Peter Pan in Serial Readers

Sep 13, 2017 Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: alice-reads-classics, read-in-2017

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My childhood was definitely spent watching the Disney Peter Pan film for hours, last year, me and my parents watched this stage version that they filmed for TV and loved it. I really wanted to love the book... but I didn't love it, in fact, it was a struggle to read and finish despite the book length. Peter Pan is a children's classic about the Darling family (three children We ...more

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Jan 11, 2017 Valyssia Leigh rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, author-male, children, format-audio, classics, published-decade-1910s, cultural-england, fairy-tales, protagonist-male, audible

I tried to like this. The expectation is certainly that I should. Peter Pan is seen as an integral part of Western childhood. We should all love him. I mean, there's that huge Disney movie and everything. Thing is, as a nonconformist child, I recall wanting to be Peter Pan. Now in adulthood, I find the gender roles in Peter Pan nothing short of gag-worthy.

There's a nice review by Steph that pretty much says it all. The only thing I don't agree with is point 5. The term 'orgy' can be used to con I tried to like this. The expectation is certainly that I should. Peter Pan is seen as an integral part of Western childhood. We should all love him. I mean, there's that huge Disney movie and everything. Thing is, as a nonconformist child, I recall wanting to be Peter Pan. Now in adulthood, I find the gender roles in Peter Pan nothing short of gag-worthy.

There's a nice review by Steph that pretty much says it all. The only thing I don't agree with is point 5. The term 'orgy' can be used to convey a general sense of hedonism, not just sexual hedonism, but because society seems to bend to the sensibilities of teenage boys, this more archaic meaning has been lost.

And that really is the problem with Peter Pan—the matter of older values and definitions—certainly as a children's book. It's ridiculous to think that a child should be able to make the intuitive leap required to understand that Tinkerbell's attempt to murder Wendy Darling is an example of patriarchal bullshit, and therefore is only totally horrifying. The only noble role for woman is mother. Tinkerbell isn't mother material, so obviously, she must behave like a stereotypical 'woman scorned,' a pint-sized barracuda with dragonfly wings. I wouldn't even waste my time trying to explain to a child of mine what's wrong with that, at least until society forced my hand. At that point, Peter Pan might make a useful object lesson. Before then, I'd be totally happy with books by C. S. Lewis, Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman and a host of other talented writers that fit a similar niche without pushing sexist drivel.

To be clear, I have nothing against the maternal instincts Wendy Darling shows. What concerns me are her counterparts: Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily. These two girls are without the maternal drive and therefore, because women can only possibly be good for one thing, they're trapped at the negative end of the patriarchal binary view of women as lawful wife or wanton hussy. Thus, they lack integrity. Heaven forbid that two female characters actually develop a friendship, or even behave with civility to one another. That might suggest that the males around them weren't the center of their universe, and that would just be—well, wrong.

Also, avoid the Lily Collins narrated audiobook. In fact, avoid Lily Collins all together. She has entirely too many issues pronouncing common English words to work as a professional narrator. ...more

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Apr 03, 2020 M.L. Shanahan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I have a very special connection with this story. I have just finished it and wow what an adventure. I don't know how you could fault such a magical and adventurous tale. My brother passed away almost 2 years ago and he loved Peter Pan and he reminds me of him. The boy that never grows up. Peter Pan will forever be in my heart. The perfect story for the thrill seeker in all of us, not just for children but for those of us that may sometimes forget what it is like to have fun like the inner child ...more

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