Review of "Peter Pan"

"All children, except one, grow up."

     In the world of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, only one child will not grow up. Wendy Darling has known she would age since she was two, and it has never quite bothered her. She plays at House and Mother and takes great delight in caring for her younger brothers, John and Michael. Their favorite game, though, is to visit the Neverland, where a boy named Peter takes them on the grandest adventures. Mrs. Darling, of course, is suitably concerned, especially when this mythical boy begins tracking dirt and leaves into the nursery. When Peter returns to the Darling house for his missing shadow, he finds Wendy, a girl full of stories and a deep-seated longing to be his mother. Fascinated by her fairy tales, Peter Pan sweeps the Darling children away to Neverland, where they can have a marvelous time and never grow up. But Neverland is a strange place, and if the children aren't careful, they could forget the very thing they love the most: their family.

     There is something innately charming about the simplicity of Wendy's adventures in Neverland. Despite Peter Pan's natural hatred toward parents of any sort, he and his troop of lost boys quickly latch on to Wendy as their mother figure. In this role, it is her duty to cook, clean, mend clothes, and look after her "children"'s health. She takes great delight in this, but what will likely interest readers most is the hijinks of her charges. Led by Peter, the lost boys battle pirates, hunt great beasts, invent bizarre sports, and pick fights with the local Native American tribe. To prevent these from becoming monotonous, Peter always adds a twist, changing the rules mid-game or otherwise turning things on their heads. This makes for great fun for readers and characters alike, and is grounded in Wendy's practical job of playing caretaker to such rambunctious boys.

     So too is the narrator engaged. As he weaves his story, Barrie passes back and forth between one exploit and the next, keeping audiences on their toes and enjoying himself immensely. This shows in the playfulness of the prose, and the fantastical descriptions of the impossible island known as Neverland. From pet wolves to unfriendly mermaids and a jealous fairy, Neverland is dotted with an endless fountain of people, places, and things plucked straight from the minds of children. Barrie records these with admirable diligence, explaining along the way why things are done the way they are. Even this adds to the lighthearted mood of the overall piece, as the majority of such explanations are quite ridiculous.

     Of Peter himself, we learn quite a bit. He is young, always has been, and carries a sense of pride that is so over-the-top as to be almost endearing. If his friends did not love him, there would be no redeeming him; as it is, he is simply flighty and ever-changing, flitting from one fancy to the next as the mood strikes him. Though his companions change a bit over time, he does not, and since the others tend to follow his lead everyone is generally static. This is combated by the sheer number of daring escapades, the grandest ones revolving around Captain Jas. Hook, Peter's arch-enemy and a brilliant villain. Hook brings out the best and worst in everyone around him, and is the primary reason the climax is so absorbing.

     Since this is a children's story, the level questionable content is extraordinarily low. Tinker Bell, Peter's fairy, has taken to calling him a rude name in jest, which is the extent of the title's swearing. Due to the time period in which it was written and is set, the Native Americans are called by a different name, which is now considered offensive. This was not intended to be rude, as it is simply the terminology common to that era. Also affected by the time period is the everyday vocabulary. Readers, especially those outside of the UK, may have a spot of difficulty with some of the words; however, many editions include bracketed definitions and the rest is easily sorted out by context. There is no romance, though Wendy and Tinker Bell are hinted to share a crush on one of the boys. Violence is simultaneously graphic and clean, free of gore yet described so as to inspire excitement in young audiences.

     I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a thrilling adventure about a boy who refuses to grow up. Wendy is a wonderful protagonist who provides the perfect lens through which to view the tale, and Peter does a marvelous job captaining the lost boys' various escapades. Their feats of derring-do are expertly crafted to catch the eye of grown-ups and children alike. With subtle foreshadowing and a strong narrative voice, J. M. Barrie created a charming novel that will leave an impression on whoever reads it. Thus, Peter Pan deserves five stars.