Wednesday, April 18, 2012

P is for Peter Pan

I have read two versions of Peter Pan's story. It is interesting to me to see how much the same legends can be changed and twisted with a new set of hands writing them.

My favorite so far has been Brom's rendition of Peter Pan in The Child Thief, where Peter is a little bit of a menace and doesn't really consider the emotions of the children that he whisks away into Neverland. In fact, he takes them away from the real world and forces them into fighting the war with him. He has no emotional attachment to the people that he brings back, he only wants to win the war. Nick, the main character, goes through a lot of twists and turns during the length of the novel, which creates an interesting dynamic in its own way.

The other version was the classic children's tale. Most of us know how that goes. Peter does run away from responsibility, but it is his innocence that keeps him good. While he does encourage some kids to run away with them, it is always up to the kids whether or not they want to stay. There is nothing dark or sadistic with the classic tale.

I think it is interesting that artists can take the same concept and idea and completely reinvent it. I have a massive respect for people that can do this, and do it well. Brom's story is definitely worth the read. His writing style was paced so well and the description was spot on without being heavy-handed.

8 comments:

  1. I will have to check out Child Thief. It looks rather interesting.

    I am trying to read all the A to Z blogs, but coming back to the ones I really like.
    Looking forward to seeing what you do all month!

    Tim
    The Other Side
    The Freedom of Nonbelief

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    1. It's a really fast/fun read :) I wouldn't recommend it if it wasn't worth it!

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  2. I've never even heard of the Child Thief! Ah, I thought I knew all Peter Pan related stories. Gotta get it. I personally also really love the Peter and the Starcatchers series. So great!

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    1. I've never actually heard of that one - so thanks for mentioning it!

      I used to work at Barnes and Noble, and a guy found it on the shelf while he was buying coffee from me. The cover looked cool - so I asked him what it was about. I *had* to get it after he told me!

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  3. I think there's always been something a little dark about Peter Pan, even in the classic tale. His disregard for other's wishes is always there, I think.

    new follower,
    mood
    Moody Writing

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    1. Yeah, he's always been "blissfully ignorant" of what other people are thinking/feeling, which is why he is so mischievous. But Brom's version is really dark.

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  4. Never thought of Peter Pan the way you describe, but yoe. His intent could be shown this way. Clever. Blog on!

    http://francene-wordstitcher.blogspot.com

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    1. It is definitely eerie to see him portrayed that way. Getting to Neverland is actually so dangerous that a lot of kids have died along the way (Nick trips over some skulls). Peter doesn't even care, he doesn't even look back to make sure the MC is okay as he's going through the deadly mist.

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