So here is my first Post Consumer Book Club post, and it is a book review of Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie. The book is one of the reasons that I started the blog and a bit of a cheat because I only acquired it recently, so it is not one of the stack of books that has been languishing in my house or on my digital devices for a long time. It was also free. A free e-book, but I feel that this is worst kind of modern consumption, get it because it is free…
Well, in this case, I downloaded Peter Pan to my Kobo not just because it was free, but because I had read this article. My friend found it on tumblr and sent it round. Very interesting reading, who would have thought that Tinkerbell had orgies!! You naughty Tink! I admit that I found that revelation more interesting that Peter killing some of the lost boys… One curry later, and my two friends and I had agreed that “when we three meet again” (for curry) we should have all read the book and be able to comment on the validity of the arguments in the web article.
My take on the article
I think that “supernaturalshadowhunter” is about right. It is obvious that they are very passionate and knowledgeable about the book. I wonder though whether Sup’ hasn’t taken the whole thing a little too far. Given the fascinating background from J.M. Barrie’s childhood the reasoning may well be right, but I felt that Peter was portrayed as someone who honestly didn’t want to grow up. He knows the main things you loose when you grow up, but has no understanding of what you gain (he has obviously never had any deep and meaningful conversations with Tink!)
Barrie manages to create a very ethereal feeling throughout the book, so even when Peter thins the larger boys and goes off to blood his sword, it is very definitely suggested that this is make believe. The fact is that make believe is real in Neverland (I feel like I need to make a Michael Jackson reference here, but I will resist. Maybe Enter Sand Man instead?) Pretend food sustains everyone, enemies switch sides as often as Peter and the boys to make the fight fun. The realism in the book seeps around Hook. He is still very much a part of the Neverland, but he is grown up. He fears getting old as much as Peter fears growing up.
All in all this book was very good. It has good pace and Barrie does a great job to expand the reality of life in Neverland by suggesting on more than one occasion that this was just one of the many stories that could be told. Thanks to
nowyoukno.com for the article and all the contributors for the reason I read the book.
All that needs to be sorted out now is that second curry and some other people’s opinions!