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Peter Pan
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens by J.M. Barrie. Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up, is one of the immortals of children's literature. J.M. Barrie first created Peter Pan as a baby, living in secret with the birds and fairies in the middle of London, but as the children for whom he invented the stories grew older, so too did Peter, reappearing in Neverland, where he was aided in his epic battles with Red Indians and pirates by the motherly and resourceful Wendy Darling. With their contrary lures of home and escape, childhood and maturity, safety and high adventure, these unforgettable tales are equally popular with children and adults.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
About the author
J.M. Barrie
2,033 books2,180 followersJames Matthew Barrie was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote several successful novels and plays.
The son of a weaver, Barrie studied at the University of Edinburgh. He took up journalism for a newspaper in Nottingham and contributed to various London journals before moving there in 1885. His early Auld Licht Idylls (1889) and A Window in Thrums (1889) contain fictional sketches of Scottish life representative of the Kailyard school. The publication of The Little Minister (1891) established his reputation as a novelist. During the next decade, Barrie continued to write novels, but gradually, his interest turned towards the theatre.
In London, he met Llewelyn Davies, who inspired him about magical adventures of a baby boy in gardens of Kensington, included in The Little White Bird, then to a "fairy play" about this ageless adventures of an ordinary girl, named Wendy, in the setting of Neverland. People credited this best-known play with popularizing Wendy, the previously very unpopular name, and quickly overshadowed his previous, and he continued successfully.
Following the deaths of their parents, Barrie unofficially adopted the boys. He gave the rights to great Ormond street hospital, which continues to benefit.
The son of a weaver, Barrie studied at the University of Edinburgh. He took up journalism for a newspaper in Nottingham and contributed to various London journals before moving there in 1885. His early Auld Licht Idylls (1889) and A Window in Thrums (1889) contain fictional sketches of Scottish life representative of the Kailyard school. The publication of The Little Minister (1891) established his reputation as a novelist. During the next decade, Barrie continued to write novels, but gradually, his interest turned towards the theatre.
In London, he met Llewelyn Davies, who inspired him about magical adventures of a baby boy in gardens of Kensington, included in The Little White Bird, then to a "fairy play" about this ageless adventures of an ordinary girl, named Wendy, in the setting of Neverland. People credited this best-known play with popularizing Wendy, the previously very unpopular name, and quickly overshadowed his previous, and he continued successfully.
Following the deaths of their parents, Barrie unofficially adopted the boys. He gave the rights to great Ormond street hospital, which continues to benefit.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 823 reviews
August 28, 2019
Review in English and Spanish
This book had one of the best introductions, knowing so many curious facts about its author and creating his story and everything that was around him at the time he wrote it, his life and other things around the novel allow us to see The novel from another perspective. James Baarrie is a writer that we all know since he is an icon of British literature and writer of several works, but knowing him from his novel as such is another experience that nobody can miss, I recommend it but knowing the context of the novel. This story tells about the beginnings of the famous Peter Pan and how is its relationship with the fairies and the famous Kensington Gardens. The metaphors and the hidden messages of the play moved me more than once, I really liked it a lot.
Este libro tuvo uno de las mejores introducciones, el conocer tantos datos curiosos de su autor y la creación de su historia y todo lo que estaba a su alrededor en la época en donde lo escribió, su vida y demás cosas alrededor de la novela permiten ver la novela desde otra perspectiva. James Baarrie es un escritor que todos conocemos ya que es un icono de la literatura británica y escritor de varias obras, pero el conocerlo desde su novela como tal es otra experiencia que nadie se puede perder, lo recomiendo pero sabiendo el contexto de la novela. Esta historia habla de los inicios del famoso Peter Pan y como es su relación con las hadas y los famosos jardines de Kensington. Las metáforas y los mensajes ocultos de la obra me conmovieron mas de una vez, de verdad me gusto mucho.
This book had one of the best introductions, knowing so many curious facts about its author and creating his story and everything that was around him at the time he wrote it, his life and other things around the novel allow us to see The novel from another perspective. James Baarrie is a writer that we all know since he is an icon of British literature and writer of several works, but knowing him from his novel as such is another experience that nobody can miss, I recommend it but knowing the context of the novel. This story tells about the beginnings of the famous Peter Pan and how is its relationship with the fairies and the famous Kensington Gardens. The metaphors and the hidden messages of the play moved me more than once, I really liked it a lot.
Este libro tuvo uno de las mejores introducciones, el conocer tantos datos curiosos de su autor y la creación de su historia y todo lo que estaba a su alrededor en la época en donde lo escribió, su vida y demás cosas alrededor de la novela permiten ver la novela desde otra perspectiva. James Baarrie es un escritor que todos conocemos ya que es un icono de la literatura británica y escritor de varias obras, pero el conocerlo desde su novela como tal es otra experiencia que nadie se puede perder, lo recomiendo pero sabiendo el contexto de la novela. Esta historia habla de los inicios del famoso Peter Pan y como es su relación con las hadas y los famosos jardines de Kensington. Las metáforas y los mensajes ocultos de la obra me conmovieron mas de una vez, de verdad me gusto mucho.
March 25, 2015
Book 28/100
July 10, 2012
Peter Pan or, How one man’s repressed paedophilia captured children’s imaginations for a century, was a cheery wee book. My reason for reading this as an adult? I have not grown up. I remain frozen in childhood. Whenever I find myself in adult surroundings, like an estate agent office, I wiggle in my chair and fight back the urge to say things like “how can you do that, pretend to wear the suit and act all grown up?” as I suck on my lollipop. Yes. Your humble reviewer might be able coast through a Dickens in a few days, but when it comes to social interaction he’d be better off in the crèche. Anyway, I found both books a disappointment. I’m in Team Alice, not Team Pan. Does this still enchant kids? I wonder. The recent Jason Isaacs version was nice. It’s late. I ramble.
November 24, 2018
I should have read this before reading Peter Pan. This story made me cry at the end; about how Peter felt when his mother was sleeping with another baby.
However, I wanted to give 4 stars but I couldn't bring myself to do that.
However, I wanted to give 4 stars but I couldn't bring myself to do that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2017
3.5 stars!
My copy is split into the two stories, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Peter and Wendy, and they are so different!
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it. The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings."
This story focuses on the origin of Peter Pan. A young child of only 7 days falls out of his pram and lives with the birds and the fairies in Kensington Gardens. This is a sweet story of how he grows accustomed to life in the gardens and as he takes on the task of burying young children who also fall out of their prams and fail to survive the night. Certainly a slightly darker tale than I expected.
Peter and Wendy
"Keep back, lady, no one is going to catch me and make me a man."
Peter and Wendy is more the story we are all accustomed to with all the recognisable characters including Captain Hook, Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys.
The Peter Pan from this story is quite a jump from the Peter in Kensington Gardens. He is older, and has relocated to the Neverlands
The characters aren't as nice and squeaky clean as Disney leads us to believe. They are harsh and real, which makes them sometimes difficult to like.
I enjoyed these two stories, I love to experience the books where classic characters originate and to see how they have been adapted and grown in different interpretations as time as passed.
Peter Pan is an iconic character, the boy who never grew up will live on in all childhoods, it's a privilege to have experienced J M Barrie's world as he originally created it.
"To die would be an awfully big adventure."
My copy is split into the two stories, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Peter and Wendy, and they are so different!
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it. The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings."
This story focuses on the origin of Peter Pan. A young child of only 7 days falls out of his pram and lives with the birds and the fairies in Kensington Gardens. This is a sweet story of how he grows accustomed to life in the gardens and as he takes on the task of burying young children who also fall out of their prams and fail to survive the night. Certainly a slightly darker tale than I expected.
Peter and Wendy
"Keep back, lady, no one is going to catch me and make me a man."
Peter and Wendy is more the story we are all accustomed to with all the recognisable characters including Captain Hook, Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys.
The Peter Pan from this story is quite a jump from the Peter in Kensington Gardens. He is older, and has relocated to the Neverlands
The characters aren't as nice and squeaky clean as Disney leads us to believe. They are harsh and real, which makes them sometimes difficult to like.
I enjoyed these two stories, I love to experience the books where classic characters originate and to see how they have been adapted and grown in different interpretations as time as passed.
Peter Pan is an iconic character, the boy who never grew up will live on in all childhoods, it's a privilege to have experienced J M Barrie's world as he originally created it.
"To die would be an awfully big adventure."
November 25, 2017
La storia di Peter Pan è una di quelle storie entrate ormai nell'immaginario comune, note a tutti quanti, e spesso mai lette.
E in questi casi il rischio è che, rispetto alle trasposizioni successive, il libro invecchi male, mostri il fianco ai decenni trascorsi, e deluda le aspettative.
In questo caso sono felice di constatare che così non è, il libro si mantiene giovane e frizzante anche dopo più di un secolo e non sfigura al fianco di cartoni, film e quant'altro.
In questa edizione ci sono due storie.
Quella più famosa, e conosciuta da tutti per via della Disney e delle successive trasposizioni, è Peter e Wendy. Che bene o male è la storia che tutti conosciamo, anche se trovo più fedele il film Hook, per quanto riguarda il carattere della storia.
Il Peter Pan che troviamo è un bambino mai cresciuto, che vive in mezzo alle fate, che comanda in maniera assoluto i Bambini Sperduti (bambini morti in culla che finiscono sull'Isola che non c'��), e che vive infinite avventure che si dimentica immediatamente.
Peter Pan è il presente, l'incapacità di pensare al futuro, la gioia di vivere, il divertimento puro, l'immaginazione sfrenata, il candore assoluto della fanciullezza.
E così ogni volta che subisce una slealtà rimane stupito e pietrificato da questo immane tradimento che mai si sarebbe potuto aspettare (ogni volta, perché poi dimentica l'accaduto), e allo stesso tempo uccide in tutta tranquillità senza provare rimorsi perché per lui è tutto un gioco, niente è reale.
O meglio, tutto è sia reale che finzione, le due cose si equivalgono e si mescolano fino a non essere distinguibili.
Così come quando, portati Wendy e i fratelli sull'Isola, giocano a fare che Wendy sia la loro madre. Il che fa di Peter il padre. Un padre che allo stesso tempo si sente figlio della "madre", con la madre che è una bambina come loro, che gioca alle bambole con bambini veri.
Un libro per certi versi estremo nella sua descrizione senza filtri dei bambini, della loro immaginazione, ma anche delle parti più dure della loro innocenza.
E anche la parte del volume che più risente del passare del tempo, con Wendy inquadrata nel ruolo di "mammina" dei Bambini, e ben contenta di giocare per un lasso di tempo indefinito a fare la mamma, chiusa in casa a pulire, cucire e rammendare. O con gli indiani trattati da Peter (ma anche da tutti gli altri Bambini, Wendy inclusa) come esseri inferiori, con tanto di epiteti come "negretti" o abusi dei luoghi comuni sulle tribù indiane, che all'epoca erano normali.
Comunque se queste sono le uniche cose a risentire di 125 anni di vita, complimenti vivissimi!
Comunque devo dire di avere apprezzato enormemente anche la prima storia, Peter Pan nei giardini di Kensington.
Che in realtà è parte di un altro libro, L'uccellino bianco, dove per la prima volta aveva fatto la sua comparsa il personaggio di Peter Pan.
Un Peter Pan allora molto diverso, sempre conosciuto da tutti i bambini, ma che dopo essere fuggito a una settimana di vita dalla sua casa, era rimasto a vivere nei giardini di Kensington, tra uccelli che in realtà sono bambini in divenire, uccelli che sono bambini morti, fate che si nascondono agli umani e bambini che accettano lo straordinario come fosse normale.
Ciò che mi ha sorpreso particolarmente, della prima storia, è lo stile di Barrie. Uno stile semplice, divertente, ironico. Mi ha ricordato un poco lo stile del nostro Gianni Rodari.
E' stato un piacere leggere questo libro, sopratutto avendo temuto di rimanerne deluso!
E in questi casi il rischio è che, rispetto alle trasposizioni successive, il libro invecchi male, mostri il fianco ai decenni trascorsi, e deluda le aspettative.
In questo caso sono felice di constatare che così non è, il libro si mantiene giovane e frizzante anche dopo più di un secolo e non sfigura al fianco di cartoni, film e quant'altro.
In questa edizione ci sono due storie.
Quella più famosa, e conosciuta da tutti per via della Disney e delle successive trasposizioni, è Peter e Wendy. Che bene o male è la storia che tutti conosciamo, anche se trovo più fedele il film Hook, per quanto riguarda il carattere della storia.
Il Peter Pan che troviamo è un bambino mai cresciuto, che vive in mezzo alle fate, che comanda in maniera assoluto i Bambini Sperduti (bambini morti in culla che finiscono sull'Isola che non c'��), e che vive infinite avventure che si dimentica immediatamente.
Peter Pan è il presente, l'incapacità di pensare al futuro, la gioia di vivere, il divertimento puro, l'immaginazione sfrenata, il candore assoluto della fanciullezza.
E così ogni volta che subisce una slealtà rimane stupito e pietrificato da questo immane tradimento che mai si sarebbe potuto aspettare (ogni volta, perché poi dimentica l'accaduto), e allo stesso tempo uccide in tutta tranquillità senza provare rimorsi perché per lui è tutto un gioco, niente è reale.
O meglio, tutto è sia reale che finzione, le due cose si equivalgono e si mescolano fino a non essere distinguibili.
Così come quando, portati Wendy e i fratelli sull'Isola, giocano a fare che Wendy sia la loro madre. Il che fa di Peter il padre. Un padre che allo stesso tempo si sente figlio della "madre", con la madre che è una bambina come loro, che gioca alle bambole con bambini veri.
Un libro per certi versi estremo nella sua descrizione senza filtri dei bambini, della loro immaginazione, ma anche delle parti più dure della loro innocenza.
E anche la parte del volume che più risente del passare del tempo, con Wendy inquadrata nel ruolo di "mammina" dei Bambini, e ben contenta di giocare per un lasso di tempo indefinito a fare la mamma, chiusa in casa a pulire, cucire e rammendare. O con gli indiani trattati da Peter (ma anche da tutti gli altri Bambini, Wendy inclusa) come esseri inferiori, con tanto di epiteti come "negretti" o abusi dei luoghi comuni sulle tribù indiane, che all'epoca erano normali.
Comunque se queste sono le uniche cose a risentire di 125 anni di vita, complimenti vivissimi!
Comunque devo dire di avere apprezzato enormemente anche la prima storia, Peter Pan nei giardini di Kensington.
Che in realtà è parte di un altro libro, L'uccellino bianco, dove per la prima volta aveva fatto la sua comparsa il personaggio di Peter Pan.
Un Peter Pan allora molto diverso, sempre conosciuto da tutti i bambini, ma che dopo essere fuggito a una settimana di vita dalla sua casa, era rimasto a vivere nei giardini di Kensington, tra uccelli che in realtà sono bambini in divenire, uccelli che sono bambini morti, fate che si nascondono agli umani e bambini che accettano lo straordinario come fosse normale.
Ciò che mi ha sorpreso particolarmente, della prima storia, è lo stile di Barrie. Uno stile semplice, divertente, ironico. Mi ha ricordato un poco lo stile del nostro Gianni Rodari.
E' stato un piacere leggere questo libro, sopratutto avendo temuto di rimanerne deluso!
January 7, 2018
I just love the original story of Peter Pan, and I was rather excited to learn about this prequel. Unfortunately, my excitement did not last. I found the plot to be confusing and quite frankly, all over the place! Due to this, I found I had quite a bit of trouble understanding what was actually going on in the story, which is a major put-off for me.
In the original story, I am able to connect with all the characters, but with this one, I had difficulties even relating to Peter!
Having said all of these negative comments, there was a magical fairy take element in this story, which is what I came for, and I enjoyed reading parts of Peter Pans childhood. Peter Pan,as a character, has always interested me, even now I am an adult.
Having read this, I feel no different really, so to be honest, this book was unnecessary.
In the original story, I am able to connect with all the characters, but with this one, I had difficulties even relating to Peter!
Having said all of these negative comments, there was a magical fairy take element in this story, which is what I came for, and I enjoyed reading parts of Peter Pans childhood. Peter Pan,as a character, has always interested me, even now I am an adult.
Having read this, I feel no different really, so to be honest, this book was unnecessary.
August 6, 2019
At the beginning of this book, it told me something along the lines of: to properly understand the story of Peter Pan, you need to understand Kensington Gardens.
That is a lie. You do not need to read this book to understand, enjoy, or dislike (as was in my case), Peter Pan and Wendy. Put this book down. Go pick that one up. It'll be better than this, I assure you.
This was very dry and boring to me. It kind of had the effect of reading a manual? But at the same time the author used 'you' so I guess Barrie was trying to involve me... it just wasn't happening. I didn't care about the gardens. It was nice to see how some children were portrayed at the time. But at the same time, I didn't care about this random girl and her brother.
Okay, maybe we got to see a little bit of why and how Peter Pan became who he was. But I felt little sympathy for his character even though he goes for an emotional ordeal. I'm not sure if it has to do with the choice he makes at one point in the novel which could have led to a very different outcome, or whether it's because the writing style to this one was so dry. Or maybe I'm just heartless. Who knows??
Not for me. But nice try, J.M. Barrie.
That is a lie. You do not need to read this book to understand, enjoy, or dislike (as was in my case), Peter Pan and Wendy. Put this book down. Go pick that one up. It'll be better than this, I assure you.
This was very dry and boring to me. It kind of had the effect of reading a manual? But at the same time the author used 'you' so I guess Barrie was trying to involve me... it just wasn't happening. I didn't care about the gardens. It was nice to see how some children were portrayed at the time. But at the same time, I didn't care about this random girl and her brother.
Okay, maybe we got to see a little bit of why and how Peter Pan became who he was. But I felt little sympathy for his character even though he goes for an emotional ordeal. I'm not sure if it has to do with the choice he makes at one point in the novel which could have led to a very different outcome, or whether it's because the writing style to this one was so dry. Or maybe I'm just heartless. Who knows??
Not for me. But nice try, J.M. Barrie.
September 9, 2014
A children's story which was in print during my childhood, but which I'm reading for the first time in an adulthood: having been one of those kids who pretty much finished the children's section in the library, this is a rare bird indeed.
I mostly, reflexively, find myself reading in the same way as I did when I was a child: with open minded acceptance of the peculiarities of this little world I'm now immersed in, and a hint of detachment. I know fairies aren't real, but this is how they do things here and that's fair enough. (And no-one's persistently making me pretend I think they are real, not like with Father Christmas.) People did things differently and thought and said differently in the past and that's okay too.
Uninterested in suppressed-pederasty theories about the author which just seem irrelevant to my reading experience. And out of the corner of my eye it's apparent that there probably are things that could be written about Barrie's portrayal of women, but quite frankly, everyone in this story is a bit odd and the most relevant otherness here is child/adult, not male/female.
Reading, it strikes me that most children's stories are about escape. Escape from control by adults into a world where you have responsibility for getting into and out of your own scrapes. (Is that what all children want? Or just a subset of us?)
But in an era where it would be normal and incidental to mention that "When they came up to whip Maimie [who had been a little noisy after lights out] they usually found her sleeping tranquilly" escape would seem especially justified for all ... That sentence slashes violent red through the curious flower-bordered world of much of the rest of this short story.
This time - at least 25 years after I perhaps should have first read this - my own escape is almost real, reading with no one to interrupt me or shout or try to discourage me from reading at the table even though it was the only way to keep things calm.
Then someone came to the door to talk about a tree in the back garden that the neighbours want to prune. Though I don't have to do it myself, just let them in: false alarm, almost.
How lovely it must have been to read this as a small child who visited central London parks, and go looking for fairies "within the circle of the seven Spanish chestnuts", as I looked for Wombles on Wimbledon Common at the start of the 80's, and countless other children have explored book-locations on the offchance that they might somehow really stumble into another world.
But occasionally grown-up reality intrudes and I think how a park in that metropolis of 8 million seething souls could never be so enchantedlyquiet as it was in Edwardian days. And mention of the lights seen from afar at night in the park makes me giggle sadly for a second and wonder if they're really (anachronistically) cruisers. At the less inevitably-sordid end of the relational spectrum, I'm also reminded how accursedly simple it is being in love in children's literature: perhaps the least-escapist, most cynic-making aspect of reading it as a modern adult.
It's not only the escape-from-the-world aspect which makes me understand why some people still love the Peter Pan stories so much as grown-ups, but Peter's existence as a "Betwixt-and-Between": of, and not of, more than one world, neither one thing nor t'other; having chosen on a whim, for a while, to be apart, then finding that it has become his lot.
I mostly, reflexively, find myself reading in the same way as I did when I was a child: with open minded acceptance of the peculiarities of this little world I'm now immersed in, and a hint of detachment. I know fairies aren't real, but this is how they do things here and that's fair enough. (And no-one's persistently making me pretend I think they are real, not like with Father Christmas.) People did things differently and thought and said differently in the past and that's okay too.
Uninterested in suppressed-pederasty theories about the author which just seem irrelevant to my reading experience. And out of the corner of my eye it's apparent that there probably are things that could be written about Barrie's portrayal of women, but quite frankly, everyone in this story is a bit odd and the most relevant otherness here is child/adult, not male/female.
Reading, it strikes me that most children's stories are about escape. Escape from control by adults into a world where you have responsibility for getting into and out of your own scrapes. (Is that what all children want? Or just a subset of us?)
But in an era where it would be normal and incidental to mention that "When they came up to whip Maimie [who had been a little noisy after lights out] they usually found her sleeping tranquilly" escape would seem especially justified for all ... That sentence slashes violent red through the curious flower-bordered world of much of the rest of this short story.
This time - at least 25 years after I perhaps should have first read this - my own escape is almost real, reading with no one to interrupt me or shout or try to discourage me from reading at the table even though it was the only way to keep things calm.
Then someone came to the door to talk about a tree in the back garden that the neighbours want to prune. Though I don't have to do it myself, just let them in: false alarm, almost.
How lovely it must have been to read this as a small child who visited central London parks, and go looking for fairies "within the circle of the seven Spanish chestnuts", as I looked for Wombles on Wimbledon Common at the start of the 80's, and countless other children have explored book-locations on the offchance that they might somehow really stumble into another world.
But occasionally grown-up reality intrudes and I think how a park in that metropolis of 8 million seething souls could never be so enchantedlyquiet as it was in Edwardian days. And mention of the lights seen from afar at night in the park makes me giggle sadly for a second and wonder if they're really (anachronistically) cruisers. At the less inevitably-sordid end of the relational spectrum, I'm also reminded how accursedly simple it is being in love in children's literature: perhaps the least-escapist, most cynic-making aspect of reading it as a modern adult.
It's not only the escape-from-the-world aspect which makes me understand why some people still love the Peter Pan stories so much as grown-ups, but Peter's existence as a "Betwixt-and-Between": of, and not of, more than one world, neither one thing nor t'other; having chosen on a whim, for a while, to be apart, then finding that it has become his lot.
April 1, 2023
5* for Peter Pan and 3.5* for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
This is a review for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
I read Peter Pan last December and loved it so much that when I found a copy in a secondhand store I grabbed it. I hadn’t realized when I had bought my copy that there was a second book included in the bind up so after such a positive experience with Peter Pan I was interested to see how I’d get along with the next book. Initially I was not engaged and was finding it rather dull but it did pick up towards the last chapters when Peter befriends Maimie. Gives an interesting backstory to Peter and certainly gives him more compassion and less ruthlessness. He seems more of a lost little boy rather than the selfish little savage he becomes in Peter Pan. Interesting perspective of Victorian England’s social and moral povs. Loved the art.
This is a review for Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
I read Peter Pan last December and loved it so much that when I found a copy in a secondhand store I grabbed it. I hadn’t realized when I had bought my copy that there was a second book included in the bind up so after such a positive experience with Peter Pan I was interested to see how I’d get along with the next book. Initially I was not engaged and was finding it rather dull but it did pick up towards the last chapters when Peter befriends Maimie. Gives an interesting backstory to Peter and certainly gives him more compassion and less ruthlessness. He seems more of a lost little boy rather than the selfish little savage he becomes in Peter Pan. Interesting perspective of Victorian England’s social and moral povs. Loved the art.
March 16, 2013
La prima cosa che mi viene in mente di scrivere, per parlare di "Peter pan" è "tristezza".
La storia di Peter Pan, fin da quando ho potuto capirla veramente, e non solo divertirmi col cartone animato, mi ha sempre lasciata con l'amaro in bocca, come nessun'altra favola o libro per bambini ha mai fatto.
La cosa strana è che non so bene a cosa attribuirla, o meglio, ci sono due motivi di tristezza, miscelati insieme e inscindibili: Wendy che continua a crescere e Peter che continua a rimanere un bambino.
Così non so mai bene se sono triste perchè Wendy non può per sempre restare, come fa Peter, in quel limbo di giovinezza spensierata in cui i problemi, le avventure e le persone vivono il tempo di un giorno e si perdono in una vita sempre giovane e che quindi non ha memoria; oppure sono triste perchè Peter non può crescere e vive in fondo una vita triste in cui, in cui il tempo scorre senza lasciare traccia alcuna, non solo nel corpo, ma anche nella memoria. Dimenticarsi di ogni avventura vissuta, di ogni persona conosciuta, di ogni cosa brutta, ma anche di ogni cosa bella, vivere senza un ieri e di conseguenza senza un domani, inconsciamente, sempre fermi in un punto e non camminando lungo una strada.
Quando la figlia di Wendy chiede alla madre «Perché ora non riesci più a volare, mamma?», lei risponde:
«Perché sono cresciuta, tesoro mio. Quando le persone crescono, dimenticano come si vola».
«Perché?»
«Perché non sono più felici, innocenti, spensierate e senza cuore. Solo coloro che sono felici, innocenti e senza cuore riescono a volare»
Per volare bisogna essere senza cuore dunque. Per lasciare gli affetti, come fanno i bambini della storia, e vivere una vita come quella di Peter, senza alcun legame, bisogna non avere un cuore. Chiunque lo abbia ha anche una sorta di catena che lo tiene legato a terra e i bambini sono senza cuore. Non perchè cattivi, ma perchè dimenticano in fretta. In poco tempo i bambini del romanzo, rapiti da mille avventure e da nuovi affetti, dimenticano perfino i propri genitori, persi nell'isola che non rappresenta altro che la loro fantasia.
Solo wendy che è già più cresciuta degli altri e che ha cominciato a giocare a fare la mamma (sostituendo alle bambole i bambini sperduti e i suoi fratelli) mantiene un legame con la realtà che sarà poi fondamentale a far ricodare a tutti gli altri che avevano degli affetti, persone che li amavano, una mamma che li aspetta con la finestra aperta sperando nel loro ritorno. Fa ricordare loro che un cuore ce l'hanno e hanno dei legami che li riporteranno a terra, a casa.
Tutto ciò scaturisce da un libro per bambini. Un libro scritto con la maestria di chi i bambini li conosce davvero e scrive ponendosi dal loro punto di vista, rispondendo alle domande che loro farebbero, ancor prima che le pongano e al contempo fa riflettere i grandi, un pò facendoli tornare bambini, un pò mettendoli in guardia sui pericoli che comporta il non voler crescere.
La storia di Peter Pan, fin da quando ho potuto capirla veramente, e non solo divertirmi col cartone animato, mi ha sempre lasciata con l'amaro in bocca, come nessun'altra favola o libro per bambini ha mai fatto.
La cosa strana è che non so bene a cosa attribuirla, o meglio, ci sono due motivi di tristezza, miscelati insieme e inscindibili: Wendy che continua a crescere e Peter che continua a rimanere un bambino.
Così non so mai bene se sono triste perchè Wendy non può per sempre restare, come fa Peter, in quel limbo di giovinezza spensierata in cui i problemi, le avventure e le persone vivono il tempo di un giorno e si perdono in una vita sempre giovane e che quindi non ha memoria; oppure sono triste perchè Peter non può crescere e vive in fondo una vita triste in cui, in cui il tempo scorre senza lasciare traccia alcuna, non solo nel corpo, ma anche nella memoria. Dimenticarsi di ogni avventura vissuta, di ogni persona conosciuta, di ogni cosa brutta, ma anche di ogni cosa bella, vivere senza un ieri e di conseguenza senza un domani, inconsciamente, sempre fermi in un punto e non camminando lungo una strada.
Quando la figlia di Wendy chiede alla madre «Perché ora non riesci più a volare, mamma?», lei risponde:
«Perché sono cresciuta, tesoro mio. Quando le persone crescono, dimenticano come si vola».
«Perché?»
«Perché non sono più felici, innocenti, spensierate e senza cuore. Solo coloro che sono felici, innocenti e senza cuore riescono a volare»
Per volare bisogna essere senza cuore dunque. Per lasciare gli affetti, come fanno i bambini della storia, e vivere una vita come quella di Peter, senza alcun legame, bisogna non avere un cuore. Chiunque lo abbia ha anche una sorta di catena che lo tiene legato a terra e i bambini sono senza cuore. Non perchè cattivi, ma perchè dimenticano in fretta. In poco tempo i bambini del romanzo, rapiti da mille avventure e da nuovi affetti, dimenticano perfino i propri genitori, persi nell'isola che non rappresenta altro che la loro fantasia.
Solo wendy che è già più cresciuta degli altri e che ha cominciato a giocare a fare la mamma (sostituendo alle bambole i bambini sperduti e i suoi fratelli) mantiene un legame con la realtà che sarà poi fondamentale a far ricodare a tutti gli altri che avevano degli affetti, persone che li amavano, una mamma che li aspetta con la finestra aperta sperando nel loro ritorno. Fa ricordare loro che un cuore ce l'hanno e hanno dei legami che li riporteranno a terra, a casa.
Tutto ciò scaturisce da un libro per bambini. Un libro scritto con la maestria di chi i bambini li conosce davvero e scrive ponendosi dal loro punto di vista, rispondendo alle domande che loro farebbero, ancor prima che le pongano e al contempo fa riflettere i grandi, un pò facendoli tornare bambini, un pò mettendoli in guardia sui pericoli che comporta il non voler crescere.
March 11, 2017
Somehow, this book fell a little flat for me.
I enjoyed reading it, no doubt, but I think this was more due to the writing style (which was very easy for me to read) than the actual plot or the characters.
I was actually a bit surprised by that, because I love fairies and was especially excited for that part of the story. Even though I did feel a little spark here and there, the big magical feeling never came.
I enjoyed reading it, no doubt, but I think this was more due to the writing style (which was very easy for me to read) than the actual plot or the characters.
I was actually a bit surprised by that, because I love fairies and was especially excited for that part of the story. Even though I did feel a little spark here and there, the big magical feeling never came.
October 5, 2017
"רק העליזים והתמימים וחסרי הלב יכולים לעוף"
פיטר פן אוהב להקשיב לסיפורים של אימהות. את הסיפורים הללו הוא מספר לקבוצת ילדים אבודה בארץ לעולם לא. ערב אחד כשהוא מקשיב לס��פור שמספרת גברת דרלינד לילדיה הוא מזוהה ע"י האם והכלבה המטפלת בילדים, וכשהוא מנסה להימלט, הצל שלו נתפס ע"י הכלבה.
פיטר פן ממתין להזדמנות לחזור ולהתחבר עם הצל שלו בחזרה. ההזדמנות הזו נקרית לו כשההורים יוצאים לבילוי. אולם בניגוד להנחה המוקדמת שלו, הוא לא מצליח להתאחד עם הצל שלו וונדי הבת הבכורה מסייעת לו ע"י כך שהיא תופרת את הצל שלו בחזרה לגופו.
פיטר שמתלהב מכך משכנע את וונדי לבוא איתו לארץ לעולם לא. וונדי מסכימה בתנאי שגם האחים שלה יבואו איתה.
ארץ לעולם לא היא ארץ הפיות הפנטסטית. שם וונדי מגלה את הילדים האבודים, אלה ילדים שנפלו מהעגלות שלהם כתינוקות וכשלא נדרשו, נשלחו לארץ לעולם לא ע"י הפיות.
בארץ לעולם לא, פיטר פן נרדף ע"י הפיראט ג'יימס הוק שידו נקטעה בעיקבות מאבק עם פיטר פן. הפיראט עצמו נרדף ע"י התנין שאכל את היד של הוק.
וכולם נרדפים ע"י אדומי העור.
בסופו של דבר אחרי שלל הרפתקאות, וונדי, אחיה והילדים האבודים חוזרים לארץ האמתית. היא מאמצת את הילדים האבודים.
הדמויות בסיפור עצמו אינן נעימות והן לוקות במופרעות כזו או אחרת:
דמותו של פיטר פן מסרבת להתבגר. אומנם הוא דמות קסומה ומעופפת אך הוא אינו דמות הרפתקנית וכייפית אלא לעיתים קרובות דמות מניפולטורית ואכזרית. הוא לעיתים שוכח להאכיל את הילדים האבודים עד כדי כך שהם מורעבים ולעיתים מאכיל אותם באוכל דימיוני. המספר טורח להדגיש בפני הקורא כי הסירוב של פיטר פן להתבגר הוא עקרוני, וכשהילדים מתבגרים הוא מדלל אותם. הוא לעיתים אינו זוכר דברים כולל אינו זוכר את הילדים או את וונדי ואחיה. הוא בעיקר אינו זוכר את מקורו, את ההרפתקאות שלו ואת אמא שלו.
לסירובו להתבגר ישנה השפעה ארוכת טווח, הוא אומנם יכול להתעופף אבל הוא נותר לבד וללא קשרים לאורך זמן.
דמותה של וונדי לכאורה זוכה להגשים את חלומה של כל אישה: גבר קסום ומעופף כל זאת רק כדי לגלות שהוא בעצם תמרן אותה להיות אמא שלו ושל הילדים ומכאן המשמעות הרבה כביסה ובישולים.
בניגוד לדעה הרווחת דמותה של טינקרבל, הפייה אינה דמות של פייה טובה היא מרושעת, קנאית ונקמנית.
הספר מצייר את תפקידי המינים בצורה מאוד סטריאוטיפית, מעצבנת ואף מיזוגנית -
התפקיד של האימהות נחקר לעומק בספר פיטר פן וונדי. פיטר פן משכנע את וונדי לבוא לארץ לעולם לא כדי שתוכל לראות בתולת ים, אבל בעצם הוא רוצה שהיא תהיה אם לעצמו ולילדים האבודים.
היא אמורה לספר להם סיפורים, כמו שאמא שלה סיפרה לה ולילדים, היא אמורה לטפל בהם ולהאכיל אותם ולכבס להם. לדאוג שינוחו בצהרים ולדאוג שילכו לישון בשעה סבירה בלילה. אף על פי שוונדי מודה שאין לה ניסיון בתפקיד אם, היא מחקה את התנהגותה של אמה ומצליחה לזכות בליבם של הבנים.
פיטר אינו מוכן לשחק את האב לצידה של האם וונדי. הוא רק מעמיד פנים אבל בפועל הוא לא מוכן לקבל את האחריות ההורית שבאה עם ההתבגרות .
גם הדמות של האב, מר דרלינג אינה מסיעת לדימוי תפקיד הגבר האב במשפחה. הוא יותר ילד קפריזי מאשר דמות אבהית.
פיטר מוכן לשמש כמגן העיקרי הילדים האבודים אבל הוא מתעניין יותר בהרפתקאות, ונהנה מחופש תנועה שאין לוונדי שקבורה תחת הררי הכביסה. הוא נלחם בפיראטים תיאור המתאים לדימוי שלו כמגן הילדים.
עוד דוגמאות לפער בין הדימוי של הנשים והגברים הוא שפיטר פן מציל את עצמו מהסלע בזמן שאת וונדי צריך להציל. וונדי סולדת מהספינה של הפירטים לא כי היא מקום מסוכן אלא כי היא מטונפת.
אומנם הסופר מציב 2 נשים בעמדות מנהיגות (טייגר לילי וונדי) אבל תיאור דמותה של טייגר לילי נגוע בגזענות ויתר הנשים פשוט נוראיות:
בנות הים כולן נשים לא חברותיות ואף מסוכנות. דמותה של טינקרבל הפייה הלא טובה מרושעת והפיראטים טוענים כי נשים על הסיפון מובילות לחוסר מזל. בהתעלם מהעובדה שאכן התוצאה היתה מרה עבור הפיראטים, לאיזה חוסר מזל מתכוון הסופר?
וונדי המסכנה מנסה בפרקים הראשונים לשכנע את פיטר פן לתת לה נשיקה, היא נכשלת קשות ואז הוא כופה עליה את האימהות. וונדי בסופו של דבר היא זו שהורסת לילדים את ארץ לעולם לא כי היא מזכירה להם את אימא שלהם כך שהמסר הסופי של הסיפור הוא שנשים הורסות את הכיף עבור כולם.
רק גב' דרלינג מצטיירת כטובה יותר מבעלה גם ביחס לילדים וגם בחוכמתה הנשית.
הספר גם מציע לקורא לבלוע את הגלולה המרה על אופיים האמיתי של ילדים –
ילדים אינם מה שאימהות לא מודעות נוהגות לחשוב. הילדים אינם מלאכים קטנים אלא אגואיסטים, יהירים, רברבניים ועקשנים. קל לאהוב ילדים אבל הם לא באמת ראויים לאהבה שלנו כי ילדים אינם נאמנים לדבר. הם תמיד מוכנים לשכוח את האהובים עליהם כפי שפיטר פן, וונדי והילדים האבודים שכחו את הוריהם.
ומכל אלה, פיטר פן הוא לא ספר מומלץ לילדים. הוא נראה חביב וקסום אבל בעומק המסרים שלו אפלים ולא מוסריים בעיני.
****
החלק השני של הספר, פיטר פן בגני קנזיגטון כבר פחות עיניין אותי. הוא מתאים יותר לילדים בתכנים המרוככים שבו, בזמן שפיטר פן עדין תינוק שחווה סידרה של הרפתקאות טרום היותו ילד שלא רוצה להתבגר.
חלק מהאפקט של הספר אובד בחלק הזה ואולי זה לטובה כי פיטר פן של החלק הראשון פשוט מחריד.
פיטר פן אוהב להקשיב לסיפורים של אימהות. את הסיפורים הללו הוא מספר לקבוצת ילדים אבודה בארץ לעולם לא. ערב אחד כשהוא מקשיב לס��פור שמספרת גברת דרלינד לילדיה הוא מזוהה ע"י האם והכלבה המטפלת בילדים, וכשהוא מנסה להימלט, הצל שלו נתפס ע"י הכלבה.
פיטר פן ממתין להזדמנות לחזור ולהתחבר עם הצל שלו בחזרה. ההזדמנות הזו נקרית לו כשההורים יוצאים לבילוי. אולם בניגוד להנחה המוקדמת שלו, הוא לא מצליח להתאחד עם הצל שלו וונדי הבת הבכורה מסייעת לו ע"י כך שהיא תופרת את הצל שלו בחזרה לגופו.
פיטר שמתלהב מכך משכנע את וונדי לבוא איתו לארץ לעולם לא. וונדי מסכימה בתנאי שגם האחים שלה יבואו איתה.
ארץ לעולם לא היא ארץ הפיות הפנטסטית. שם וונדי מגלה את הילדים האבודים, אלה ילדים שנפלו מהעגלות שלהם כתינוקות וכשלא נדרשו, נשלחו לארץ לעולם לא ע"י הפיות.
בארץ לעולם לא, פיטר פן נרדף ע"י הפיראט ג'יימס הוק שידו נקטעה בעיקבות מאבק עם פיטר פן. הפיראט עצמו נרדף ע"י התנין שאכל את היד של הוק.
וכולם נרדפים ע"י אדומי העור.
בסופו של דבר אחרי שלל הרפתקאות, וונדי, אחיה והילדים האבודים חוזרים לארץ האמתית. היא מאמצת את הילדים האבודים.
הדמויות בסיפור עצמו אינן נעימות והן לוקות במופרעות כזו או אחרת:
דמותו של פיטר פן מסרבת להתבגר. אומנם הוא דמות קסומה ומעופפת אך הוא אינו דמות הרפתקנית וכייפית אלא לעיתים קרובות דמות מניפולטורית ואכזרית. הוא לעיתים שוכח להאכיל את הילדים האבודים עד כדי כך שהם מורעבים ולעיתים מאכיל אותם באוכל דימיוני. המספר טורח להדגיש בפני הקורא כי הסירוב של פיטר פן להתבגר הוא עקרוני, וכשהילדים מתבגרים הוא מדלל אותם. הוא לעיתים אינו זוכר דברים כולל אינו זוכר את הילדים או את וונדי ואחיה. הוא בעיקר אינו זוכר את מקורו, את ההרפתקאות שלו ואת אמא שלו.
לסירובו להתבגר ישנה השפעה ארוכת טווח, הוא אומנם יכול להתעופף אבל הוא נותר לבד וללא קשרים לאורך זמן.
דמותה של וונדי לכאורה זוכה להגשים את חלומה של כל אישה: גבר קסום ומעופף כל זאת רק כדי לגלות שהוא בעצם תמרן אותה להיות אמא שלו ושל הילדים ומכאן המשמעות הרבה כביסה ובישולים.
בניגוד לדעה הרווחת דמותה של טינקרבל, הפייה אינה דמות של פייה טובה היא מרושעת, קנאית ונקמנית.
הספר מצייר את תפקידי המינים בצורה מאוד סטריאוטיפית, מעצבנת ואף מיזוגנית -
התפקיד של האימהות נחקר לעומק בספר פיטר פן וונדי. פיטר פן משכנע את וונדי לבוא לארץ לעולם לא כדי שתוכל לראות בתולת ים, אבל בעצם הוא רוצה שהיא תהיה אם לעצמו ולילדים האבודים.
היא אמורה לספר להם סיפורים, כמו שאמא שלה סיפרה לה ולילדים, היא אמורה לטפל בהם ולהאכיל אותם ולכבס להם. לדאוג שינוחו בצהרים ולדאוג שילכו לישון בשעה סבירה בלילה. אף על פי שוונדי מודה שאין לה ניסיון בתפקיד אם, היא מחקה את התנהגותה של אמה ומצליחה לזכות בליבם של הבנים.
פיטר אינו מוכן לשחק את האב לצידה של האם וונדי. הוא רק מעמיד פנים אבל בפועל הוא לא מוכן לקבל את האחריות ההורית שבאה עם ההתבגרות .
גם הדמות של האב, מר דרלינג אינה מסיעת לדימוי תפקיד הגבר האב במשפחה. הוא יותר ילד קפריזי מאשר דמות אבהית.
פיטר מוכן לשמש כמגן העיקרי הילדים האבודים אבל הוא מתעניין יותר בהרפתקאות, ונהנה מחופש תנועה שאין לוונדי שקבורה תחת הררי הכביסה. הוא נלחם בפיראטים תיאור המתאים לדימוי שלו כמגן הילדים.
עוד דוגמאות לפער בין הדימוי של הנשים והגברים הוא שפיטר פן מציל את עצמו מהסלע בזמן שאת וונדי צריך להציל. וונדי סולדת מהספינה של הפירטים לא כי היא מקום מסוכן אלא כי היא מטונפת.
אומנם הסופר מציב 2 נשים בעמדות מנהיגות (טייגר לילי וונדי) אבל תיאור דמותה של טייגר לילי נגוע בגזענות ויתר הנשים פשוט נוראיות:
בנות הים כולן נשים לא חברותיות ואף מסוכנות. דמותה של טינקרבל הפייה הלא טובה מרושעת והפיראטים טוענים כי נשים על הסיפון מובילות לחוסר מזל. בהתעלם מהעובדה שאכן התוצאה היתה מרה עבור הפיראטים, לאיזה חוסר מזל מתכוון הסופר?
וונדי המסכנה מנסה בפרקים הראשונים לשכנע את פיטר פן לתת לה נשיקה, היא נכשלת קשות ואז הוא כופה עליה את האימהות. וונדי בסופו של דבר היא זו שהורסת לילדים את ארץ לעולם לא כי היא מזכירה להם את אימא שלהם כך שהמסר הסופי של הסיפור הוא שנשים הורסות את הכיף עבור כולם.
רק גב' דרלינג מצטיירת כטובה יותר מבעלה גם ביחס לילדים וגם בחוכמתה הנשית.
הספר גם מציע לקורא לבלוע את הגלולה המרה על אופיים האמיתי של ילדים –
ילדים אינם מה שאימהות לא מודעות נוהגות לחשוב. הילדים אינם מלאכים קטנים אלא אגואיסטים, יהירים, רברבניים ועקשנים. קל לאהוב ילדים אבל הם לא באמת ראויים לאהבה שלנו כי ילדים אינם נאמנים לדבר. הם תמיד מוכנים לשכוח את האהובים עליהם כפי שפיטר פן, וונדי והילדים האבודים שכחו את הוריהם.
ומכל אלה, פיטר פן הוא לא ספר מומלץ לילדים. הוא נראה חביב וקסום אבל בעומק המסרים שלו אפלים ולא מוסריים בעיני.
****
החלק השני של הספר, פיטר פן בגני קנזיגטון כבר פחות עיניין אותי. הוא מתאים יותר לילדים בתכנים המרוככים שבו, בזמן שפיטר פן עדין תינוק שחווה סידרה של הרפתקאות טרום היותו ילד שלא רוצה להתבגר.
חלק מהאפקט של הספר אובד בחלק הזה ואולי זה לטובה כי פיטר פן של החלק הראשון פשוט מחריד.
May 27, 2008
Barrie says of Peter somewhere: “Oh, he was merry! He was as much merrier than you, for instance, as you are merrier than your father.” With all due respect, he could not have made a worse choice of adjective. Merriment is joy grounded in something solid; Peter is certainly gay, but there is nothing merry about him, nor about his world.
Now, I don’t dislike the world of Peter Pan for being magical; if anything, it is not magical enough. The hallmark of a really magical world is that everything matters. One ring - or one word - or one fox - or one talking spider - is not replaceable by another.
Not so in Peter Pan. The prerequisite to being “gay and innocent and heartless” is a kind of anterograde amnesia. We see this in a touching moment when Peter is dumbfounded by Captain Hook not playing fair because he has forgotten ever having encountered injustice before. We also see it, however, in the fact that the pieces of Peter’s world all seem to be disposable.
The Lost Boys are an obvious example: “The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out.”
Now, I’m sure we’ve all “thinned out” plenty of imaginary friends when we were kids; but that is exactly what made them imaginary, as opposed to magical.
Wendy, too, is replaceable - by her daughter, and then by her grand-daughter. So is Tinker Bell. “Who is Tinker Bell? There are such a lot of them. I expect she is no more.” Even Captain Hook is soon forgotten. “I forget them after I kill them”. Incidentally, Captain Hook has his faults, but at least he remembers his Eton days!
Nor is Peter the only one who forgets. The children start to forget their parents as soon as they leave London and - most poignantly - when Wendy is grown up we are told in passing that “Mrs. Darling was now dead and forgotten”. Adults forget, too, you see.
All this makes Peter Pan far more like our own vague and, ultimately, dreary memories of childhood fantasies than like a real magical tale. No wonder adults like _Peter Pan_ better than kids do. We like to wallow in our own thoughts; _they_ want the real thing.
That said, as adult self-absorbed fantasies go, this one is superb. The language is perfect, the images delightful and there is much that an adult can relate to. After all, each of us has a ticking crocodile of our own.
The bottom line, I think, is that whoever first marketed _Peter Pan_ as a heart-warming children's story did the book a disservice. It is as chilling as it is good.
Now, I don’t dislike the world of Peter Pan for being magical; if anything, it is not magical enough. The hallmark of a really magical world is that everything matters. One ring - or one word - or one fox - or one talking spider - is not replaceable by another.
Not so in Peter Pan. The prerequisite to being “gay and innocent and heartless” is a kind of anterograde amnesia. We see this in a touching moment when Peter is dumbfounded by Captain Hook not playing fair because he has forgotten ever having encountered injustice before. We also see it, however, in the fact that the pieces of Peter’s world all seem to be disposable.
The Lost Boys are an obvious example: “The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out.”
Now, I’m sure we’ve all “thinned out” plenty of imaginary friends when we were kids; but that is exactly what made them imaginary, as opposed to magical.
Wendy, too, is replaceable - by her daughter, and then by her grand-daughter. So is Tinker Bell. “Who is Tinker Bell? There are such a lot of them. I expect she is no more.” Even Captain Hook is soon forgotten. “I forget them after I kill them”. Incidentally, Captain Hook has his faults, but at least he remembers his Eton days!
Nor is Peter the only one who forgets. The children start to forget their parents as soon as they leave London and - most poignantly - when Wendy is grown up we are told in passing that “Mrs. Darling was now dead and forgotten”. Adults forget, too, you see.
All this makes Peter Pan far more like our own vague and, ultimately, dreary memories of childhood fantasies than like a real magical tale. No wonder adults like _Peter Pan_ better than kids do. We like to wallow in our own thoughts; _they_ want the real thing.
That said, as adult self-absorbed fantasies go, this one is superb. The language is perfect, the images delightful and there is much that an adult can relate to. After all, each of us has a ticking crocodile of our own.
The bottom line, I think, is that whoever first marketed _Peter Pan_ as a heart-warming children's story did the book a disservice. It is as chilling as it is good.
March 28, 2015
"To die would be an awfully big adventure."
Peter Pan is one of these stories that means a lot to me, meant a lot to me and always will mean a lot to me. It's the story my dad read to me about a billion times for a bedtime story, the sequel of the Disney movie was my first ever movie I saw in a cinema.
And my dad always says that it was so important to him because it's a story for children and their parents, with so many layers. And now I'm 16 and a little closer to 'adulthood' than I was than when he read the story to me, I guess I see what he means.
It's a story about children, reveling in life and going on adventures. There is no bigger adventure than life: it's our adventure, we should go out and live it.
It's a story about a boy who is young and proud of it, but secretly longs for someone to take of him. It's a story of a man who is so afraid of death: ever since it took his hand, he hears it coming with every step he takes.
It's a story about mermaids, pirates, indians and fairies (I do believe in them and so should you!).
And it reminds me of joy and being happy; of living life to the full; of doing weird things that make you smile. Because people don't care, you can only make them smile.
This story is also my personal reminder that I should remain joyful and imaginative my whole life, never to lose that, something that's quite important to me as an aspiring writer.
I am beyond glad I read the original story as it was written down by J.M. Barrie himself, including the story Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. I really want to visit it now.
"To live would be an awfully big adventure."
All the stars
Peter Pan is one of these stories that means a lot to me, meant a lot to me and always will mean a lot to me. It's the story my dad read to me about a billion times for a bedtime story, the sequel of the Disney movie was my first ever movie I saw in a cinema.
And my dad always says that it was so important to him because it's a story for children and their parents, with so many layers. And now I'm 16 and a little closer to 'adulthood' than I was than when he read the story to me, I guess I see what he means.
It's a story about children, reveling in life and going on adventures. There is no bigger adventure than life: it's our adventure, we should go out and live it.
It's a story about a boy who is young and proud of it, but secretly longs for someone to take of him. It's a story of a man who is so afraid of death: ever since it took his hand, he hears it coming with every step he takes.
It's a story about mermaids, pirates, indians and fairies (I do believe in them and so should you!).
And it reminds me of joy and being happy; of living life to the full; of doing weird things that make you smile. Because people don't care, you can only make them smile.
This story is also my personal reminder that I should remain joyful and imaginative my whole life, never to lose that, something that's quite important to me as an aspiring writer.
I am beyond glad I read the original story as it was written down by J.M. Barrie himself, including the story Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. I really want to visit it now.
"To live would be an awfully big adventure."
All the stars
November 3, 2018
“He was a poet, and they are never exactly grown up.”
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens could've been marvelous. Barrie's whimsical writing is stunning as always, but unfortunately, the narrative is so confusing and sporadic that it's difficult to follow. The juxtaposition of events in the present beside those in the future, doesn't work in accordance with the omniscient narrator. I spent the vast majority of the story wondering when a particular event was happening in the time line, and whether or not it was part of one cohesive plot. Due to this, I couldn't connect with Peter or the other various characters. The ending is quite bitter sweet, but I loved being able to understand Peter's origin. I also love the snide and mischievous actions and remarks from all the fairies. These sassy creatures are adorable and make for such an amusing addition to Barrie's magical world. Although I found this "prequel" to be more puzzling than enlightening, it's quite short in length, so I never found myself bored whilst reading it.
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December 4, 2011
This is one of those happy-sad books – it is achingly sad when you really think about its essence. It is heart-breaking and yet hauntingly beautiful, written with wondrous whimsical charm and childlike imagination. Childlike, and yet also very adult, it has a wisdom and definite darkness to it as well.
I love the idea of babies starting off life as birds, little birds hatching on the island in Kensington Gardens (hence we could fly, if we really believed it). I love the mentions of David, hands pressed hard against his temples, trying to remember back to his days as a bird. The relationship between David and the narrator also felt like something special, a collaboration where child and adult together create a lore from their imaginings and it has become something real, a real place, to them both.
Very dark, almost sinister ending, which I didn’t expect although there is a strange darkness running throughout the book. It would be fascinating to read the whole story within its original context of The Little White Bird. There is just something quite incredible about the story.
I love the idea of babies starting off life as birds, little birds hatching on the island in Kensington Gardens (hence we could fly, if we really believed it). I love the mentions of David, hands pressed hard against his temples, trying to remember back to his days as a bird. The relationship between David and the narrator also felt like something special, a collaboration where child and adult together create a lore from their imaginings and it has become something real, a real place, to them both.
Very dark, almost sinister ending, which I didn’t expect although there is a strange darkness running throughout the book. It would be fascinating to read the whole story within its original context of The Little White Bird. There is just something quite incredible about the story.
October 27, 2015
"La razón por la que los pájaros vuelan y nosotros no esta en el hecho de que ellos tienen una fe ciega, por que tener fe quiere decir tener alas"
Es un verdadero placer leer cosas como estas, enserio que se disfruta a montones.
En lo personal pienso que este libro es fabuloso, por que pese a que tal vez pensemos que es un libro infantil, hay un trasfondo y montones de enseñanza para los adultos; me confieso una seguidora de la literatura inglesa y pues Barrie no podía faltar, así que hace como dos meses me decidí por leer "Peter Pan y Wendy", pero ¡oh sorpresa! cuando me entero que había otro libro antes de este, y así fue como conseguí "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens " este es un libro que recomiendo que te leas antes de del de Wendy dado que me ayudo a entender mas a mi personaje principal y un poco mas de sus inicios; las enseñanzas de Barrie son únicas y la lectura se disfruta mucho; sobre todo por que te transporta a un mundo fantástico, a la magia y a eso que muchos ya hemos olvidado "La Niñez" ........
Es un verdadero placer leer cosas como estas, enserio que se disfruta a montones.
En lo personal pienso que este libro es fabuloso, por que pese a que tal vez pensemos que es un libro infantil, hay un trasfondo y montones de enseñanza para los adultos; me confieso una seguidora de la literatura inglesa y pues Barrie no podía faltar, así que hace como dos meses me decidí por leer "Peter Pan y Wendy", pero ¡oh sorpresa! cuando me entero que había otro libro antes de este, y así fue como conseguí "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens " este es un libro que recomiendo que te leas antes de del de Wendy dado que me ayudo a entender mas a mi personaje principal y un poco mas de sus inicios; las enseñanzas de Barrie son únicas y la lectura se disfruta mucho; sobre todo por que te transporta a un mundo fantástico, a la magia y a eso que muchos ya hemos olvidado "La Niñez" ........
August 18, 2017
Peter Pan was AWFUL. Gave it 1⭐ But I rather enjoyed Peter Pan In Kensington Gardens (3⭐). So, overall 2⭐
May 24, 2018
Devo dire che la parte finale mi ha fatto scendere qualche lacrimuccia
July 8, 2013
Oh that was marvelous. Where to start? I've been familiar with the story of Peter Pan for most of my life. As so many of you, I grew up with the Disney film. I must admit that it wasn't one of my favourites, but I remember the mermaid-scene vividly. The film and novel aren't that different from one another plot-wise( as far as I remember. Cut me some slack on this one, it's been at least 10 years since I've last seen Peter Pan ), but what struck me most about the novel is how vastly different the mood of the original novel is in comparison to the film. The film always struck me as whimsical, while the entire feel of the novel is a lot darker.
Perhaps darker isn't the right word, I've heard the term 'bittersweet' to describe Peter Pan, and I suppose that comes closest to it. Neverland is a very dark place, it is a place of dreams, where everything is possible. And I suppose, much like our dreams, not everything is fun and games. Neverland and its inhabitants are much the same. The adventures Peter and the Lost Boys have are rousing, but the pirates, redskins and Lost boys will all kill each other without batting an eyelid. Peter Pan, besides being an amazing child, is also selfish and cocky, perhaps even a bit tyrannical. But he's also sweet and will do the right thing in the end.
I'm amazed at the emotional depth of the novel. I've never felt so sorry for every character in a novel in my life, and this is supposed to be written for children. The last chapter especially is beautiful. My heart cries for Peter and Wendy. Peter Pan is true to life in teaching us that we can never have everything our heart desires. Peter can never have a mother, but the children who decided to grow up can never have his carefree life. Gosh, I'm speechless, this was just gorgeous. The language is beautiful, the characters are beautiful and the story is beautiful.
I would recommend this to everyone. If I ever have children ( that's a very big 'if', by the way ), I will be reading this to them, just like 'the Hobbit'.
Perhaps darker isn't the right word, I've heard the term 'bittersweet' to describe Peter Pan, and I suppose that comes closest to it. Neverland is a very dark place, it is a place of dreams, where everything is possible. And I suppose, much like our dreams, not everything is fun and games. Neverland and its inhabitants are much the same. The adventures Peter and the Lost Boys have are rousing, but the pirates, redskins and Lost boys will all kill each other without batting an eyelid. Peter Pan, besides being an amazing child, is also selfish and cocky, perhaps even a bit tyrannical. But he's also sweet and will do the right thing in the end.
I'm amazed at the emotional depth of the novel. I've never felt so sorry for every character in a novel in my life, and this is supposed to be written for children. The last chapter especially is beautiful. My heart cries for Peter and Wendy. Peter Pan is true to life in teaching us that we can never have everything our heart desires. Peter can never have a mother, but the children who decided to grow up can never have his carefree life. Gosh, I'm speechless, this was just gorgeous. The language is beautiful, the characters are beautiful and the story is beautiful.
I would recommend this to everyone. If I ever have children ( that's a very big 'if', by the way ), I will be reading this to them, just like 'the Hobbit'.
October 6, 2017
What a darling little children's book! Why did my mother never read this to me? I am not happy with her right now haha
This is a beautiful story about the magical world in the after hours of Kensington Gardens. You get the fairies, the talking birds and trees, and of course Peter Pan. It is written well and i think it is a book derived to open up the minds of the young readers and teach them that there is more to this world than what we see. I enjoyed it as an adult and i will definitely read this to my own children someday.
Get my full review @ Book Bosomed Blonde
This is a beautiful story about the magical world in the after hours of Kensington Gardens. You get the fairies, the talking birds and trees, and of course Peter Pan. It is written well and i think it is a book derived to open up the minds of the young readers and teach them that there is more to this world than what we see. I enjoyed it as an adult and i will definitely read this to my own children someday.
Get my full review @ Book Bosomed Blonde
February 12, 2020
4.5/5stars
so this is literally chapter 13 and 14 of Little White Bird and then the entirety of the novel of Peter Pan... very confused why this was published separately but sure lol
so this is literally chapter 13 and 14 of Little White Bird and then the entirety of the novel of Peter Pan... very confused why this was published separately but sure lol
May 20, 2019
Después de leer Peter Pan no podía dejar de interesarme por su primera aparición literaria y busqué este libro.
Aunque la ambientación es preciosa y el Peter que vemos aquí es inocente, limpio y nada tiene que ver con el arrogante (y dolido) que después conoceríamos, no deja de parecerme una historia tristísima. Casi me muero de pena cuando Peter se da cuenta de que jamás podrá volver con su madre.
Y no podré volver a ver una golondrina en mi tejado sin sentir escalofríos.
Aunque me ha gustado, me deja mal rollo este Barrie.
Aunque la ambientación es preciosa y el Peter que vemos aquí es inocente, limpio y nada tiene que ver con el arrogante (y dolido) que después conoceríamos, no deja de parecerme una historia tristísima. Casi me muero de pena cuando Peter se da cuenta de que jamás podrá volver con su madre.
Y no podré volver a ver una golondrina en mi tejado sin sentir escalofríos.
Aunque me ha gustado, me deja mal rollo este Barrie.
June 7, 2011
I cried at the end. So did my mother. Every fiber of my being that might become a mother someday feels for Peter because sure he gets to fly and has eternal youth, but there's a dark side. We must all leave our childhood behind because we have no second chances in life. So sad. :( However, I love the author's way of describing things through a child's eyes. I love that I was once a bird. I love that I once spoke faerie. :)
April 30, 2019
Rambling and unintelligible in parts, but so detailed and iconic and developmental in others that it's almost enough to make a Peter Pan lover cry. Definitely plays up the melancholic aspects of the story.
September 21, 2021
I didn't use to believe in fairies.
July 14, 2018
Não me encantou com o primeiro lugar. Mas como se passa em Londres tem um ambiente especial.
Só que senti a falta da Terra do Nunca. Demonstra mais a vida de Peter nas ruas inglesas.
Uma aventura simples e agradável!
Só que senti a falta da Terra do Nunca. Demonstra mais a vida de Peter nas ruas inglesas.
Uma aventura simples e agradável!
December 4, 2013
This is no-doubt the lesser-known half of the adventures of Peter Pan, and I must confess I wasn't even aware it existed before reading Peter and Wendy, or Peter Pan, whichever you prefer. The unfamiliar can often be scary, but at least literary-wise it's always better to try and approach anyway, and so it is with Peter Pan In Kensington Gardens, also. At first I was a bit weirded out by Peter being so small, aged only weeks, a complete totter, then I decided to roll with it and our trusted author to make the best out of it. And sure enough, Peter was already Peter with is personal quirks and head with blunt and sharp edges, and not being able to fly and not yet possessing his cocky ways he had some crazy adventures like trying to fly by a kite and crossing a churning river by night and losing his clothes to birds.
The story of Peter is very touching, him being all ready to become a good boy and let her mother love her again some time, harboring both deep caring feelings and the will to adventure around some more before being ready to be a child. I dare say it's pretty much the same for everybody undergoing a chance - you can either move on or get stuck, whichever you prefer, and both decisions, were they done by your self or the circumstances, carry both sorrowful and joyful outcomes. It sure is kind of funny reading a growing up -story about a boy that won't grow up, but in this classic it's all done, well and beautiful and exciting. One of my favourite books from now on, hands down.
The edition I read was illustrated by Arthur Rackham whom some may be familiar with, for example having worked with Alice in The Wonderland and such memorable tales. His style is gorgeous and lively covered with class, and I find it quite hard to say more. The pictures went very well with the story, they didn't get clumsy or controversial even by accident, not that I noticed at least, and definitely added to the story as a whole. What I think deserves to be mentioned too, is that they were placed in a manner that didn't spoil the following pages most of time, which was more than welcome. Fairies were not described too much in the book, but I do believe almost all of us have some sort of mental image which we bed them on, so it was really rather interesting to compare those of mine and those of the illustrator.
The story of Peter is very touching, him being all ready to become a good boy and let her mother love her again some time, harboring both deep caring feelings and the will to adventure around some more before being ready to be a child. I dare say it's pretty much the same for everybody undergoing a chance - you can either move on or get stuck, whichever you prefer, and both decisions, were they done by your self or the circumstances, carry both sorrowful and joyful outcomes. It sure is kind of funny reading a growing up -story about a boy that won't grow up, but in this classic it's all done, well and beautiful and exciting. One of my favourite books from now on, hands down.
The edition I read was illustrated by Arthur Rackham whom some may be familiar with, for example having worked with Alice in The Wonderland and such memorable tales. His style is gorgeous and lively covered with class, and I find it quite hard to say more. The pictures went very well with the story, they didn't get clumsy or controversial even by accident, not that I noticed at least, and definitely added to the story as a whole. What I think deserves to be mentioned too, is that they were placed in a manner that didn't spoil the following pages most of time, which was more than welcome. Fairies were not described too much in the book, but I do believe almost all of us have some sort of mental image which we bed them on, so it was really rather interesting to compare those of mine and those of the illustrator.
March 3, 2018
A book that can be enjoyed by children as well as by adults.
While the plot and the several events in this book are written to cater to a kid's imagination, it includes jokes and references (e.g. to history, other books...) that are probably more suitable for the enjoyment of their parents. Such clever hints were my greatest joy while reading, and best of all you don't have to get them all yourself because, in my edition at least, they are explained in a glossary, so everyone can enjoy the book without prior knowledge.
Barrie includes some interesting themes in this like the innocents of childhood and the importance of mothers. The characters acted mostly understandable as their actions and feelings were explained with great wit. Wendys excitement for motherhood seems as a staple of the time the book was published in at first, but than I remembered that little girls today still like to play mother, so it holds up.
As much as I liked these aspects of the book and wanted the love the whole story, it did not intrigue me as much as I hoped. Maybe it was the lack of a cohesive storyline, with only some events happening that kind of fit together and tell of the time in Netherland. Maybe it was that the language Barrie uses might be quite poetic but still not as fluent as you would wish from a child story. I read this in a bilingual edition and as much as I wanted to read the English original text, I tended to enjoy the modern translation much more.
So I acknowledge that this is a great masterpiece but I never got perfectly in to it, therefore I personally can't give more than 3 stars.
While the plot and the several events in this book are written to cater to a kid's imagination, it includes jokes and references (e.g. to history, other books...) that are probably more suitable for the enjoyment of their parents. Such clever hints were my greatest joy while reading, and best of all you don't have to get them all yourself because, in my edition at least, they are explained in a glossary, so everyone can enjoy the book without prior knowledge.
Barrie includes some interesting themes in this like the innocents of childhood and the importance of mothers. The characters acted mostly understandable as their actions and feelings were explained with great wit. Wendys excitement for motherhood seems as a staple of the time the book was published in at first, but than I remembered that little girls today still like to play mother, so it holds up.
As much as I liked these aspects of the book and wanted the love the whole story, it did not intrigue me as much as I hoped. Maybe it was the lack of a cohesive storyline, with only some events happening that kind of fit together and tell of the time in Netherland. Maybe it was that the language Barrie uses might be quite poetic but still not as fluent as you would wish from a child story. I read this in a bilingual edition and as much as I wanted to read the English original text, I tended to enjoy the modern translation much more.
So I acknowledge that this is a great masterpiece but I never got perfectly in to it, therefore I personally can't give more than 3 stars.
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