Peter Pan (Scribner Classics) (Barnes & Noble's Leatherbound Children's Classics) (Graphic Revolve: Common Core Editions) (Sterling Unabridged Classics) (Puffin Chalk) (Abridged Classics)

by J.M. Barrie

[Joséphine]

Initial thoughts: I took nearly a week to drag myself through this book, which I'm pretty sad about. When I was younger, I watched and loved to many adaptations of Peter Pan. I wanted to finally read it and thought I'd find the book at least half as charming. I didn't. I was bored out of my mind. The writing style didn't capture my imagination, and I found the characters as they were on paper rather uninteresting.

It makes sense though, as Peter Pan was a stage play first before Barrie wrote the novel. I think what enamoured me about Peter Pan — children flying, Neverland and the open-ended possibilities didn't translate as well in its written form. The visual impact was missing completely, as were the dreamy qualities about the story.

Basically, I didn't like Peter Pan, the book, but still fondly remember the ideas that I loved from the performances and films when I was younger.

Aside from the magical aspects that Peter Pan has come to encompass, I was also uncomfortable with the sexist and racist portrayals of Wendy, Tiger Lily and Native Americans (referred to as "Piccaninny" tribe). It bothered me that for the most part, Wendy's role was that of a "mother" to the lost boys and that the pirates only considered making her their "mother" or making her walk the plank. It grated on me that every year Peter Pan would return for Wendy, Jane, Margaret, and so on, merely for spring cleaning.

Some might argue Peter Pan is a product of its time but should we really glorify such a book in its original form as a classic when it pigeonholes the role of women and refers to people of colour as savages? Something to think about...