Peter Pan
Away from Disney and the summary adaptations of
JM Barrie’s classics, Peter Pan in
Kensington Gardens and Peter Pan and
Wendy are intriguing and sometimes desperately sad stories. The fantasy of
Neverland and the secret world inside Kensington Gardens is still as exciting
as in childhood, but the depth of the characters is quite surprising when you
read the texts with adult eyes, from the enigmatic Mrs Darling to the stubborn
and tragic Peter Pan.
Chronicles of Narnia
These books are a lot more than The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(though that is fantastic). The
Magician’s Nephew and The Horse
and His Boy are lesser known of C.S Lewis’ works but are just appealing as
the others, and give extra layers to the collection as a whole. You really get
a sense of how deep Lewis was, from his little quips to his larger metaphors
about morality and religion.
Haroun and the Sea of
Stories
Written for his son, Salman Rushdie’s tale of Haroun and his story
teller father is fun and fantastical, and it’s wider implications about free
speech and originality are important at any age. As with anything Rushdie
touches, you get the feeling you could read it once a year from age seven to
seventy and get something extra from each visit.
Treasure Island
Treasure
Island is the classic adventure story, and second time round the threats to
Jim that drive the narrative are just as real, if not more so, when you are old
enough to see him as a child rather than a peer. Long John Silver, too, appears
more complex than the straightforward pirate villain he’s known as.
Harry Potter
Possibly the most famous book to cross the
child/adult demographic, this powerhouse series is even available in with a
more grown up cover for holidayers and commuters. JK Rowling is often
criticized for her writing style by more high brow book fans, but the plot,
characters and detail in the alternate world of magic make clear why the books
were such a runaway success.
The Secret Garden
As with Jim in Treasure Island you can’t help but feel for Mary Lennox, as the
details of her past that it was easy to skim past as a child become very clear. Equally, with Colin, he becomes more than a difficult boy to befriend
and cure, but a helpless child at the mercy of unloving adults. The two are so
three dimensional, and still feel like children despite the now archaic
language. As the real view of the children become clear the adults come
sharply into focus, too, from Colin’s uncle to Mary’s mother, and you quickly
realise they can only be accountable second time round.
