Peter Pan... what can I say?
I've always been fascinated with this story. A boy who flies and never grows old? A land with pirates and mermaids and fairies? A girl and her family on an awfully big adventure?
Seriously, what's not to love?
So when my friend told me about this awesome blogging project – Classics Retold! – I just had to join. I picked Peter Pan, and well, here we are. I'm really excited to work on this and am looking forward to posting in September.
THE SOURCE:
Well, sources... J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan and Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
THE ADAPTATIONS:
There are a lot of a lot of adaptations of Peter Pan. And I mean, A LOT. Which I think is great. Woohoo! So much to choose from! Here, I'm just going to give a sneak peek at stuff I'm definitely looking at. There will likely be tons more than what I've got here – and I absolutely love suggestions and recommendations – so look forward to that later.
Without further ado...
BOOKS -
Peter & The Starcatchers Series
A fun little prequel for kids about how Peter Pan got to be Peter Pan. There's a lot going on from what I remember, but I enjoyed it. I only read two of the books out of the series though, so I'm excited to see what else happens.
Peter Pan in Scarlet
I read this in, I think, middle school... when I found out that it was the authorized sequel to Peter Pan and I just couldn't get enough of the story. I think that I found it a little weird, and it was definitely a little sad, but I don't think it was a bad book. I'll have to see what I think of it now.
Tiger Lily
I've heard really good things about this. I'm happy to think it'll live up to its hype. Definitely an interesting idea... a love story centered around Peter Pan and Princess Tiger Lily. Apparently, there will be action and romance and the arrival of Wendy Darling to possibly (I'm guessing, probably) push them away from each other.
As Goodreads says, "from the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up."
MOVIES / TV SHOWS -
Peter Pan (Disney version)
If you haven't seen this, what did you do with your childhood? It's a lovable Disney animated film that mostly, at least to my knowledge, follows the book.
Peter Pan: Return to Neverland
And here's the sequel... a Disney animated film where Wendy's all grown up, but her daughter, Jane, goes to Neverland and has adventures with Peter Pan.
Peter Pan (2003, live-action)
In my opinion, an adorable and well-done movie that is probably one of the popular modern adaptations that most closely follows the book.
Hook
Loved this movie. Will probably always love it. No problem watching it again. In this, Peter has left Neverland for our world and grown up. But when his kids are kidnapped by Captain Hook, he has to overcome his denial and his "maturity" to be the hero they need – to be Peter Pan again.
Finding Neverland
A story about J.M. Barrie and his relationship with the family that inspired Peter Pan. Warning: There will be tears.
Once Upon A Time (a few related episodes and characters)
Captain Hook becomes a prominent character in Season 2. And there are a few episodes towards the end of the season that deal with Neverland and Peter Pan. It's a really interesting and completely different take on the story ... so don't be expecting too much of the original ... but I'm curious to see where they continue to take it. And be warned! I'm going to remind people, but tons of spoilers for Season 2. So just watch it already.
Neverland
I love the Syfy reimaginings of classics. Tin Man and Alice were also favorites of mine. Neverland is the channel's take on Peter Pan. I've seen it once and thought it was very intriguing, especially the way certain characters related to each other differently than in the book. I'd recommend it if you've got some hours to spare ... after all, it is a mini-series.
So there you have it. Peter Pan. Classics Retold! Let's do this.
Classics Retold is a project hosted by:
Alison @ The Cheap Reader (Children’s Classics)
Alyssa @ Books Take You Places (Ancient to Renaissance Literature)Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy (19th Century and Gothic Classics
Wendy @ Excellent Library (American and Miscellaneous Classics)
Brittany @ Book Addict’s Guide (Mythology Classics)
Thanks for this great idea! I only wish I could have known about Project: Fairy Tale when it was going on!