Captivated
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Review
`A fascinating account of the psychological web in which Barrie trapped the tragic du Maurier family.' --David Lodge in The Guardian, 29.11.2008
Review
`Meticulous and highly provocative... Dudgeon builds his case with precision and coolness...A gripping read.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
'Captivated' provides a deeply disturbing insight into the background of the story of Peter Pan. Dudgeon's book is a revelation in many ways and extremely thought-provoking.
However, I do have several criticisms: first, there is an awful lot of guesswork in this book. Dudgeon will admit to using supposition to reach a conclusion, but then will base facts on these suppositions. For example, he makes a tenuous claim that Jack Llewellyn Davies had depression due to his lung disease - this despite blaming JM Barrie for all possible mental health issues which impacted the rest of Jack's family.
Barrie is blamed for any and all disasters to befall the Davies and Du Maurier family - though he was clearly a strong and charismatic character, my feeling is that Dudgeon stretches the tales of Barrie's power too far at times.
This book obviously stems from very in-depth research: unfortunately this leads me to my greatest frustration with this book - the referencing. Dudgeon uses an incredibly irritating system whereby he lists each chapter's references separately so that, in order to check a reference, you first must check which section of the book you are in and which chapter you are reading - by then, you have forgotten the reference number so have to go back to the page you are reading - all of which severely interrupts the flow of your reading! Why not just number each reference continually?
Further, whilst some referencing is obsessive, there are many times when quotes appear with no reference whatsoever and with no hint to where they come from. This is not only unhelpful but it is also unprofessional and something the publisher should have picked up on. Further evidence of poor proof-reading is clear on page 206, where the wrong reference is given!
Dudgeon quotes Margaret Forster's criticism of Daphne du Maurier for mixing fact 'in the most awkward fashion with entirely imaginary suppositions, greatly to [the book's] detriment'. An interesting quote and one which could well serve as a warning to Mr. Dudgeon.
However, I do have several criticisms: first, there is an awful lot of guesswork in this book. Dudgeon will admit to using supposition to reach a conclusion, but then will base facts on these suppositions. For example, he makes a tenuous claim that Jack Llewellyn Davies had depression due to his lung disease - this despite blaming JM Barrie for all possible mental health issues which impacted the rest of Jack's family.
Barrie is blamed for any and all disasters to befall the Davies and Du Maurier family - though he was clearly a strong and charismatic character, my feeling is that Dudgeon stretches the tales of Barrie's power too far at times.
This book obviously stems from very in-depth research: unfortunately this leads me to my greatest frustration with this book - the referencing. Dudgeon uses an incredibly irritating system whereby he lists each chapter's references separately so that, in order to check a reference, you first must check which section of the book you are in and which chapter you are reading - by then, you have forgotten the reference number so have to go back to the page you are reading - all of which severely interrupts the flow of your reading! Why not just number each reference continually?
Further, whilst some referencing is obsessive, there are many times when quotes appear with no reference whatsoever and with no hint to where they come from. This is not only unhelpful but it is also unprofessional and something the publisher should have picked up on. Further evidence of poor proof-reading is clear on page 206, where the wrong reference is given!
Dudgeon quotes Margaret Forster's criticism of Daphne du Maurier for mixing fact 'in the most awkward fashion with entirely imaginary suppositions, greatly to [the book's] detriment'. An interesting quote and one which could well serve as a warning to Mr. Dudgeon.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a riveting book, it never lets you go, and what none of the reviews has mentioned is that at bottom what it is about is child abuse, psychological, emotional abuse, which leads for some of the protagonists to breakdown in adult life. Perpetrated at the very moment that psychology came on the scene as a science, it is a classic. Interesting how divided the reviews are, and how emotional the critical ones.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Part psychological, part revelatory and part historical, Captivated offers a deep insight into the lives of J.M.Barrie and the Du Maurier family. Barrie was initially drawn to the author and illustrator George Du Maurier (1834-1896) who created the hypnotic Svengali character in his novel Trilby and explored the territory of the unconscious long before the arrival of psychoanalysis.
An obvious fan, Barrie subsequently weaved his way into the lives of Du Maurier's children namely Sylvia and Gerald (Daphne's father) themselves interesting characters in their own right. By penetrating the imagination of the more susceptible family members, especially the children, there is no doubt of Barrie's unhealthy influence. Dudgeon does a brilliant job of drawing us into the incredible sequence of events that consequently ensues.
In addition to this fascinating investigation Captivated also provides us with a cultural and social commentary of the day. The reader is given an opportunity to peek into the rich human and often disturbing experiences of the Du Maurier family, whilst in the background there is always the central character whose dark and questionable motives play a major part throughout.
This is a very well researched and totally absorbing book.
Highly recommended.
An obvious fan, Barrie subsequently weaved his way into the lives of Du Maurier's children namely Sylvia and Gerald (Daphne's father) themselves interesting characters in their own right. By penetrating the imagination of the more susceptible family members, especially the children, there is no doubt of Barrie's unhealthy influence. Dudgeon does a brilliant job of drawing us into the incredible sequence of events that consequently ensues.
In addition to this fascinating investigation Captivated also provides us with a cultural and social commentary of the day. The reader is given an opportunity to peek into the rich human and often disturbing experiences of the Du Maurier family, whilst in the background there is always the central character whose dark and questionable motives play a major part throughout.
This is a very well researched and totally absorbing book.
Highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
O please.
"This is a very well researched and totally absorbing book.
Highly recommended"....... quoted from another review. Which might be true if one respects works of utter drivel. Read more
Highly recommended"....... quoted from another review. Which might be true if one respects works of utter drivel. Read more
Published 7 months ago by the voice of reason
Hypnotic
Captivated: J. M. Barrie, Daphne Du Maurier and the Dark Side of Neverland: J.M. Barrie, the Du Mauriers and the Dark Side of Neverland
This is a fascinating book. Read more
This is a fascinating book. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Gerry Neep
Don't buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a shame that anyone who hasn't read anything about Barrie before could come away from his book with a completely distorted view on JMB and never go on to discover anything... Read more
Published 14 months ago by HollyG.
Barrie wasn't the only adult around
This book was both interesting and irritating. The Du Maurier family had problems; whether Barrie added to them is a moot point. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Ironia
Dreadful Book
How on earth does a book like this get published? The slightest knowledge of the Du Mauriers and Barrie rips to shreds the author's very premise for this book. Read more
Published on 20 May 2010 by J. Quinn
Stunning Research and Superbly Written but also a little Creepy ...
This rigorously researched and superbly written study is a revelation into how Barrie's fiction is more (auto)biographical, occult and psychological than I ever could have imagined... Read more
Published on 28 May 2009 by Chris
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