Hooked

As I mentioned in my last post, Peter Pan has been the front-runner amongst my obsessions, and I thought I'd share a lovely story I read recently. For those of you who know Peter Pan only through Disney, dash off to the bookstore and buy yourself a little paperback copy of J.M. Barrie's delightful story. I highly recommend it as it is my favorite story of all time, both conceptually and in the rambling, roundabout way in which it is narrated. Once you're done - or for those of you who have already read it - I can also highly recommend an unofficial prequel I recently read.

Captain James Hook and the Curse of Peter Pan is the story of Captain Hook's history, and how exactly he turned into the dreaded character he is in the time of Peter Pan. The two self-published authors do a wonderful job integrating Peter Pan canon with pirate lore and history (including characters such as Blackbeard and Long John Silver, whom Barrie mentions only in passing in Peter Pan) for a seamless and believable story. I haven't been this excited about a book in a long time. I couldn't put it down. While there are a few grammatical errors and things (and maybe I was only especially attuned to them as I am in the process of editing my own novel), they are quite easy to overlook for the sake of the overall story, which is brilliant.

The story starts when Hook is captured by an admiral in the Caribbean and is going to be hanged for piracy - but only after the admiral transcribes a written account of Hook's history. The rest of the story is told from Hook's point of view, beginning when he was a young boy. It's odd thinking of Hook as a child, but I suppose my favorite villain wasn't born an adult - or born evil. I also appreciate the way in which the authors portray Peter Pan himself. They truly capitalize on his ignorant and cocky demeanor. Overall, a great, quick read for anyone who wants to get their hands on anything Peter Pan related.

Ahoy there!

I'm sure I'm one of about a million people who decided to start blogging as a New Year's Resolution, but here I am. It seems there is a shortage of blogs out there for people like me, for those of us stuck somewhere between fantasy and reality. And I think it's so important not to lose sight of imagination and fantasy - you know, the important things - amidst all of life's other obligations. I intend for this blog to be an outlet for that out-there side we all have. I'll be the first to admit I'm a huge nerd (and proud of it), and I love to express this side through writing and fashion, especially, so that's what I'll be focusing on - for now. :)

I decided now was as good a time as any to get this blog up and running, as I'm reaching the end of a weekend where reality was quite blurred. I've been on a bit of a Peter Pan kick lately (er...Captain Hook, I should say). It's always been a favorite story of mine, but after participating in NaNoWriMo last November (National Novel Writing Month, for those of you who are unfamiliar) and writing my own novel based on the story Peter Pan, I've become especially obsessed. I've managed to get my hands on just about everything Peter Pan and Captain Hook related that I can, and it's been quite a lot. Between editing my own story (which I am currently working towards editing/publishing) and all of the other Peter Pan indulgences I've enjoyed lately, Neverland seems as real for me as anything. Let's just say that, despite it being the middle of winter, I may just sleep with my window open in case Captain Hook decides to show up and whisk me away to Neverland. :)