Peter Pan
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Published: 1904
Narrated by: Jim Dale
Length: 05:16 (207 pages)
I don’t think I ever actually watched the Disney version of Peter Pan. I know the first bedroom scene, from it appearing in many other movies, but all my other knowledge is probably from the 1991 movie sequel Hook, which as a nine-year-old I loved. I actually didn’t even realize until recently that J.M. Barrie was Scottish.
To die will be an awfully big adventure.
So I went into this with little knowledge of the actual story but thinking I knew what to expect, and I was surprised at how dark this turned out to be. And violent! There are no Disney ‘we won the battle and no one actually died’ scenes. Sudden and meaningless death very much exists in this fairy tale. Peter Pan is in many ways a tragic character. He’s exciting and wonderous, but he’s also lived so long as a child that he’s lost the ability to really connect with others. He’s self-centered, arrogant, and selfish. He spends so much time in the present, caring only for excitement and pleasure, that he now has very little memory of anything in the past, rendering him unable to recall people and events unless reminded. He’s a warning against the idea of never growing up.
A perspective you often don’t get to see in childhood adventure stories is the effect their absence has on their family. Mr. and Mrs. Darling are left mourning their lost children at home, and the kids are mentioned to be ‘heartless’. Not maliciously so, but they are naive and don’t understand how to care for the loved ones in their lives. It’s not until they’re faced with the idea of not seeing their parents again that they realize their importance, which is a first step towards growing up. Peter Pan is the prime example of childhood heartlessness, and the fact that he can’t remember past moments of reflection and sadness is what allows him to live forever as a child.
Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time.
The views on Native Americans and women are quite dated, and the characters can become a bit grating in how they act, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was so much more interesting than I had expected, while also being beautifully written (and narrated, by Jim Dale), incredibly imaginative, and full of great little details – losing your shadow and needing to have it sewed back on, for example. It’s a fun childhood adventure, but it’s also surprisingly thought-provoking in many ways.
I have decided that our dog is really not pulling her weight around the house, however.
12 Comments
Troy
As a Disney fan (and of the works that inspired Walt), this one’s been on my to-read list forever. Excellent review.
Rob
Thank you! It’s really worth checking out. I’m not sure if any of his other novels are still available these days, but I liked his writing enough to try and seek those out too.
dragonsandzombies
I only know the Disney cartoon movie and ‘Hook’ (which I still love 🙂 ), but have never read the book. It’s interesting, that it’s so much darker and sounds pretty sad as well. It’s on my classic wishlist. Maybe I pick the audio book as well – I like to listen to shorter stories when I am driving to work 🙂
Rob
Jim Dale was a fantastic narrator, and the way this is told translates to audio really well. Hope you like it!
Silvia
Hahaha, the dog comment. I read this ti my girls, and we three liked it. I liked the layers of meaning we adults find, and how it captured my girls imagination. (The part when he almost died was hard to read. It can be dark at times, but it is a profound allegory in many aspects. I miss books like this for children these days.)
Rob
Yes, seems like a great one to read and discuss with kids!
bookheathen
I recommend you try the original play.
Rob
I do plan on picking that up if I come across a copy. I’m curious to see how it differs.
Geoff W
It’s crazy how soft Disney has made all of the fairy tales!
Rob
Yeah, I’ve heard it’s often a bit of a shock when you pick up the source material for those movies.
Major Yammerton
You’re right about the deftly inserted magical details, like sewing the shadow back on or the ultra-talented and loyal nanny who happens to be a dog. Barrie treats the magical as natural as can be – which gives us readers a sense of wonder.
Rob
Yeah, I liked how the imagination and magic wasn’t limited to Neverland.