Reviews for Peter Pan (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

The average rating for Peter Pan (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-08-21 00:00:00 Adam Mitchell A story of a dead child and a mother who is missing him. Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937), a Scottish, wrote this book in 1902 for an older brother, David (his mother's favorite) who died in an ice-skating accident the day before he turned 14. Thus, in his mother's mind, David always stayed as a young boy who would not grow up. J. M. Barrie, a middle-child and then only 6 years old, tried to assume David's place in his mother's heart by wearing the latter's clothes and speaking and sounding like him. Barrie was 42 when Peter Pan (the character) first appeared in his other novel, The Little White Bird but the emotion of longing (the child missing his mother and the mother missing his son) can be felt by the readers as if the death only happened recently. For me, this attests to Barrie's brilliance as a novelist. They say that losing one's child is the most painful grief that a parent can have. A parent burying his child is in contradiction to the natural cycle of life. Thus, it is a lifelong journey of grief for the parents. The very young Barrie saw this pain in his mother's heart and so he tried his best to act, speak and sound like his brother. A mother missing her child. In the story this is symbolized by the open bedroom window waiting for Wendy, John and Michael to return. When they finally do, Peter tries closing it but when he sees the tears in Mrs. Darling's eyes, he says "we don't want any silly mothers'"; and he flew away. making it a triumph of a mother's unconditional heart. A child longing for his mother's love. This is symbolized by Peter asking for Wendy to be his mother and probably Tink and probably even Mrs. Darling. This is the moral of the story: we all need mothers especially those whose windows are and will always be open for us. A beautiful book. Mesmerizing prose. A fantasy adventure children's book on the surface. But a sad emotion-filled story of a mother and her son somewhere inside. It has the ethereal beauty of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's Le Petite Prince and the subtle meaningful cycle-of-life lesson in E. B. White's Charlotte's Web, two of favorite children's books. My only regret is that fathers like me are sidelined. We fathers have hearts too and we would like to be part of that love. Why did Barrie depict Mr. Darling as crazy feeding Nana his medicine and has to sleep in the kernel? You see, my windows are also open.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-04-13 00:00:00 Mike Piazza ENGLISH (Peter Pan) / ITALIANO «All children, except one, grow up.» The incipit of Peter Pan of J.M. Barrie is the perfect synthesis of the book. I will try to make the point using as inspiration the words of a child, namely three phrases from my daughter Arianna while in the evening she was listening in her bed my reading of Peter Pan (seventeen chapters read on as many nights with the emphasis of a talented narrator): 1 - "Peter Pan is a bad guy" Yes, my daughter did not like to the protagonist of the novel. I did not investigate the reason for her grudge. Probably she didn't like the fact that Peter doesn't want to grow. Not strange, when you are a child usually you want to grow because several tings are forbidden, etc. It is only when you realize that those years are forever lost that you regret for the lost childhood. Everything normal. 2 - "But why Hook have to die?" My daughter almost burst into tears in the solemn moment of the pirate's death. The bad guy of the novel is not that bad after all? I like James Uncino too (it is obvious that the question was asked by the blood of my blood). Actually, it is the death of a central character that shakes the mind of children, a character they started to know and whose presence they are used to. And punctually the tremendous question arrives: "Why do we have to die?" (dear Arianna, if I exactely explain it to you, maybe you also become like Peter Pan, a child who refuses to grow). I buy time and go further. 3 - "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The scream is thrown by my daughter when Peter Pan closes the window of the children's room to prevent their home return. I think that one of the things that terrorizes more a child is to stay without their loved ones. The strenght and especially the desire to break away from the family is perhaps the best indicator of the lost childhood. I instinctively associate Peter Pan with the The Little Prince of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. However, although speaking the same language (that of children), and dealing with common themes, I enjoyed more Peter Pan and its sad and sweet conclusion. Imagination is a powerful ability, but it is consumed by time. You just have to use it as long as you can. Thereby children fly with their minds and their hearts:«It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly» Surely, being all three things at the same time when you are an adult is impossible. Vote: 8 «Tutti i bambini crescono, meno uno» L'incipit di Peter Pan di J.M. Barrie è la perfetta sintesi di tutto il libro. Vista la tematica, cercherò di fare il punto della situazione utilizzando come spunti di pensiero le parole di una bambina, vale a dire due frasi pronunciate da mia figlia Arianna mentre la sera ascoltava nel suo letto la mia lettura di Peter Pan (diciassette capitoli letti in altrettante serate con un'enfasi da narratore rodato): 1 - "Peter Pan è un cattivone" Ebbene si, mia figlia non ha preso in simpatia il protagonista del romanzo. Non ho indagato a fondo il motivo del suo rancore. Probabilmente è stato il voler rimanere bambino a tutti i costi che a mia figlia proprio non è andato giù. Non c'è nulla di strano in questo, quando si è bambini si vuole crescere, parecchie cose ti sono proibite, etc. E' solo quando ci si rende conto che quegli anni sono persi per sempre che si rimpiange la propria fanciullezza. Tutto nella norma. 2 - "Ma perché Uncino è dovuto morire?" Mia figlia è quasi scoppiata in lacrime nel solenne momento della morte del pirata. Il cattivo del romanzo dopotutto non è poi così cattivo. A me James Uncino è sempre stato simpatico, difatti (è evidente che a formulare la domanda è stato il sangue del mio sangue... tesoro di papà!) In realtà è la morte di un personaggio centrale che scuote l'animo di un bambino, un personaggio che hai cominciato a conoscere e alla cui presenza ti sei abituato. E puntuale arriva il tremendo quesito, La Domanda con la D maiuscola: "Perchè dobbiamo morire?" (Cara Arianna, se te lo spiego per bene, magari diventi anche tu, come Peter Pan, una bambina che si rifiuta di crescere). Tergiverso e vado oltre. 3 - "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" L'urlo di disappunto viene lanciato da mia figlia quando Peter Pan chiude la finestra della camera dei bambini per impedire il loro ritorno a casa. Credo che una delle cose che terrorizza di più un bambino sia il rimanere senza i propri cari. La capacità e soprattutto la voglia di staccarsi dalla propria famiglia è forse il principale indicatore per la perduta fanciullezza. Istintivamente mi viene da associare Peter Pan al Il piccolo principe di Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Tuttavia, pur parlando la stessa lingua, quella dei bambini, e trattando tematiche comuni, ho apprezzato di più Peter Pan e il suo finale triste e dolce. L'immaginazione è una capacità potente, che però va affievolendosi col tempo. Non resta che sfruttarla appieno fin quando si può. E allora volano con la mente e con il cuore i bambini.«Solo chi è allegro, innocente e senza cuore può volare»Una cosa è certa: da adulti, essere contemporaneamente tutte e tre le cose è impossibile. Voto: 8