Peter Pan - JM Barrie
Published by Arcturus Publishing Limited: London, 2018.
First published 1911.
Have you ever sat down and read this book? I'm sure most of us have seen at least one version of the story, be it the classic Disney animation, one of the less-successful modern versions, a spin off of some kind, or the sequel-of-sorts '90s movie Hook (that anyone of my generation remembers fondly). But the book is weird.
The fact that it was a play comes through quite regularly, with asides to the audience, and humorous narration throughout, but the book is also quite unique in its humour. We get a dinner scene involving the Darling family quite early on, where Mr Darling is shown in a very unflattering and childish light, and ends up drugging the dog Nana "as a joke." Reading this scene out loud with Elise was hilarious, and it ended up being something we shared with others for some time afterwards.
There is also a humourously callous attitude to death in the book. Upon introducing Captain Hook and a number of his pirates, the narrator then states: "Let us now kill a pirate, to show Hook's method. Skylights will do." (page 61). Skylights is then promptly dispatched, and the plot moves on.
To summarise: this book is weird. Yet, it is a fun read, and well worth it. If you are a fan of Hook, there is an extra level of enjoyment, as it turns out that movie references this original text a lot more than I would have realised.
Completed with Elise, 19 February 2019.
(Elise Books)
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