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Product Description
Peter Pan, the "boy who would not grow up," originally appeared as a baby living a magical life among birds and fairies in J.M. Barrie's sequence of stories, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. His later role as flying boy hero was brought to the stage by Barrie in the beloved play Peter Pan, which opened in 1904 and became the novel Peter and Wendy in 1911. In a narrative filled with vivid characters, epic battles, pirates, fairies, and fantastic imagination, Peter Pan's adventures capture the spirit of childhood-and of rebellion against the role of adulthood in conventional society.
This edition includes the novel and the stories, as well as an introduction by eminent scholar Jack Zipes. Looking at the man behind Peter Pan and sifting through the psychological interpretations that have engaged many a critic, Zipes explores the larger cultural and literary contexts in which we should appreciate Barrie's enduring creation and shows why Peter Pan is a work not for children but for adults seeking to reconnect with their own imagination.
About the Author
James Matthew Barrie lived from 1860 to 1937. He was born in Scotland, the son of a weaver. He adored his mother, Margaret Ogilvie - it was the Scottish fashion in those days for wives to keep their maiden names - and, although the family were quite poor she made sure that he was educated. James moved to London in 1885 to follow a literary career. He first wrote short stories and later successful plays which made him rich and famous. He was very nervous when he gave Peter Pan to his theatrical manager because it was a child's fantasy, the first and only time he had ever written especially for children. But Peter Pan with its flying and theatrical devices was a huge success and continues to be performed today. In 1911 James Barrie turned his play into a novel, one of the most thrilling and magical of all the great adventures that have been written for children.
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First Sentence
All children, except one, grow up. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
All children, except one, grow up. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I realised last year that I have never actually read Peter Pan as a book, even though I have seen it many times on stage. I read it with huge enjoyment, and was really struck by the wonderful way in which it is written. The narative is much more dark than I would have thought, but that is not a bad thing, at all.
I was engrossed from start to finish
I was engrossed from start to finish
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Beautiful, dark and complex classic stories for children and adults, full of underlying themes about play, growing up and the imagination. Good introduction and notes by Jack Zipes. Lovely illustrations from original editions, although the book itself feels slightly flimsy and I noticed quite a few typos, which surprised me in a Penguin Classic.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had to read these two books for a class at University.
Peter Pan in Kensigton Gardens is wierd. It's good, but not the Peter Pan that everybody knows and loves.
It's a baby that lives with some birds and fairies, thinking his mother doesn't love him.
Peter and Wendy, however, is quite different. More of an evolved version of Peter from the previous book. It is somewhat different from the Disney book and films, even from the various plays/pantomimes but still follows basically the same storyline. It is a really imaginitive story and concept.
Ignore the whispers of J.M.Barrie's personal life and how it comes out in the book because that just ruins the story. It's pretty interesting to see the difference in versions of Peter and that is why this combination book is better.
Peter Pan in Kensigton Gardens is wierd. It's good, but not the Peter Pan that everybody knows and loves.
It's a baby that lives with some birds and fairies, thinking his mother doesn't love him.
Peter and Wendy, however, is quite different. More of an evolved version of Peter from the previous book. It is somewhat different from the Disney book and films, even from the various plays/pantomimes but still follows basically the same storyline. It is a really imaginitive story and concept.
Ignore the whispers of J.M.Barrie's personal life and how it comes out in the book because that just ruins the story. It's pretty interesting to see the difference in versions of Peter and that is why this combination book is better.
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