When I saw Peter Pan in scarlet touted as the "official sequel" I wondered what that presumption was based on. What makes any post-humous sequel official? J.M. Barrie clearly didn't select Geraldine McCaughrean to write this book. Just inside the book, all was made clear in a brief explanation.
In 1929, J.M. Barrie gave all rights to "Peter Pan" to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. Every royalty penny earned from every copy or production of "Peter Pan" went to the hospital. In 2004, the hospital decided it was time for a sequel to this well-loved classic so they launched a contest soliciting plot outlines and sample chapters from authors around the world. McCaughrean was the winner and Peter Pan in scarlet is the resulting book. That made it one I had to read.
Peter Pan in scarlet is a playful book and very visual in its descriptions. The descriptions are not long and drawn out so young readers are not likely to skip over them, but the language is clear and evocative. The plot is new with the return of many familiar characters and the introduction of new ones. (Be warned, some "new" characters turn out to be familiar ones in disguise.) There's a lovely mix of magic, imagination, and dreaming and the lines between them are blurred leaving you wondering what is truly real. There are references to the first book but they are not so dependent that I felt I should have re-read the first book just before reading this one.
Despite all those wonderful qualities, I found this a rather dark and foreboding book. Much of the drama is psychological rather than swashbuckling. Neverland has been poisoned and the effects pervade the land, its inhabitants, and people outside its borders. The weight of that destruction coupled with the personal struggles of several characters clashes with the light and friendly writing style. We see bullying, social ostracism, poor leadership, and harsh, irrational decision-making all coming from a childhood hero. The resolution at the end doesn't erase those memories and I found myself feeling betrayed even after the book was finished.
If you're looking for a launchpad to initiate some difficult discussions with a child, this would be an excellent place to start. If you're looking for a light-hearted sequel to a treasured favourite, I would look elsewhere.
Peter Pan in scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean. Published in 2006 by Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-272620-9.
Showing posts with label relationships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relationships. Show all posts
Friday, January 16, 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
Uncharted
Angela Hunt is an author who likes to play with your mind. The cover of Uncharted says "expect the unexpected" and that could be said of any of her novels. The stories aren't always pretty, and you won't necessarily agree with her theology/worldview, but that's part of the attraction.
There are authors I read for their luscious writing, and others I read when I want to spend some time in someone else's head. Some are good for a laugh, some make history come alive, and some play games with you. Angela Hunt is definitely a game player.
I started Uncharted, thinking I knew where this story was going, but discovered that my ending was really just the introduction for the real story. Basically some 25 years after college, a formerly inseparable group of friends re-united. The cast includes your typical prom-queen, a jock, an over-achiever, a rebel, Mr. Ambition, and the peacemaker who held the group together. The friends went out on a boat and ended up in trouble on an island...but the similarity to Gilligan's Island ends there.
I can't tell you a whole lot more about the plot without ruining it for you. I can tell you that I've seen people get mad reading this book, and I've seen people who loved it. I haven't met anyone who read it without reacting to it. You won't be blown away by her writing style or her characterizations, but if you want to play head games, Angela Hunt is an author for you.
Uncharted by Angela Hunt. Published in 2006 by West Bow. ISBN: 0-8499-4484-8.
There are authors I read for their luscious writing, and others I read when I want to spend some time in someone else's head. Some are good for a laugh, some make history come alive, and some play games with you. Angela Hunt is definitely a game player.
I started Uncharted, thinking I knew where this story was going, but discovered that my ending was really just the introduction for the real story. Basically some 25 years after college, a formerly inseparable group of friends re-united. The cast includes your typical prom-queen, a jock, an over-achiever, a rebel, Mr. Ambition, and the peacemaker who held the group together. The friends went out on a boat and ended up in trouble on an island...but the similarity to Gilligan's Island ends there.
I can't tell you a whole lot more about the plot without ruining it for you. I can tell you that I've seen people get mad reading this book, and I've seen people who loved it. I haven't met anyone who read it without reacting to it. You won't be blown away by her writing style or her characterizations, but if you want to play head games, Angela Hunt is an author for you.
Uncharted by Angela Hunt. Published in 2006 by West Bow. ISBN: 0-8499-4484-8.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Out of the question...into the mystery
Leonard Sweet is recognized as a theologian/philosopher. Theologians are noted for dealing in rules and details, and philosophers for playing with theories and ideas, but Sweet doesn't live in that box. In Out of the question, Sweet very quickly makes it very clear that he is disenchanted with rules-based- or theoretical religion:
"...we need something more biblical than higher standards. We need higher relationships. We need less to be 'true to our principles' and much more to be true to our relationships...Our problem...is that we've made rules more important than relationships." (pg 2-3)
This theme continues as he looks at how religion has so often been used to excuse or justify horrible behaviours:
"There is a world of difference between superficial obedience and substantive relationship, between obeying orders and doing the rught thing. You can do the right thing in a strictly ethical or juridicial sense and still be wrong...Sometimes obedience is an abdication of moral responsibility, as the German church discovered through the lessons of World War II." (pg 53)
This is not a new theme. We're hearing it all over the place these days. What makes this book stand out is where Sweet goes once he's made his case for change. Most of this book is spent in deep examination of how we relate to each other in contrast to how we could be relating to each other. There's no denial that relating to people is difficult. Sweet at times describes relationships as chaos, porcupine-like, full of conflict, misunderstandings, and tension, and just plain hard work but the bottom line is, it's all worthwhile.
This is not a "Seven easy steps to..." workbook. We're not talking about patching up a few cracks on the surface. Being a philosopher, Sweet digs, exposing the roots of why we do what we do and shows us what changes in our foundational beliefs are needed to truly bring about change in our day-to-day interactions with others around us. Digging down deep is not easy but the change that results is genuine.
Out of the question...into the mystery : getting lost in the Godlife relationship. Written by Leonard Sweet. Published in 2004 by Waterbrook Press. ISBN: 978-1578566471.
"...we need something more biblical than higher standards. We need higher relationships. We need less to be 'true to our principles' and much more to be true to our relationships...Our problem...is that we've made rules more important than relationships." (pg 2-3)
This theme continues as he looks at how religion has so often been used to excuse or justify horrible behaviours:
"There is a world of difference between superficial obedience and substantive relationship, between obeying orders and doing the rught thing. You can do the right thing in a strictly ethical or juridicial sense and still be wrong...Sometimes obedience is an abdication of moral responsibility, as the German church discovered through the lessons of World War II." (pg 53)
This is not a new theme. We're hearing it all over the place these days. What makes this book stand out is where Sweet goes once he's made his case for change. Most of this book is spent in deep examination of how we relate to each other in contrast to how we could be relating to each other. There's no denial that relating to people is difficult. Sweet at times describes relationships as chaos, porcupine-like, full of conflict, misunderstandings, and tension, and just plain hard work but the bottom line is, it's all worthwhile.
This is not a "Seven easy steps to..." workbook. We're not talking about patching up a few cracks on the surface. Being a philosopher, Sweet digs, exposing the roots of why we do what we do and shows us what changes in our foundational beliefs are needed to truly bring about change in our day-to-day interactions with others around us. Digging down deep is not easy but the change that results is genuine.
Out of the question...into the mystery : getting lost in the Godlife relationship. Written by Leonard Sweet. Published in 2004 by Waterbrook Press. ISBN: 978-1578566471.
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