Book Review: Peter Pan

Surprisingly enough, the Disney classic cartoon version of this book is actually very close to what happens in the book. Of course, there are differences. For example, the father is more of a jerk in the book than in the movie. This is the classic tale of the boy who refused to grow up and shunned everything grown up. Peter Pan wishes to take Wendy back to Neverland to be their mother. Together with her brothers John and Michael, Wendy travels to Neverland. There, they meet the Lost Boys, have adventures of childish proportions, befriend the Indians, and defeat Captain Hook. However, Wendy realizes in horror that John and Michael are forgetting their real mother and are beginning to believe that Wendy really is their mother. They return, against Peter's will, along with the Lost Boys. Peter Pan promises Wendy that he will return every year to take her back to Neverland, but as boys often do, he forgets. When he returns, Wendy is grown up and has a daughter, Jane. Since grown ups cannot go to Neverland, Peter takes Jane instead. And after Jane grows up, he brings her daughter Margaret. And the cycle continues from generation to generation.

If you enjoy Peter Pan, then you might also like its darker sequel - Peter Pan in Scarlet.

Book Review: Myst: The Book of Atrus

Written by Rand and Robyn Miller, Myst: The Book of Atrus is a novel which tells the tell of Atrus, the main protagonist in the amazingly intricate puzzle computer game Myst (and most of the sequels as well). This book tells the tale of Atrus, from his birth to the meeting of his future wife Catherine (whose name is actually Katran, but oh well). Atrus's mother died right after his birth, and his father will have nothing to do with him. This leaves him in the hands of his kind grandmother who raises him in a barren cleft. Atrus grows up to be inventive, creative, and curious. His grandmother tells him wonderful stories about the people of D'ni, a powerful race of people who were destroyed by one of their own. His life is wonderful. Suddenly, his father returns and demands that Atrus come with him. His father, Gehn, seeks to teach his son the dying art of writing whole worlds into existence. Atrus is excited to learn that he is not only one of the last D'ni but that he also has ability to create worlds from words. However, the more he learns from his father about the art, the more he realizes a frightening truth which will lead him to take drastic measures against his own father.

I have to admit, but I am rather biased about this book. It's a novelization of one of my favorite childhood computer games. Seriously, the Myst computer series are really great puzzle games with beautiful scenery and ambiance, which is reflected in the descriptive writing in this book. Detail is key. Of course, this is not Christian science fiction, and the father, Gehn, often refers to himself as a god, with which Atrus strongly disagrees. The book makes good arguments against humans playing god, although it does not have any other theistic elements to it.