Book #26: “Peter Pan” by J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan

J.M. Berrie 

 Released: December 27th, 1904

Book #26 complete for the year, “Peter Pan” by J.M. Barrie.  I have always enjoyed the Disney adaptation of Peter Pan for years, but never read the original stories.  This one encompasses the full story with the 1912 add-ons (Adult Wendy, and Afterthoughts).  One of my closest friends has always told me I am Peter Pan.  While it’s been several years, I certain see the connection from when it was made.

Here are some things I learned:

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Peter Pan is the boy who never grew up

Wendy’s last name is Darling.

Age 2 is the beginning of the end of childhood

Mr. Darling beat all the other boys romantically interested in Mrs. Darling by taking a cab to her

Mr. Darling is big into stocks and shares

Wendy has 2 younger brothers, John and Michael.

All 3 children attended Miss Fulsom’s Kindergarten School

The family was impoverished due to the amount of milk the children drank.

The children have a Nurse dog they called “Nana”

The Darlings have a servant named Liza.

In fairy tale lore, children who died at a young age, were escorted part of the way, by Peter Pan into the afterlife so they would not be frightened.

Peter plays the pipes for the children.

He wears skeleton leaves for clothing.

Peter’s shadow can separate from his body

Mr. Darling is not a fan of Nana.

Wendy loves to loan her bracelet to her mother.

Mr. Darling struggles with tying a tie.

Michael hates taking medicine.

Mr. Darling kicked Nana out of the house

Wendy knows the difference between Nana’s unhappy bark and sensing danger.

The Darlings’ leave their children home alone at night

Tinker Bell is slightly inclined to embonpoint.

Wendy’s full name is Wendy Moira Angela Darling.

Peter Pan’s address is Second Star on the Right, and Straight on Till Morning.

Peter Pan has no mother.

Wendy knows how to see shadows back on to people.

“One girl is more use than twenty boys.”

Peter Pan does not know how old he is, but knows he is quite young.  He ran away the day he was born.

Peter ran away to Kensington Gardens to live with the Fairies

Tink, the fairy language, sounds like “a tinkle of bells”.

The Lost Boys are the children who fall out of their perambulators when the nurse is looking the other way.  If they are not claimed in seven days, they are sent far away to Neverland to defray expenses.

Peter is captain of the Lost Boys.

Neither Peter nor the Lost Boys have been tucked in before.

Peter teaches Wendy, John, and Michael how to fly.

Peter steals food from birds.

Peter has killed many pirates, but makes sure they are awake before he does so.

Peter was responsible for cutting off Captain Hook’s right hand.  It was replace with an iron hook.

Fairies can only sleep when they are sleepy.

Fairy lights only go out when they sleep.

Tinkerbell has a jealousy of Wendy

The Lost Boys are forbidden to look at all like Peter.  

They wear the skins of bears they slayed themselves.

Captain Hook has blue eyes.

Captain Hook has a fear of the crocodile that ate his hand.

The crocodile also ate a clock which alerts people to its presence.

Tootles shot Wendy with an arrow and knocked her out of the sky.

The Lost Boys build a house around Wendy and she serves as a motherly figure.

Children are fitted for a tree to live in when they are taken to Neverland.

Peter is the only boy on the island who can neither write nor spell

Peter can imitate Captain Hook, and uses this talent to trick the pirates into releasing Tiger Lily.

Peter, much like a child, always treats people as if it is the first time he has met them.  

All Never birds build a certain style of nest.

Wendy does not like being called “Squaw” by the natives.

There is a saying in Neverland that every time one breathes, a grown-up dies.

The pirates surprise-attacked the Natives, killing many of them.

Hook loves flower and sweet music.

Kidd’s Creek lies near the mouth of the pirate river.

Hook attended a famous public school, and holds their traditions close to him.

Hook has a secret identity that would set the country ablaze if it were ever revealed.

Peter Captains the Jolly Roger for the voyage home.

The lost boys are adopted by the Darlings.

Peter refuses the adoption as adulthood is something he despises.

Wendy is allowed to visit Peter once a year, for one week.

Peter forgets who people are after he kills them.

“Just always be waiting for me, and then some night you will hear me crowing.”

As the children age, Peter returns each year to take the daughter away for spring cleaning, hear stories of their families, and have a “mother”.

Children are young as long as they are gay (happy), innocent and heartless.

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Good read.  Much darker than how we traditionally view Peter Pan in the modern lens.  I struggled getting through it.  Not that it was bad, but just perhaps I’m too accustomed to the modern interpretation and viewing it from another perspective has been too different.

It’s a good read and certainly recommended, but very, and just be cautious before reading to children who may not understand concepts of life, death, growing up, the dangers of true-life piracy.

Recommended.

On to Book #27: “The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks.