Peter Pan

I first read Barrie's tale of the boy who refuses to grow up when I was 16 (after watching Disney's movie), and I absolutely loved it. It is in every way better than any film ever made which it inspired (although Disney's version is fun to watch and the recent 2003 version is very good and most faithful to the story). This review, however, is only to comment upon the illustrations. There are various illustrated Peter Pans; but this one is the very best. Trina Hyman's delicate, gorgeous drawings capture the characters to perfection. Peter is particularly good, looking suitably wild and beautiful, and Tinker Bell is a lovely fairy. In so many other illustrated books the characters are either over-dressed or simply grotesque, but Hyman's version of the characters are simply perfect (MUCH better than the Disney version of them!) If you buy any illustrated Peter Pan, but this one.

Wow! What a great story this is! I picked it up on a whim years ago having enjoyed the Disney cartoon, and when I finally got around to reading it, I couldn't put the darn thing down. This is really exciting stuff! Peter is ten times as irrascible as he is in the toon. One line has always stuck in my head - its where Peter is faced with certain death (I forget exactly what). He thinks to himself that its quite possible he could die, and thinks `That would be the greatest adventure of all!' That line sums of the feel of this book. Imagine being a kid who can never grow up who has the power to fly through a world woven of dreams and fairytales....I learned later that this was probably the sincere wish of the author, James Barrie, who was afflicted with a disease which made it impossible for him to grow. Though an adult in mind, he was the stature and semblance of a child. The warmth of this story has a deep heartfelt resonance in the heart of any boy who has grown up having adventures in his mind. It can't really be described -it has to be read and appreciated. If you love fantasies in the vein of The Never Ending Story and The Wizard of Oz, you will love this book.

The book 'Peter Pan' by J. M. Barrie is a truly beautiful work. It is never too cloyingly sweet or too harsh, and the child's perspective of the world is beautifully crafted. It does, however, bring you along on a journey to the Neverlands, and perhaps for a little while we can be reunited with our dreams.Although Wendy seems a little prim, she is sweet and motherly. John was offhand and brave, Michael was tiny and believing. My favourite character was, however, Peter. The author really outdid himself on this one. Peter's innocent cockiness and love for dangerous adventures endeared him to me at once. He still has all his first teeth, and his first laugh - what more could we ask of him? His frightful happiness in danger reminds me of my seven-year-old self.The book retains a magical quality right up to the last page. The midnight scene where Peter coaxes them out of the window has always stood out in my mind; there is a kind of magic in an ever-young boy, small and innocently cocky and always up to some mischief. The ending of the book is very sad, for only those who are gay and young and light-hearted can fly.Definitely a book worth reading. Adults, trust me on this one: you might think you're too old to read this book, but once you do you'll find that a piece of Neverland still resides in your heart.

This is an utterly charming work. It has been retold myriad times, but nobody else has done it as well as the original teller, J. M. Barrie.It's difficult to know what to say about a book like this... everybody knows the story. But I guess that unless you've read this book (not just seen a movie or read a retelling), you don't really know the character Peter Pan, and without knowing the character, you don't really know the story. So read it.By the way, if you enjoy this, you probably would also like "Sentimental Tommy" and its sequel "Tommy and Grizel", both by Barrie. There are differences (for one thing they're not fantasy), but there are also compelling similarities. Anybody who found Peter Pan a deep and slightly bittersweet book would be sure to enjoy them.-Stephen

"Peter pan" is one of the best book I love. As like Wendy, when I was a child I loved Peter from my heart. He is a real child, never never grow up and know dirty or gain unnecessary wisdom.. I seriously wanted to fly away to the Neverland. I think it is very difficult to become an adult with innocence. The child grow up to forget how to fly and don't believe fairly or romantic things. So I hope I would be a child forever. I don't want to be an adult. I think this book is not only adventure, but also sad love story about Peter and Wendy. Wendy fell in love with Peter but he hoped her to be a mother. I wanted them to become happy. Child wants love but when he gets it, he is no longer a child. It is heartless contradiction. The last part of this story is very sad, I think.