Peter Pan (original 1911; edition 2006)

I loved this, a long time ago, but I don't remember much about it. Definitely deserves a reread.

Also, I loved the Disney Peter Pan, and Finding Neverland, but what in god's name was that horrendous live action effort they made a few years ago? Cheesy is not the word... ( )

teaches about going on an adventure. Students would love this book because it keeps going and going, never a dull moment. ( )

I can't believe I've never actually read Peter Pan until now. I'd seen the Disney version, but this is both more charming and more sinister than that. There are lots of sweet little details, like mothers tidying up their children's thoughts, and the kiss on the corner of Mrs Darling's mouth.

But Peter is a monstrous sort of figure when you get past the romance of Neverland. He's a wild boy, selfish and cocky. Instead of being a kind of example of innocent childhood, he almost brings to mind the boys from Lord of the Flies. Near the end, it says that he nearly stabs Wendy's baby! And he steals other children.

Of course, the moral of the story is that children need mothers. It's just charming enough to get away with the moralising. ( )

Another one I read as a teen. And I've always gone for this very specific edition, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, because it was the first copy I found.

Of course, Peter Pan is magical in and of itself, but I will fully admit that the Disney version of Peter Pan had somewhat soured me on certain aspects . . . Tinkerbell, for instance. And a little bit on Tiger Lily.

So I finally pick up the actual book (and we all know the book is always, always better than the movie), and it's fantastic. Fabulous. But in addition to how completely awesome the book is?

This is Hyman's Tiger Lily.

And all of her art is full of that sort of detail and energy, that pulse of wild beauty. It's incredible. She captures the mischievousness, the cruelty, the edginess of Neverland. This is a land of disorder, of pirates and Indians and wild children.

This is not Disney's sing-along happy place, this is a land where scavenging, hungry boys fight like wild dogs with vicious pirates, but mermaids sing in lagoons and faeries skip through trees, laughing. Neverland is a magical, treacherous place -- and it's captured in Hyman's drawings and in Barrie's words in a way that Disney could never even hint at.
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I was curious to read the original story of Peter Pan, since I only knew the Disney version of it. I can now say I like the book more than the movie.

The story itself was enchanting. There was action, caricate situations and some heart-touching moments all in one. Peter was a child in every sense of the way. I'd say my favourite character here was Hook though, I found him more interesting and deep than the rest (maybe because he was an adult). I wouldn't mind if the characters were explored a bit more in this book.

I read some reviews saying this version was rather dark, racist and sexist. I mostly disagree, specially about the dark part. In my opinion there was no description that might be unsuitable for children. It does has some sexism, and something that some people may call racism, but I didn't found it nowhere near as bad as some opinions I've heard made me expect.

The only reason why I didn't give it 4 stars was because I felt like there was something missing. I don't know exactly what, but I'm sure it has to do with the fact that this is a story meant specially for children (and a marvelous one at that). But since I'm not a child anymore, I think the "style" of the story doesn't appeal to me as much as it used to, although it remains a great tale for every age. ( )

My blog post about this book is here ( )

Much closer to the play version than to Disney's animated version - which is good because Disney never really does fairy tales justice.

I'm a sucker for fairy tales, and I love the sly humor on the narrator's part. Peter himself was rather creepy at times, like when he tries to prevent Wendy from returning home, or when Wendy's afraid he'll forget about them and strand them over the ocean.

I listened to the Jim Dale audiobook version - and everything I've heard about him being a fantastic narrator is absolutely true. ( )

I'm not sure if I like this book or not. I didn't like Peter at all, and the other children seemed selfish. The book is really quite depressing at times. I felt bad for Mrs. Darling, and Wendy at the end.

The book Tinkerbell is very different from the Disney version. She actually tries to kill Wendy at one point! ( )

Most people are familiar with the basics of the story of Peter Pan. However familiar you may be, however, if you are a fan of juvenile literature this is one that you should read.

It's not really that the storyline or adventures are that much different than what I knew of them or expected them to be, but to hear the story through J.M. Barrie's own words gives a slightly different tone and perspective to the tale that I was previously lacking. Barrie has a wonderful way with painting pictures with his phrases and a quirky sense of humor that comes through in the text.

To be honest, I was a little put off by this quirkiness when I first started the story and during the first chapter was kind of wondering if it was going to be too odd for me. But, I stuck to it and was quickly rewarded as the story moved on and, it seemed, Barrie got carried on the winds to Neverland along with the children.

A great adventure story and a classic for the ages that also has some keen insight into human behavior and the realities of growing up.

A side note on this particular version: If you have access to the edition "illustrated" by Raquel Jaramillo, I would recommend reading it over a non-illustrated version. Her computer and art enhanced photos add an even more magical atmosphere to the story and are beautifully done. ( )

This book is about a boy who refuses to grow up and takes three siblings to a magical kingdom called Neverland. I enjoyed this book because it has adventure and fantasy. I would recommend this book for grades 3-6

This classic tale is in its original format in this story, written by JM Barrie. It follows a magical boy, Peter Pan, and his adventures in Neverland as he refuses to grow up! Wendy, John and Michael soon join him for an adventure fighting pirates! This book would be good for middle school students, though it is slightly different (and more violent) than the Disney version. ( )

“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.”

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie is a well known classical book. All children grow up but one, Peter Pan. Peter lives in the Neverland. One day, in one of his trips to hear stories told in the Darling's house he gets caught and loses his shadow. When he returns to get back his shadow, Wendy is awoken by the sounds of Peter crying. Wendy helped Peter sow on his shadow and Peter realising the importance of a mother figure asks her to go with him and be his mother and mother to the lost boys. Wendy and her two brothers were very excited and with a bit of fairy dust they fly their way to the Neverland.

In the version of the book I read there were two stories; Peter in Kensington Gardens and Peter and Wendy. This book was one of the most confusing books. I had watched the movie and cartoon versions of Peter Pan and so I was expecting something similar. However, when I first start reading the narrators are the Davies brothers and they talk about things like baby castle where the most sought up baby lives by herself and all these baby attractions in the kensington gardens, it felt like I was reading the wrong book. Finally when I read the name Peter Pan I was relieved, but not for long. Peter Pan was completely different to what I was expecting. Firstly he was only a week old, he wore no clothes, he rode a goat, he lived with the birds because everyone was a bird who flew to their parents' home and there turned into humans.
This is definitely not the story that I know and it really just seemed like Barrie was a bit loopy. When I reached the story of Peter and Wendy I was ever so confused. Peter Pan finally seemed to resemble the ones from the movie but what happened? I thought that the first story was an introduction or background story to how Peter Pan came to be but he was much older in Peter and Wendy and he didn't live with the birds any more. I found out later that these were two completely separate stories written by Barrie. One could say that it was partially my fault for being ignorant on the stories but I really don't see why an author would write two or three stories with the same character and yet completely different tales. It wasn't as if this was a sequel showing Peter when he grew up because Peter Pan does not grow up.

Peter Pan may seem like an innocent title but it is not for young children. The book is very violent. Peter Pan seems to love war, blood and gore. It turns out that it was Peter who gave Hook his Hook. And Hook while he seems like a lovable baddie in the movies really wants to kill a boy who is no more than a little kid who still has all his baby teeth. Secondly the book is very stereotypical and quite racist to American Indians. I'm sure it didn't occur to J.M. Barrie how disrespectful he was being when writing about the Indians, just like he wrote the stereotypical pirates and mermaids. The Indians are described as being inferior, and quite stupid, even making Peter Pan the 'Great White Father'. Now we know that this racism is not something we teach our children. Also, going back to Peter in Kensington Gardens the fairies are said to have blue necks. Their blue necks aren't just something magical and pretty but they are quite gruesome and something quite scary to be telling children. Barrie writes that it was considered royal and beautiful to have blue neck so they would cut themselves and let their blue blood cover their neck and then dry. This is definitely not beautiful!

I knew Peter Pan was a bit of a show off but never would I have thought that I would actually say that I hate Peter. Reading the book just got me really frustrated at the character. Peter Pan is one of the most stuck-up and annoying characters EVER!! He believes he is better than everyone else and he believes so much in make believe that he basically starves everyone by having make belief dinner and lunch. He is also very forgetful and when he goes back to get Wendy at spring time he gets angry that she grew up when really he was the one that didn't come for a few years. Peter Pan also got the children in trouble various times. When he could have remained quiet and everything would just go away he has to go and play games with Hook giving away their disguise. Peter Pan nearly locked out Wendy and her brothers. He is seriously so selfish. He may only be a fictional character but I really just wanted to go yell some sense at him.

I would recommend this book to others but only because it is a classic and it is always good to know the original story behind movies. It was hysterical but not in the way it should be; I was laughing almost through the whole of Peter in Kensington Gardens because of the nonsense that was said. If you do decide to read remember to throw out any ideas and concepts you have for Peter Pan. Read with a blank canvas, as if you have never hear the name Peter Pan or else the story will just get confusing and strange since the movie and the book doesn't completely match up. ( )

Peter Pan surprised me in a lot of ways. For one thing, it's actually a very disturbing book. When Wendy realizes that John and Michael are forgetting their past life, I get scared right along with her. There's also a surprising amount of bloodshed going on, though nothing too graphic.

It's written beautifully. There are so many places where the narrator's snide comments startle me into laughter or make me pause and think for a few moments.

It's a wonderful adventure that's a bit surreal and a bit tragic and a bit scary, but beautiful and lovely and fun too. ( )

This is the classic story of Peter Pan, a lost boy who lives in Neverland. Peter meets Wendy, Micheal, and John on the mainland. With the help of a little fairy dust, they all fly to Neverland, where they spend "many moons" with the other lost boys who have no mothers. Wendy takes over the position as their mother and the group go on many adventures, battling with Captain Hook, whom Pan kills in the end. Peter Pan never wants to grow up and he never does. In the end, the entire group goes back to the mainland where they eventually grow up, but Peter stays behind, going back for Wendy once a year until she is grown. Wendy marries and has a daughter named Jane and being how Wendy is too big to fly, Peter takes Jane once a year instead.
This is a classic novel including everything from a fantasy world with pirates, fairies, and mermaids to flying and never growing up. It fits the definition of a fairy tale perfectly. It is a must have on every book shelf. ( )

The children’s classic is a rather difficult read. Most of us know that it takes place in the British home of the Darlings. The three children (Wendy, John, and Michael) leave their home with Peter Pan for Neverland. There, Wendy becomes the mother for Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. They get into tons of mischief, and in some cases kill the enemy (something the cartoon would never depict). Eventually, the children get homesick. They all (Lost Boys included) fly back to London where they grow up. But that doesn’t stop Peter Pan from coming back ad visiting Wendy.

Details: This book was written to interest children in grades 4-6 and is on a 6.1 reading level. ( )

Includes audio for each structure

The story of a three children who travel to Nederland with Peter Pan, the boy who won’t grow up. They go on to have some amazing adventures. This is such an amazing adventure that I’ll personally recommend for advanced readers. ( )

Find this review and more at On The Shelf!

I absolutely LOVE Tinkerbell, and I am ashamed to say I had never readPeter Panonly seen the Disney version, so I decided to change that and grabbed the audiobook from the library. I thought it was so good and I am glad I finally decided to read it. The language is much different from nowadays of course, but it was still really great. Well-written and very fun, Barrie created a marvelous story for kids and adults.

The Neverland world is so creative and must have been such a pleasure for Barrie to write. A little bit of the humor slipped by me since it was written so long ago, but not much. I really enjoyed the reader as well, especially when he did the classic nasally Captain Hook voice we all know so well!

The characters were really great as well. The lost boys were adorable and Peter was so stubborn. The only character I really didn’t care much for was the father because he was so incredibly whiny and at one point argued with the youngest child just like a little kid. I liked the way the story ended and I even saw a bunch of references from the movie Hook that I never knew were from the book. If you like classics, this is a must read book!

Fun, well-written, wonderful classic, fast read, one for my library! ( )

Forget the Disney film and the jolly pantomimes. The original book is quite dark and scary, with real killing and some psychological cruelty (maybe we won't let Mrs Darling have her children back?) Peter Pan is callous and vain much of the time, and Wendy's highest happiness is to cook and darn for the Lost Boys.... It's also very whimsical and quite funny. A nice newish Puffin paperback from a charity shop, it will join my children's collection as a classic.

This is an utterly magical tale of young boy without a mother who is the leader of the lost boys and lives in Neverland. He convinces three children to fly from their nursery and join him so that the girl, Wendy, can be mother to the lost boys.Putting aside the sexism, which I guess I have to make allowances for seeing the time it was written, (Wendy does nothing but cook, clean and sew), it's a very enjoyable and imaginative romp. There are a lot of little touches that I loved, such as Mrs Darling tidying up her children's minds, and Peter losing his shadow.All I knew of Peter Pan before I read the book was what I'd seen in a movie called Hook. I had no idea Peter was so arrogant or violent (all those little kids murdering people!) and I was expecting Tinkerbell to be a sweet little thing. Some rude shocks there! Highly enjoyable and recommended. Now to watch the Disney version. ( )

This book in particular captures all of the magic and childhood whimsy we know from Peter Pan and have come to expect from gustafson. The text is broken up into chapters as was Barrie's original story, so this edition will delight a new generation looking to know the full story of Peter Pan.

This classic allow you to escape the realities of life and follow an adventure with these great kids into another world. Great story idea, most, young and old, will relate and dream about having an adventure like this one day. ( )

I didn't actually read this edition, but rather, I read an abridged edition aloud to my son. It has been a very long time since I've read Peter Pan in its entirety, although as my son has gotten interested in the character, we have watched the Disney movie and then read the abridged version of the novel.

The story holds up. My son is still fascinated by the character of Peter Pan and his adversary, Captain Hook. He enjoys the adventures on the island. As an adult reader, I was disturbed at how Indians (albeit fantasy-land Indians, rather than genuine Native Americans) were portrayed, as well as some of the female-male stereotyping (although the Disney movie is much worse in that regard). In those ways, the story is dated.

What struck me the most, though, is how bloodthirsty this story is. Peter does not just play at sword-fighting; he kills people (mainly pirates). Also, I did identify with the poor mother who was left behind, wondering for weeks or maybe even months where her children went to. Although, in hindsight, maybe they shouldn't have employed a dog as a governess. These things did not seem to concern my son at all.

Overall, this is still a ripping good children's adventure story, and it does really capture that tension between wanting to grow up and wanting to stay a child forever better than almost any children's book I can think of. Modern parents should be aware of stereotypes and violence, which may require softening.

Read aloud to Sean (2011). ( )

Immersing myself in this literary classic as a 21st century adult, I wonder frequently what Sigmund Freud would have thought about it. A dark untertone runs trough the lighthearted tale - an uncomfortable portrait of the relationships between boys (including the boys that live on in the psyches of men) and mothers, boys and women, and between all of us and our sinister natures and the Wild Man archetype. Seen through psychoanalytic lenses, this story, whose Disney version comes off as both racist and sexist, is really about the confusing Neverland of our minds, which casts a spell that results in our behaving badly toward one another .

This is a fun story much more interesting than the Disney version. I thought I knew this story until I read this to my students. It is meant to be read out loud as if it were a bed time story, I love Barrie's creation of Tinker Bell her sassiness is lost in other adaptations (not for the prudish). It is wonderful how Barrie captures the spirit of what is important to children both the manipulative machinations of how boys think and how girls carry themselves. I recommend this heartily but as a story that is read to your children; all will be delighted in the tales. ( )