132,568
edits
Changes
From TheBookbag
Jump to navigationJump to searchPeter Pan and Wendy by J M Barrie (view source)
Revision as of 07:24, 9 May 2018
, 07:24, 9 May 2018no edit summary
...But. But this version is abridged. It's been so long since I read the original I can't put my finger on what's specifically missing, but it certainly feels light and unsatisfying. You'll romp through the book from start to finish before you get a feel for any atmosphere, without building up any tension, and without really getting a chance to fully enjoy one of the greatest children's stories.
[[:Category:Shirley Hughes|Shirley Hughes]] (best known for the [[''Alfie]] '' and [[''Dogger]] '' books) has provided the illustrations. On the face of things, it sounds like a marriage made in heaven, but being just black and white drawings, they lack the vibrancy and colour of the original story. Tinker Bell almost blends into the background, rather than sparkling. Hughes' drawing style is as good as it ever was, but it doesn't quite gel here. Had the book been unabridged, they would have fitted significantly better, but in an abridged version they're being asked to replace the missing atmosphere, and they just don't quite manage to do that.
They're somewhat petty criticisms, I know, but with such a classic children's story, there's no point accepting a lesser version. This copy of Peter Pan and Wendy is a missed opportunity, rather than there being anything particularly wrong with it.
