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The Story of Peter Pan
Sir J. M. Barrie's delightful creation, "Peter Pan," has by this time taken a secure place in the hearts of children of all ages, and there are few nurseries in the land in which Peter, Wendy, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook and his Pirates, the Mermaids and Redskins, and the exciting world in which they lived, are not as familiar as the most time-honoured lore of fairyland.
The popularity of Mr. Daniel O'Connor's version of the story, issued with Sir J. M. Barrie's kind consent, and illustrated so charmingly by Miss Alice B. Woodward, has induced the publishers to bring out the present re-issue at a lower price.
The selections of music which will be found in it are included with the permission of Mr. John Crook, the composer, and Messrs. Price and Reynolds.
The popularity of Mr. Daniel O'Connor's version of the story, issued with Sir J. M. Barrie's kind consent, and illustrated so charmingly by Miss Alice B. Woodward, has induced the publishers to bring out the present re-issue at a lower price.
The selections of music which will be found in it are included with the permission of Mr. John Crook, the composer, and Messrs. Price and Reynolds.
87 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1914
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 14, 2020
Oh how times have changed!
For my review of the original text, please link here.
However this is a retelling of James Barrie's wonderful tale by Daniel O'Connor in 1914. The book reviewed here is a new edition from 1926 with additional illustrations. There are colour plates from watercolours by Alice B. Woodward, who has also produced pen-and-ink line drawings interspersed throughout the text, plus a title page. All are very much in the style of the 1920's and attractive to look at. The book itself is also a nice volume, slim at just 83 pages, but with a self-coloured blue embossed cloth cover; the design featuring a medallion of Peter Pan.
Sadly though the narrative leaves a lot to be desired. Granted this is the language and perceptions from a century ago. The little boys had to be brave, the little girls pretty. But even allowing for this fact, it is unnecessarily twee and cosy, the manner throughout is chummy yet patronising; with an excess of "talking down" which no child enjoys.
Where there should be exciting descriptions of action, we have a very dull account. In one part for instance, Peter is about to fight Captain Hook single-handed - a thrilling episode which should be gripping. What do we get?
"A fierce fight ensued, Hook using his iron prong to some purpose on poor Peter, while the boys, seizing Hook's boat, rowed off with Tiger Lily in it. At last, finding himself outdone, the Captain gave up the fight, and in all haste swam back to his ship."
"A fierce fight ensued?" Is that it?
Very uninspired writing then, with little attempt at creating tension or atmosphere. There also seem to be an excess of coincidences which have resulted from the paucity of description. Peter is trapped in a cabin, but manages to pass out swords which just happened to be in the corner of it, for instance.
Also in this book there are 4 very short songs printed within the text. They are written for the piano, and credited to Mr. John Crook. Even if a pianist plays "con brio" unfortunately they still sound like hymns. At a push this may be acceptable for Wendy singing,
"I wish I had a darling house,
The littlest ever seen,
With funny little red walls,
And roof of mossy green;"
but a dirge is far from ideal when Hook is singing about his victims walking the plank. It is difficult to imagine what families of the time made of this in their parlours and enactments.
In conclusion, then, this is a book suffering very much from the restrictions of its time. It is surprising that James Barrie gave his consent to this retelling. If you have a soft spot for antiquarian children's books, then you may like it. The pictures are charming, and the second star (of this review, not from the right…) is for the quaint illustrations. But anyone wanting to tell the story of Peter Pan to their own children would do far better to tell it themselves - with actions and gusto! Or perhaps find another retelling.
For my review of the original text, please link here.
However this is a retelling of James Barrie's wonderful tale by Daniel O'Connor in 1914. The book reviewed here is a new edition from 1926 with additional illustrations. There are colour plates from watercolours by Alice B. Woodward, who has also produced pen-and-ink line drawings interspersed throughout the text, plus a title page. All are very much in the style of the 1920's and attractive to look at. The book itself is also a nice volume, slim at just 83 pages, but with a self-coloured blue embossed cloth cover; the design featuring a medallion of Peter Pan.
Sadly though the narrative leaves a lot to be desired. Granted this is the language and perceptions from a century ago. The little boys had to be brave, the little girls pretty. But even allowing for this fact, it is unnecessarily twee and cosy, the manner throughout is chummy yet patronising; with an excess of "talking down" which no child enjoys.
Where there should be exciting descriptions of action, we have a very dull account. In one part for instance, Peter is about to fight Captain Hook single-handed - a thrilling episode which should be gripping. What do we get?
"A fierce fight ensued, Hook using his iron prong to some purpose on poor Peter, while the boys, seizing Hook's boat, rowed off with Tiger Lily in it. At last, finding himself outdone, the Captain gave up the fight, and in all haste swam back to his ship."
"A fierce fight ensued?" Is that it?
Very uninspired writing then, with little attempt at creating tension or atmosphere. There also seem to be an excess of coincidences which have resulted from the paucity of description. Peter is trapped in a cabin, but manages to pass out swords which just happened to be in the corner of it, for instance.
Also in this book there are 4 very short songs printed within the text. They are written for the piano, and credited to Mr. John Crook. Even if a pianist plays "con brio" unfortunately they still sound like hymns. At a push this may be acceptable for Wendy singing,
"I wish I had a darling house,
The littlest ever seen,
With funny little red walls,
And roof of mossy green;"
but a dirge is far from ideal when Hook is singing about his victims walking the plank. It is difficult to imagine what families of the time made of this in their parlours and enactments.
In conclusion, then, this is a book suffering very much from the restrictions of its time. It is surprising that James Barrie gave his consent to this retelling. If you have a soft spot for antiquarian children's books, then you may like it. The pictures are charming, and the second star (of this review, not from the right…) is for the quaint illustrations. But anyone wanting to tell the story of Peter Pan to their own children would do far better to tell it themselves - with actions and gusto! Or perhaps find another retelling.
October 24, 2018
This book is hauntingly beautiful, I admit to having wept a lot at the end for Peter's tragic destiny. Never growing up and forming real, lasting relationship seems so sad to me I have a hard time remembering that one are supposed to kind of envy Peter for never growing up.
There are A LOT of disturbing things in this novel which makes me question if this is really fit for children. Disney made a good job of avoiding this when they made their version of it and it was shocking to actually read it! That being said, I highly recommend reading it as it is still a really good story, the disturbing things put aside. (My Children's Lit teacher actually had us write down a list of unsettling things from the first three chapters alone and it was a long list!)
"To die will be an awfully big adventure."
( I particularly like this quote because of the lines you can draw (and that the author himself draws) between Peter and death (Peter getting the dead children and bringing them to heaven/ Neverland)
There are A LOT of disturbing things in this novel which makes me question if this is really fit for children. Disney made a good job of avoiding this when they made their version of it and it was shocking to actually read it! That being said, I highly recommend reading it as it is still a really good story, the disturbing things put aside. (My Children's Lit teacher actually had us write down a list of unsettling things from the first three chapters alone and it was a long list!)
"To die will be an awfully big adventure."
( I particularly like this quote because of the lines you can draw (and that the author himself draws) between Peter and death (Peter getting the dead children and bringing them to heaven/ Neverland)
October 17, 2020
Whilst clearing out my Grandmothers house after she passed away I salvaged her 1931 copy of Peter Pan which she must have been bought as a 8 year old child. This story will always be an enchanting classic but this original version is rather problematic; with Native Americans being referred to as redskins; the lead villain being made to sound scarier due to his disability; and not to mention that Wendy is altogether just a bit patronising for today’s children! However, I still love my copy and I’m sure I will pass it on to our families generation when they are old enough to understands its faults.
February 1, 2019
A pretty good book with pretty cool characters .Some of my favourite parts were when the lost boys built a house around wendy.Or when Peter the lost boys and wendy fought captain Hook and his team.Overall just a good book.
February 1, 2019
Peter Pan, it was a crazy and exciting book and it was very clever and mysterious. Captain hook is always trying to get treasure isn't he. My favorite out of the audio book was that my favorite person was Tinker bell.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2019
It was a good book. A little but good. I remember Wendy, John, and Michael flying with Peter Pan off to Never-Never-Never land to see the lost boys. Hook with no hand because of the crocodile. Tinker Bell told one of the lost boys to shoot at a flying white bird but it wasn't a bird, it was Wendy.
August 6, 2019
Awesome Book. Love it!
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March 4, 2024Started re-reading my childhood classic books.
February 7, 2019
This book was about a young girl that went to the lost boys with her two little brothers. Peter Pan brought them to the lost boys. The book really was around Wendy(the girl) and Peter Pan. After awhile Peter and Wendy started to act like a mother and a father to the lost boys. The book had a couple spots where action and adventure came into play which is why I really liked it. An example is when Hook took Wendy captive. Peter started to take the pirates out one by one. This was a brief summary of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2019
Peter pan was a good book and I liked it a lot. I just wish that it got a little more in depth about things like Peters parents and the lost boys and how they got there. Otherwise it is a great story for kids and adults at bedtime and if your bored you can read it too. One of my favorite parts is when Nana the dog got her part when she gave the kids their daily dose of medicine and michael didn't want his and the dad pretended to take his so michael would take his. The lost boy although they had a part i the story they didn't really have a big part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2019
This isn't Disney's Peter Pan. Peter Pan of the Lost Boys from Never Never Never Land starts the story by listening in on stories being told by a mom to her children. When he is caught in their nursery trying to catch his shadow, he convinces the children to follow him to his home "Second turning to the right, and straight on till morning." From there the adventure begins.
In Never Never Never Land Wendy and her brothers meet the rest of the lost boys and Indians and fight pirates. But as the adventures go on they realize they need to be home. There is a connection made, because of the adventures, that will continue through time.
The author takes the reader into a not so pleasant look and description at life in London in the early 1900s. With things like boys believing they were replaced because they fell out of their baby carriage and weren't claimed within seven days or a father going everywhere in a dog kennel waiting for his children to return it doesn't look like a Disney story.
The author keeps you wondering when or if the children will go back home. He keeps you involved and wanting to get to the end of the story.
In Never Never Never Land Wendy and her brothers meet the rest of the lost boys and Indians and fight pirates. But as the adventures go on they realize they need to be home. There is a connection made, because of the adventures, that will continue through time.
The author takes the reader into a not so pleasant look and description at life in London in the early 1900s. With things like boys believing they were replaced because they fell out of their baby carriage and weren't claimed within seven days or a father going everywhere in a dog kennel waiting for his children to return it doesn't look like a Disney story.
The author keeps you wondering when or if the children will go back home. He keeps you involved and wanting to get to the end of the story.
March 20, 2019
The book is mainly about peter pan, Wendy, and Her brothers, and the story about them in never never land. I liked the creativeness about the story like "never Never land", and the Captain Hook part. I wish that it was a little more dramatic like someone almost died but came back to life. If I could change on thing in the story would be that all the pirate were a bit more dramatic, and enthusiastic like they had better aim and captain hook almost died from a crocodile. I think the book was pretty good and a good book for little children like Pre-K through 4th grade.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 10, 2017The book peter pan is great book i very enjoy the book and recommend it for everyone that like fantasy book and the book is not that long. It was very fantastic.
April 12, 2018
This is a really fun read for kids and children alike. It is made even more enjoyable by the always-entertaining narration of Phil Chenevert. Just keep in mind that the story is short, a little over an hour in length. This also means that the language is also clear of profanity and the story itself focuses more on the action taking place rather than the internal workings of the characters. This is a reflection of the younger audience it was written for more than a century ago. It didn't diminish my own enjoyment of the story as it is a neat premise backed up by funny dialogue and entertaining descriptions that are easy to visualise.
October 7, 2008
I didn't like this book as much as I remember liking it as a child. I thought that the writing style and imagery were pretty fun, but I thought that the text was too disturbing and inappropriate for little children in some places. I have to admit to being a little disappointed, but I did enjoy it pretty well. My kids were a little too young to appreciate more than the action parts, but they enjoyed my reading it to them even when it didn't make sense!
June 12, 2016
A blast from the past (I re-read my copy of Peter Pan that Granny gave me for Christmas when I was 6). I loved this book as a child. As an adult, I can see that the book was a fairly basic transcription of the original play. I think the story is better told through plays or movies.
November 28, 2016
Not my favourite edition of the book. Found the narrative very simplistic and insufficiently compelling.
Prefer this narrative, but not sure if even THIS one is written by JM Barrie - I'm fascinated by the whole back story of Peter Pan now!
http://www.literatureproject.com/pete...
Prefer this narrative, but not sure if even THIS one is written by JM Barrie - I'm fascinated by the whole back story of Peter Pan now!
http://www.literatureproject.com/pete...
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June 4, 2014x3
February 6, 2019
This book is about a whimsical boy named Peter pan and his adventure with a friend named Wendy, where said characters travel to a place known as Never Never Never Land and fight off treacherous and potentially deadly pirates. I like how the story is told in a format that is friendly to all audiences and has moments when the storytelling is good and vivid, but there are other times when the story focuses more on the plot of the section and less on the details, such as the part when the pirates jumped into the sea and drown, but then rush to focus on what happened to Smee and Starkey.
I assume that there are some plot holes in Peter Pan but the story did a good job of keeping the story coherent and flowing along with the reading. One of the things that I like most in this book is that it kept up with almost all of the characters nearly none of them felt shallow, except for the ones that were not named, but that could just be me.
Overall I think that this is a good book and should be read if time is given. It has content that almost everyone can enjoy and conveys a story of all sorts of emotions. 7.5/10
I assume that there are some plot holes in Peter Pan but the story did a good job of keeping the story coherent and flowing along with the reading. One of the things that I like most in this book is that it kept up with almost all of the characters nearly none of them felt shallow, except for the ones that were not named, but that could just be me.
Overall I think that this is a good book and should be read if time is given. It has content that almost everyone can enjoy and conveys a story of all sorts of emotions. 7.5/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews