Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie Illustr. Arthur Rackham

by J.M. Barrie

This rare and vintage book is a perfect addition to any bibliophile's collection

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1777

About the author

James 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.

Reviews

[Gracie P · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick read. It was interesting to compare it to a spin-off I recently read. The book also had some really interesting points on the nature of children that I enjoyed thinking about.

[Suzanne Winterberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the original edition, densely written, not necessarily for children! The Disney version, which used to be shown once a year on TV, bears only faint similarities to the book, but both are great in their own right. Trigger alert, the depictions of the “natives” are pretty offensive, as was more accepted in 1911.

[Darren Belanger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this very much. I’ve watched the animated movie so reading the story was fun to make links to the movie. The author had an amusing way of using words to draw you into the atmosphere of the novel.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dans une version illustrée… un beau retour en enfance avec un regard d’adulte!

[Alaysia M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read so far! Very interesting book when you buckle down and really read it.

[Christine Vaessen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little fantasy and sadness. A book woth a fairy orgy? The bonus story of Peter Pan as a baby at the end, tears!

[Simon Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het originele verhaal van Peter Pan, geen mooi verhaal met een prachtig einde waarin alles goedkomt en hij kinderen helpt. Bruut duister maar toch prachtig