of adult life, the vision to depart from never, never land to accommodate the transition, and the coping mechanisms they must make to do so. It is the ultimate "cliff walk" for men, hence, the analogy of the prospect of "walking the plank before Captain Hook" and whether or not the Wendy they save might be their own salvation, the one to whom they can commit with trust and safety. It is a story of men falling in love or not and whether they are able to appreciate giving up the toys of childhood for mature relationships.

After watching "Finding Neverland" I decided to pick up a copy of the original story of Peter Pan. Simply put: its not the Disney version...its way better. Although much more gruesome than one would expect for a supposed "children's" book, the story of Peter Pan is exciting and fantastic, a journey on level with today's Harry Potter. What other story would you get an insanely jealous fairy named Tinkerbell (who knew?), a charmingly irritating boy who never grew up, and some brats named Wendy, John, and Michael who decided to embark on a journey other kids would drool over while leaving their parents worried sick? Throw in a couple of lost boys, a tick-tocking crodile, and the occassional pirate and "redskin" and you've got yourself one the best fantasies that your imagination has ever seen. I especially love the way the story is written, with Barrie writing as if he's telling it right next to you, infusing the occassional thought or rant in the midst of describing Peter's adventures. Its beautifully done, with sophistication adults would appreciate and some plain 'ole fun kids would love. Parents may object to all the talk of killing and so forth but past all that, you've simply got yourself a great book. I definitely recommmend it and wish there was a sequel.

As a child I wasnt to keen on reading. I avoided it at all costs. I read sparknotes and watched the movie(which is not always the best thing to do) instead of actually reading the book. Any time I got to choose what I read I would always choose something easy. Thats how I came across Peter Pan.
In 8th grade we had to choose a book, from a list that was given to us, to take a test on. I saw Peter Pan and thought it would be easy enough. I was actually dreading the fact that i had to read it.
But I swear as soon as I actually sat down and began to read it I was hooked. I couldn't put it down. The words just drag you in. You get lost in the language. The book keeps many things simple for children but yet there is a lesson for adults as well. It actually shocked me after I finished reading it that it was considered a childrens book.
I highly recommend this book to any one who thinks they hate reading.

It doesn't surprise me particularly that the book "Peter Pan" (or, as it was originally titled, "Peter Pan and Wendy") is not read very often by children. Today kids have their Peter Pan animated movies, live action movies, television shows (of which the less said the better), musicals, stage plays, and what have you. There are a million different versions of the story out there, so it's no wonder the children feel that they don't need to read the original tale. I myself read it for the first time just now at the ancient age of 26, though I had been warned away from it many times. I knew about its more peculiar aspects (for example, that whole business involving Mrs. Darling's "kiss") so these didn't always shock or surprise me. They just weirded me out from time to time. What really did catch me unawares though was the wit in the book. This tale has its peculiarities, no question. But it also has amazing snatches of excellent writing. I just wish it had more of the latter and less of the former.

As every good schoolchild knows (or is liable to learn from Disney) Peter Pan is the boy who does not age. Living in Neverland, a kind of ageless fantasy-burg for kids, he is attended by the silly Tinkerbell, a fairy prone to continually shouting, "You silly ass". When Peter looses his shadow in the home of the Darling family, he meets Wendy for the first time. Wendy is entranced by Peter and with the promise of stories he agrees to take her and her brothers Michael and John with him to Neverland. While there, the kids encounter mermaids, pirates, Indians, and great swashbuckling adventures. They meet the Lost Boys and come face to face with the dreaded Captain Hook. But in the end everyone must grow up. Everyone, that is, but Peter Pan.

INTERESTING FACTS THEY NEVER TELL YOU ABOUT THE BOOK "PETER PAN":

1. Smee is declared to be the only Nonconformist in Hook's crew.
2. The fairies will occasionally stumble, "home from an orgy".
3. Tinker Bell is prone to wearing a negligee.
4. Hook attended private school and is said to bear a resemblance in his manner and dress to Charles II.
5. Peter Pan is an awful bore.

Readers of "Peter Pan" have to face up to several indisputable facts when perusing the tale. First of all, Peter's not that great a guy. I mean, it's a lot of fun to swoop around fighting bad guys and playing around all the time, but Peter's got a nasty streak about him. He's conceited and cruel (laughing when Wendy's brothers plunge out of the sky to their near deaths time and time again). He hates mothers as a rule and even goes so far as to try to trick Wendy into thinking her mother has forgotten her (though he repents at the last minute). He forgets anyone who loves him and is a combination of the worst aspects of all children. This isn't to say that his book doesn't make for interesting reading. I mean, it's not hard to work your way through "Peter Pan" and it has a lot of rewards. Barrie has an odd habit of sometimes getting wrapped up in his own peculiar thoughts for a moment before rushing back to the story in a hurry. The book is thoroughly English, containing such sentences as, "children at play are for ever beaching their coracles". Decipherable, but odd. If it weren't for statements like the ones about Mrs. Darling's kiss (creepy city) it would be an idea book. To my mind, it could stand a thorough editing job. As an author Barrie doesn't really seem sure as to who he's rooting for. One moment he's cruelly mocking Mrs. Darling and the next he's calling the children, "heartless" for leaving her in the first place.

No one familiar with the peculiarities of J.M. Barrie's personal life should be surprised by the book's moral. Mainly, that growing up is bad. This is the kind of moral kids like to hear and grown-ups, who idealize children in unhealthy ways, think is good. J.M. Barrie was perfectly aware of the cruelty of kids, but seemed to think it a good thing. When Wendy, her brothers, and the Lost Boys grow up it's written as a tragedy of epic proportions. For a healthier view of maturity, check out Madeline L'Engle's, "A Wind In the Door". Aside from its moral, however, "Peter Pan" is definitely a classic. It has influenced countless people around the globe for roughly a century. It has become a part of our culture and is vastly adored. I cannot love it wholly because I feel that it is a flawed novel. Nonetheless, I give credit where credit is due and say that it is one of the necessary books to read in the English language. If you have not familiarized yourself with it yet then you are denying yourself access to an important work. Lord, it isn't great, but it's well written and interesting. Few books can say as much.

I first read this book in 6th grade. Once I got started I just couldn't stop! Peter Pan does not want to grow up and be a man. Wendy has to leave the nursery and grown up on the morrow. Together with John and Micheal, they go on an adventure to fight Pirates, Battle with the Indians, See mermaids, and have the time of their lives. I only wish he made a second book to tell about the rest of Peter's adventures.

This is one of those books that people think they have read but, if they do happen to actually really read it, (not an adaption, or an abridged version or see a movie or tv version) will discover that they hadn't read it before. Usually they will discover that they only knew bits and pieces of the story, or even that the story wasn't at all what they had thought it was. PETER PAN, the novel, bears only a superficial resemblence to the stage play, and even less to the Disney movie and books with which most people are familiar.

The story begins, as most people already know, in the Darling family's London home. Mr. Darling is a businessman, his wife, and their three children Wendy, John and Michael. The Darlings were unconventional in the methods they used to economize in their household expenses. They employed a very young (about 10 years old) cook/housekeeper and hired a Newfoundland dog as their children's nanny. Despite these minor eccentricities they were fine examples of the early 1900 middleclass until the night that Peter Pan appeared. Mr. Darling had, in a fit of temper, banished the nanny to an outside kennel leaving the children unprotected. Later that night Wendy was wakened by Peter who was looking for his missing shadow. After Wendy had reattached the shadow Peter convinced her and her brothers to follow him to Neverland and join in his adventures.

Once they arrive there the boys happily join in with Peter and the Lost Boys in their adventures while Wendy settles in as their mother. The boys are off fighting pirates, battling Indians and swimming with mermaids while Wendy, for the most part, stays home and mends their stockings. The final battle is waged between Peter and Capt. Hook with Peter emerging victorious but Wendy and her brothers have decided that it is time to go home and have convinced the Lost Boys to come along. Reluctantly Peter agrees to take them back but only if Wendy will agree to return with hime to Neverland each spring.

All of this is quite familiar to anyone who has seen or read any version of the story. The differences appear in the details of the novel. Mr. Darling is seen to be a bit insecure under all his bluster, Mrs. Darling is wistful, longing for something she can't quite name. Peter is not the charming, adventure loving boy of the Disney film but is rather darker, bullying the Lost Boys, very selfcentered. In fact he mirrors the villian, Capt Hook in many ways. Both Wendy and Tinkerbelle are infatuated with Peter and rather frustrated that he is unable to return their affections. Tensions arise within the group when Wendy and to some extent, the Lost Boys, are beginning to mature and lose their childish innocence while Peter stays the same.

In addition for 21st century readers the violence of the book is disturbing. Not only are there many deaths, Indians, pirates, animals and fairies, Peter is very casual about deaths among the Lost Boys as well. There are also some very racist statements and characterizations about the Indians. In addition the females, Mrs. Darling, Wendy, Nana, Tinkerbelle, and Tiger Lily are all relegated to very traditional roles, subservient to the dominant males - primarily Mr. Darling and Peter, not making the major decisions, only joining in the adventures occasionally and often needing to be rescued. When the boys grow up we learn what they do as adults but Wendy has only married and had a child, still fulfilling the same 'mother' role that she had while in Neverland.

If you are looking for a book to give or read to a very young child get the Disney version, this one is for middle school on up. Younger children would not enjoy the long winded style and Peter in this version would be more likely to produce nightmares than pleasant dreams. Older readers will be able to appreciate that maturing is not necessarily a bad thing.

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' by J.V. Hart for an introduction to Hook as a young man.

(First written as Journal Reading Notes in 1999.)