Book Review: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

“Second to the right, and straight on till morning.”

J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Review:

I’ve seen the Disney movie, I’ve seen two different productions of the musical, I’ve watched Peter Pan Goes Wrong, and I’ve watched/read other movies and books that retold the story, yet until now, I’d never actually read the source material. I have to admit, I’ve liked many of the other versions/adaptions better. 

I feel as though a book like this needs no recap, so I’ll go right into it.

I never expected the pacing to be so fast even though it’s a children’s book. Maybe being familiar with the plot is part of the reason, but I felt like whenever I blinked I was on a new scene. A lot of the material hasn’t aged well, either, which being a classic comes to little surprise yet never fails to catch me off guard. Still, I adore the premise and always have, so I’m glad to have finally read the original novel. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• The idea of Neverland.
• The nostalgia.

What I didn’t like:

• The use of slurs (despite it being ‘acceptable’ at the time).
• Too fast of a pace.
• Perhaps this is coming from too many retellings, but it’s impossible for me not to see Peter Pan as the villain.

Afterthoughts:

This was a buddy read with my friend Taylor when she flew in to visit!

Where to buy the book: