Peter Pan

Caution. Spoilers ahead

A young, magical, narcissistic sociopath named Peter meets a well-grounded kind girl, named Wendy, and her two brothers. Peter brings them to the magical land of stereotypes, where he rules over a murderous group of young boys whose membership is based upon the agreement that they will never grow up. This is ruthlessly enforced by Peter, who kills anyone who tries.

Wendy is quite enamoured by this cheery young despot, and he makes her the mother of the boys. They live in a kind of domestic bliss in Peter’s underground hideout, while venturing out and having many crazy adventures, mostly revolving around their rivalry with one of the stereotype gangs.

Although Peter does what he can to stop them, eventually Wendy and her brothers manage to return home to their parents, bringing all the young boys in the gang with them. Wendy can then happily grow up, while the young boys grudgingly do so. Only Peter remains a child in the magical land, periodically visiting Wendy when his selfish moods move him too. Over time they fall into a pattern of annual visits where Peter takes Wendy’s children, and then grandchildren, and on through the generations to the magical land of stereotypes, but for no longer than one week.

If there is a moral to this story, perhaps it is that children really should grow up because they’re selfish little tyrants, and though it may be a joyful way of being in short doses, perhaps it’s not so great long term.

I really quite liked this book. It’s well written and entertaining, and the author’s way of normalizing the absurdly unreal is almost magical in itself.