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ninetalevixen 's review for:
Peter Pan
by J.M. Barrie
(Going in, I wasn't sure whether I had read this before in full, or just a section; I vividly remember the scene and the part where and . Having finished it, I'm now pretty sure that I hadn't.)
I think it's pretty common knowledge at this point that the original Peter Pan is much, much darker than the Disney cartoon (as well as many of the Pan adaptations that have come since). But seriously, there is so much killing and brutalization, just for fun, between Peter & Lost Boys vs. Hook & the pirates vs. Tiger Lily & the Indians; there's also quite a lot of heteronormativity / sexism / rigid gender roles — I was particularly exasperated by — and the portrayal of the Indians is highly problematic — including offensive terms and a scene where Tiger Lily speaks like a racist Asian caricature.
Peter Pan himself is not a particularly lovable character either, truth be told. He's selfish and arrogant and takes joy in humiliating and/or endangering others. To be fair, this isn't necessarily endorsed by the narrative, but there is a sense of little boys will be little boys which, again, is problematic by more modern standards. (That is, it was always a problematic mindset, but it was generally accepted by society and literature of the time.)
And yet. Barrie's storytelling and worldbuilding have the whimsy and charm that I hoped for, though the narrator's voice can get a bit stronger than I prefer — "Shall I tell you this anecdote or that one? Let's flip a coin. Okay, the second one it is." — and at times I was confused by outdated terms or phrasing. Overall, I can't say I didn't enjoy this despite all its flaws; though I'm more likely to rewatch the animation than reread this book, my background knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of Barrie's creation have certainly been expanded.
Spoiler
kiss/thimbleSpoiler
Tink gets the boys to shoot the Wendy, which I know I remember from the book and not the movie because Peter's "kiss" saves her lifeSpoiler
clap your hands to save Tinker BellI think it's pretty common knowledge at this point that the original Peter Pan is much, much darker than the Disney cartoon (as well as many of the Pan adaptations that have come since). But seriously, there is so much killing and brutalization, just for fun, between Peter & Lost Boys vs. Hook & the pirates vs. Tiger Lily & the Indians; there's also quite a lot of heteronormativity / sexism / rigid gender roles — I was particularly exasperated by
Spoiler
the constant insinuations that Tinker Bell, Wendy, and Tiger Lily are all in love with Peter so they're catty towards each other, and all the while he's oblivious because boys, amiritePeter Pan himself is not a particularly lovable character either, truth be told. He's selfish and arrogant and takes joy in humiliating and/or endangering others. To be fair, this isn't necessarily endorsed by the narrative, but there is a sense of little boys will be little boys which, again, is problematic by more modern standards. (That is, it was always a problematic mindset, but it was generally accepted by society and literature of the time.)
And yet. Barrie's storytelling and worldbuilding have the whimsy and charm that I hoped for, though the narrator's voice can get a bit stronger than I prefer — "Shall I tell you this anecdote or that one? Let's flip a coin. Okay, the second one it is." — and at times I was confused by outdated terms or phrasing. Overall, I can't say I didn't enjoy this despite all its flaws; though I'm more likely to rewatch the animation than reread this book, my background knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of Barrie's creation have certainly been expanded.