It's five o'clock, it's time for a review of... "Peter Pan", this time.
"Peter Pan" feels like an experiment in creating a possible series of stories: at some point the author simply lists a handful of adventures which he could choose to relate before settling on one. That's pretty novel! I also couldn't help noting how less than definite the fate of the baddie (Captain Cook) was ...Pray, any chance of a sequel should this book be a success?
Anyway, the whole thing is engaging, endearing, whimsical... Great crack* like! It kicks off straight-up / nonsense on and carries on in the same quirky vein till it can no longer ignore the other side of the coin (namely, ahem... how exactly must the parents robbed of their children feel?).
Comparisons could be made with "Alice", "Tristam Shandy" or "Tom Jones": at some stage, Barrie casually breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader to comment on his own story, cheeky as you like.
Comparisons could be made with "Alice", "Tristam Shandy" or "Tom Jones": at some stage, Barrie casually breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader to comment on his own story, cheeky as you like.
And now for the unavoidable seckshual politics: one can't help but raise a (finely manicured, thank you very much) eyebrow about the author's portrayal of women, esp. Wendy who jumps at the chance of cooking / doing the laundry / doing the washing-up / serving as nurse / and generally looking after all the boys -How lucky lucky lucky eh...
There are so many original details in "Peter Pan" that (see opening remark) they could do with being developed at a later stage: what of these "lost boys"? how fast does time pass in NeverLand? what do the children actually live on? Tinkerbell's romantic back-story? possible tragic dimensions? etc.
Verdict: a treacle coated 3 and a quarter out of five.
The The -"Jealous of Youth" (1991)
*yes, I know
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