Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Peter Pan by JM Barrie

Peter Pan is one of my all time favorite childhood stories. It was a favorite movie (and ride) in the Disney version. I absolutely adore the newer movie version put out about 4 years ago. And I was fascinated with Return to Neverland. But I have a confession to make, I'd never actually watched the play or read the book. I'd always intended on it, but it never happened. I did buy the book, but it became one of those well intended books that sat on my shelf and sat on my shelf and sat on my shelf, unopened.
This past weekend, I ran out of things to read. I spent a day of nervous energy peering into my bookshelves for something to tide me over until the library opened again (summer hours drive me nuts)...I toyed a bit re-reading some the Vinyl Cafe Stories by Stuart McLean, and though they are amusing, they are still too fresh in my memory to really fill my literature void. And suddenly Peter Pan jumped out at me. Would this actually be the time I started to read the book? Yes. Now I remember why I'm so attached to these movies. It is such a magical, endearing story. I'm about 3/4 through now and am amazed. The writing style is so good. Why they don't write children's books like this anymore, I'll never know. It's so smart. (I don't like the dumbing down of things). There is so much more to the story than Disney could ever have portrayed (the newer movie is much more accurate). As I approach these last pages, I'm feeling fulfilled in having read a truly good book and I look forward to the day when I can share these stories with my own boys.

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