I Won't Grow Up...

Title: Peter Pan

Author: J.M. Barrie

Rating: ****1/2

Review: This is another charming story I've waited decades to read. I feel so old saying that, but it's almost true. My earliest encounter with Peter was in '89 or '90 when the Cathy Rigby version was televised. I'm positive it was Cathy, though I can't find any proof to support it. Even the video we recorded it on has long since disappeared. I waltzed around the house singing and crowing for years. I wanted to be a gymnast, so I could learn to fly like Cathy. My mom furthered Peter Pan by taking me to see it at the Muny and another local theater in 92 and '93, respectivley. I loved it. I loved the story, I loved the music. We never owned the Disney version, so to me Cathy Rigby would always be Peter. In '92 my parents rented Hook, and then I became obsessed. I loved Hook far more than any version of Peter Pan I watched. Maggie (Banning's daughter, not Maggie Smith) was my favorite. I even tried to name my daughter Megan or Margret, just so I could call her Maggie. My sister took over the Peter Pan phase in '98, also when the "Easter Bunny" left CAITLIN (not Amie) a copy of the Disney classic. She watched the Disney movie with zest I had for other versions.

Fast forward 16 years. I finally broke down and purchased a copy of Peter Pan for myself at Borders. Two months later, the cover started falling off. I found it on project gutneburg and began listening to the novel there. I listened to it off and on for a week or so before finishing. It was 'okay'. Not amazing, not wonderful, just okay. The ending was much better than any movie. The movies and stage also hurt the novel, because of the pre-conceived age of Peter. In the book he seems to be 5 or 6, but the movies all make him around 8-12.  I wish I liked it more. I really do. I just didn't. Oh well, it was still wonderful. I think this would make a great bedtime story for 6-8 year olds. Any younger, and it would be over their heads, and any older and they'd prefer to read it themselves.