There's something really wonderful about re-reading the classics, especially one you haven't read in a while - and one that has so many versions. Coming to a familiar scene, the old magical dream comes up on you, the same it did when you read it first as a child, but you also hear all the echoes of the versions you've known from then to now.
(Happy sigh.)
Don't get me wrong. I love watching the movies too. They're great in their own way.
The Universal live action version (2003) gives you a feeling for Neverland's lush landscape. And Wendy Darling isn't wasting a lot of time acting like a damsel-in-distress in this one either.
I especially like how she gets her own sword.
The Disney version (1953) has songs which automatically makes it excellent.
And I know that Hook (1991) is not technically a version of Barrie's Peter Pan, but its fun is contagious.
Remember Rufio?
Remember when Pan comes back?
Remember when Pan comes back?
I don't care what anyone says. There was some brilliant acting in that movie.
But they don't write them like Peter Pan anymore. J.M. Barrie really knew what he was doing. In the original book, the focus is on being a kid. What a kid wants and feels and imagine, and what adventures a kid is likely to invent for his/herself. You can't help but feel a little younger and more playful after reading it.
In fact, I'm thinking about reading it again....
