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A review by readingoverbreathing
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Let me first say that this is definitely between two and three stars for me, but as I truthfully didn't get that much enjoyment out of it, I think I'm going with two.
Peter Pan is one of those stories that is so deeply embedded in popular culture that it's difficult to come to the original text without any preconceptions or expectations. I've never been a huge Pan fan in any respect, but I would say that I generally knew what to expect in terms of story and plot but otherwise had no strong emotions or feelings tied to this story.
This definitely turned out to be a good thing, as, regardless, I was pretty disappointed.
Unfortunately, this is just one of those classics that has not aged very well: racism and sexism certainly abound here, as does a surprising and rather distasteful amount of Freudism. I had absolutely no sympathy for Peter as a character and much prefer the glittery Disney version to the much darker undertones that reign here.
In terms of plot, there was a lot less true adventure than I was expecting. Most of the time in Neverland is spent in the Lost Boys' den describing Wendy's domestic playacting. The climax felt anti-climactic and the ending was unnecessarily sad.
Unfortunately, there was just not much here to redeem the problematic aspects for me. I think I now have to put my feelings for Pan in the same basket that I have for Alice in Wonderland — both I find to be borderline creepy, and it just baffles me how both have become so deeply ingrained in the popular imagination.
Peter Pan is one of those stories that is so deeply embedded in popular culture that it's difficult to come to the original text without any preconceptions or expectations. I've never been a huge Pan fan in any respect, but I would say that I generally knew what to expect in terms of story and plot but otherwise had no strong emotions or feelings tied to this story.
This definitely turned out to be a good thing, as, regardless, I was pretty disappointed.
Unfortunately, this is just one of those classics that has not aged very well: racism and sexism certainly abound here, as does a surprising and rather distasteful amount of Freudism. I had absolutely no sympathy for Peter as a character and much prefer the glittery Disney version to the much darker undertones that reign here.
In terms of plot, there was a lot less true adventure than I was expecting. Most of the time in Neverland is spent in the Lost Boys' den describing Wendy's domestic playacting. The climax felt anti-climactic and the ending was unnecessarily sad.
Unfortunately, there was just not much here to redeem the problematic aspects for me. I think I now have to put my feelings for Pan in the same basket that I have for Alice in Wonderland — both I find to be borderline creepy, and it just baffles me how both have become so deeply ingrained in the popular imagination.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism