I haven't had much of a chance to read lately, but I did manage to read Capt. Hook : the Adventures of a Notorious Youth by J.V. Hart. WHAT A READ!!! If you're a pirate at heart, or a fan of "Peter Pan", you MUST read this book. The author is a well-known screenwriter, noted for "Hook", "Bram Stoker's Dracula", and many more. He certainly knows his way around a good story. Illustrations are by Brett Helquist; if you don't recognize the name, here's a hint -- "Series of Unfortunate Events'. His slightly gothic style is perfect for this tale. Try to resist the opening paragraph: "It was his eyes. The color of blue forget-me-nots, piercing, like two novas in a sky of dying stars. Profoundly melancholy, yes. Except when James was angry, at which time two red spots appeared in them and lit them up horribly."
I'm also reading J.M. Barrie's original "Peter Pan". Having seen the play, the Disney version, "Finding Neverland", the recent film version, and "Hook", I think it's high time I read the original. I'm a big fan of the story, but not for Peter or Wendy. I'm a hook fan all the way!
If you haven't seen the movie "Hook", go out and rent it today! This wonderful film features Robin Williams as a grown-up Peter Pan, Dustin Hoffmann as Captain Hook, and Julia Roberts as Tinker Belle. As you can imagine, Dustin Hoffmann steals the movie.
If you haven't seen "Finding Neverland", I highly recommend it. This movie is so sweet yet not saccharine or maudlin at all. Johnny Depp is absolutely beautiful and perfect as the Scottish author. Kate Winslet is the archetypal Mother. And Freddy Highmore will steal your heart as Peter. Be forewarned -- there are tears at the end of this one.
