Week 14 Reviews

🎄 Week 14 Reviews ☃️
December 2nd- 8th, 2017

🧜 Book 1: Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie 💀
Read December 4th- 5th, 2017
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This edition of Peter Pan is gorgeous.
I love the MinaLina designed classics.

This is the second time that I have read this book, with the first being when I was around ten or eleven. It's a story that I have known and loved for most of my life. J. M. Barrie's narration throughout this book was one of the most enjoyable parts. His comments about what was going on were often times funny. I loved how he was not only telling the tale but also seemed himself to have a part in it. One of my favorite scenes is when he says he's flipped a coin to figure out which adventure he is going to tell us about. Also, I agree with him when he calls the children brats (at least a little bit).

A Brief Synopsis

Peter  Pan is about a young boy who never wants to grow up; his spunky fairy, Tinker Bell; the dastardly pirate, Captain James Hook; the other pirates; the Lost Boys and three English children-Wendy, John and Michael- who Peter takes with him to Neverland. The story focuses mainly on their adventures in the wonderful world of Neverland. A story of growing up but also of the importance of believing. This is a timeless tale. 

The Characters

Peter Pan is everything I already knew about him. The boy that never wants to grow up can be quite stubborn, forgetful, and a bit of a showoff. Overall, he really does care for his friends and he can be a sweet boy when he wants to be. He has always been one of my favorite characters of all time and reading this again, I can see why.

Tinkerbell was a snappy and amusing character to watch. Her little comments about Peter were great. I love the side comment that Barrie gives about how fairies can only be bad or good at a certain time. They cannot be both at the same time because they're too tiny. It's that kind of quirky writing that makes this just incredible.

The mother and father of Wendy, John, and Michael were characters that I felt sorry for. Their children are away for who really knows how long and they have to just stay there and hope that they will come home. Mr. Darling's idea to stay in Nanny's kennel until his children are safely home was not expected and so funny.

Then there's the dastardly Captain James Hook, my favorite literary villain of all time. His character was so much more complex than the Disney version gives him credit for (though I adore the Disney version). James is after Peter Pan, yes because the boy took his hook, but also because of his cocky attitude. He also is cunning and a gentleman at heart. We find out a bit about his backstory and can see why he wants to fight with such precision. "Bad form."

And finally the quote "To die would be an awfully big adventure"- will never stop being great.

Ending Thoughts

Overall, Peter Pan will never stop being one of my favorite books of all time. It really is one of the best books I have ever read. Great story and equally great characters. This is a bit darker than most versions of the story that I have watched but that makes it so much better. Peter is a character that I will never have enough of.

👻 Book 2: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 🎄
Read December 7th, 2017
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I have read, watched, and listened to this story so many times I could probably recite every plot point. It will never get old for me. I first fell in love with this story when I was a child with Mickey's Christmas Carol. I really do not know how many times I have consumed A Christmas Carol, but most likely it's been over thirty.

 You have probably heard of this story before but for those that have not, I'll give a quick synopsis. We follow around Ebenezer Scrooge and his encounters with four different ghosts on Christmas Eve. Scrooge has lived a good part of his life mean-spirited. He is an arrogant, insensitive and quite cold miser, who spends every day miserable at the world around him. His old friend Jacob Marley (who has been dead for seven years) comes as a ghost that very night to give Scrooge a chance to change his ways so he doesn't end up like Marley. Marley has been doomed to wander the earth as a spirit, to forever carry the burden of his sins in the chains on his back.

The other three ghosts that Scrooge encounters are of Christmases past, present, and future. They each help him see the errors in his actions and really help show the overall message of this story. A Christmas Carol is known for its story and Scrooge's redemption. We want him to succeed, at least I know that I do. Yes, he is a man who is a curmudgeon but that does not mean there is no room for change. Like I have said before I grew up with Mickey's Christmas Carol. One of my favorite characters from Disney cartoons was Scrooge McDuck. It was great getting introduced to this famous literary character through him, especially since Scrooge McDuck is based on Ebenezer.

As we follow Scrooge through his journey through his past, present, and a possible future, we learn a good amount about him. He is never really as cold-hearted as he seems. There are many glimpses at a softer side to Scrooge that shows that he really could change. Our other characters such as Bob Cratchett and his family are also a joy to read about. This is a family that has hardly any money but they can still see the joy of Christmas. Spending time with their family is the most important thing to them. The ghosts are also each distinct from each other and bring about some quite interesting scenes.

This novel just brings a warm feeling to my heart every time I read it. This story is a favorite of mine that I know will never change. It's a classic for a very good reason. If you have not taken the time to enjoy this before now, please pick it up in some fashion. I believe that you will enjoy the overall message and get something out of it.