Peter Darling - a rambling review

[@daelen.cclark]

With how often Peter is played on stage by a woman, this is an amazing idea!!! The way you introduced it blows my mind!

[@HotDogTimeMachine385]

That sounds like such a cool take on the Peter Pan story!

[@JuanJose-bc2gs]

Now you've made me want to read this

[@janinaschergaut299]

Damn it, you had me wanting to read the book in the first half, not gonna lie, but the age gap does ick me out, so now I’m not sure if I want to read it 🙈 But I appreciate the heads-up. Also, having been socialised as a girl in the 90s / early 2000s, I can tell you from my experience that we don’t learn or get taught what it means to be a woman, either, beyond the “girls wear dresses”, “girls play with dolls”, “girls like pink” and all that stuff. I genuinely believe that so many people who are socialised as girls/women go through a “I’m not like other girls” phase because that’s when we start to realise being a woman isn’t all about dresses and make-up and liking the colour pink and other things we were told being a woman /is/. I do also think that some part of it is realising that we have a lot deeper internal lives than fiction and media gives us credit for, and I also think that internalised misogyny might play a roll, but I don’t think it’s an entirely “being socialised as male” problem. Not that I think that’s what you were saying, I just thought I’d give my two cents on it. Also, it’s kind of the reason why I always laugh when transphobes do say stuff like “you think putting on a skirt makes you a woman”, because I’d like to ask them what *they* think makes someone a woman.

[@meander112]

Engagement for the engagement god!

[@trackeduser2577]

we must engage... cue star trek next gen clip. some where there is a super-cut every one of Patrick Stewart's engage lines isn't there.....

[@_sarah.honey-]

This is such a good premise! But this also hurts my feelings because I relate to this so much

[@maurinet2291]

This sounds fantastic. Re power dynamic, for me it's a case by case basis; and it's easier to justify in a novel than anywhere else. The relationship has to be reciprocal to remain even.

[@alexilupin]

Ooh, I have read this so I'm glad to see you talking about it. I AM LIKE YOU. I must have at least scanned the blurb once but I guess I missed it, but there's often a gap between when I add the book to my TBR and when I actually read it, and I didn't reread the blurb. So I'd totally forgotten about the central premise and just knew that it was a Peter Pan retelling, and I love Peter Pan (the novel, not the Disney movie). And then the book was like "Here, have these FEELINGS." Also the audiobook was great.

[@thatotherted3555]

It's such a clever take on the character(s), and I'm glad you pointed out _why_ it's so clever, because I'm not sure I would've realized all the subtleties of it on my own.

[@onyxfrench-king611]

While I do have some reservations, they’re few enough that I think I’ll give this one a go!

[@NuttersIncorporated]

Sounds intresting. I'm going to buy a copy of the book and read it

[@davidgipe997]

Wow! Is the first thought and the perspective when you explained it just adds a sense to it beyond "well the original story is for kids, so quality hiccups". To put it simply I agree with you concerning it's 'smart' level. As for Peter/Hook never really considered them as a relationship. Given the nature of some pirates I could see a hook up. From your description it sounds mindfully done, which is great! Hope more neat things are found via commission. Be safe and prosper.

[@thomasdevine867]

Hook was originally written not to be doubled with Mister Darling. Missus Darling was to play Hook (what a role for Angela Lansbury). The actor playing Mr. Darling maneuvered himself into the role. But originally, Captain Hook was a breeches role. Note: Peter has lost none of his milk teeth. Peter was at most seven in the play. Thus he can't be more than seventeen in this story.

[@Pikeya]

I think I need to listen to this book. Edited to add, in one of Counterpoint's videos she made the point that it takes a while to get an authentic sense of feminine fashion and what that means as a woman. As cis woman, OH DEAR GODS, the cringe of the memories of the clothes I thought expressed myself. Yeah, I expressed one messy teenager.

[@angrykasperle-johanna7006]

@Councilofgeeks How did you feel about the fact that there is a romantic subplot? Did it impede the rest of the story?

[@BreakRoomofGeeks]

No because I wouldn't even consider it a subplot, it's a core function of the story. I know I rail against romantic subplots, but that's often because they show up in stories where I'm there for something else and I find them distracting. But when it's actually core to the story I'm usually ok with it, assuming it's done well.

[@katkameneva4925]

ok, sorry I stopped watching at the spoiler marker, but that's because I feel a strong need to read this book. I agree that it's a great recontextualising of the original story, and now I won't be able to sleep until I read it haha

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

doesn't seem to be my kind of thing

[@Melaniy-un3kr]

Next queer read

[@TiraAnarhin]

i had the same reaction to figuring out the Peter/Wendy connection first time i read the book😅 this was the first book i read with a trans-male narritve and while i did read the summary first, that part just did not click for me (not an english native speaker so that might have plaed a role). but i absolutly loved it 🤍🏳‍⚧