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Peter Pan #1
פיטר פן
Peter Pan, the "boy who would not grow up," originally appeared as a baby living a magical life among birds and fairies in J.M. Barrie's sequence of stories, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. His later role as flying boy hero was brought to the stage by Barrie in the beloved play Peter Pan, which opened in 1904 and became the novel Peter and Wendy in 1911. In a narrative filled with vivid characters, epic battles, pirates, fairies, and fantastic imagination, Peter Pan's adventures capture the spirit of childhood-and of rebellion against the role of adulthood in conventional society. This edition includes the novel and the stories, as well as an introduction by eminent scholar Jack Zipes. Looking at the man behind Peter Pan and sifting through the psychological interpretations that have engaged many a critic, Zipes explores the larger cultural and literary contexts in which we should appreciate Barrie's enduring creation and shows why Peter Pan is a work not for children but for adults seeking to reconnect with their own imagination.
213 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
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16958 people want to read
About the author
J.M. Barrie
2,307 books2,219 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 631 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
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 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.
March 18, 2025
Pues bastante desangelado, comparado con su obra mas conocida "Peter Pan".
Este relato de los orígenes de Peter Pan me han dejado algo frío, si es cierto que el tono evidentemente es muy infantil, pero eso no me molesta, mas que nada, las ilustraciones que no pegan con la idea que al menos yo tuve por ejemplo de como son las hadas, aquí aparecen dibujadas como si fueran personas muy pequeñas con poder para transformarse y ya. No se muy orregular lectura.
Valoración: 5/10
Sinopsis: El personaje que pronto pasara a la mitología de la infancia, Peter Pan, nace en los jardines de Kensington. Barrie, acompañado de su perro Porthos, contaba a los hijos de unos amigos los viejos cuentos de hadas, en los que introducía nuevos personajes: a sus amiguitos, a su inseparable Porthos.
Las hadas, en cuyo mundo entra Peter Pan, no son mas que criaturas limbales como él, un niño atormentado por el deseo de volver junto a su madre, que tiene el don de volar. Un don que le ha quedado quizá porque ella lo ha rechazado. Un don que es también una condena, pues sabe que no puede volver a ser una criatura humana. Tiene que aprender los rudimentos del vuelo, porque no tiene naturaleza de pájaro ni es una criatura humana en el más amplio sentido.
Este relato de los orígenes de Peter Pan me han dejado algo frío, si es cierto que el tono evidentemente es muy infantil, pero eso no me molesta, mas que nada, las ilustraciones que no pegan con la idea que al menos yo tuve por ejemplo de como son las hadas, aquí aparecen dibujadas como si fueran personas muy pequeñas con poder para transformarse y ya. No se muy orregular lectura.
Valoración: 5/10
Sinopsis: El personaje que pronto pasara a la mitología de la infancia, Peter Pan, nace en los jardines de Kensington. Barrie, acompañado de su perro Porthos, contaba a los hijos de unos amigos los viejos cuentos de hadas, en los que introducía nuevos personajes: a sus amiguitos, a su inseparable Porthos.
Las hadas, en cuyo mundo entra Peter Pan, no son mas que criaturas limbales como él, un niño atormentado por el deseo de volver junto a su madre, que tiene el don de volar. Un don que le ha quedado quizá porque ella lo ha rechazado. Un don que es también una condena, pues sabe que no puede volver a ser una criatura humana. Tiene que aprender los rudimentos del vuelo, porque no tiene naturaleza de pájaro ni es una criatura humana en el más amplio sentido.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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" ........
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.
September 21, 2021
I didn't use to believe in fairies.
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
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.
January 15, 2025
Alle origini del non bambino Peter
Peter non è un vero bambino, non più. Allontanarsi dalla mamma, dalla sua famiglia, significa rinunciare a un pezzo della sua umanità.
Quella che Peter vive nei giardini di Kensington, non è un'infanzia, è una vita da fauno col suo laghetto, il flauto e gli altri animali. Per questo la sua memoria vacilla o non sa cos'è un bacio o come giocano i veri bambini.
Il piccolo Peter fugge dalla culla per non dover rinunciare alla magia dell'infanzia. Questa scelta però comporta altre rinunce, perché perderà l'amore della madre.
Sono contenta di averlo letto dopo il più famoso Peter Pan (Peter e Wendy), perché mi ha permesso di cogliere gli elementi che hanno trasformato il dolce Peter in quel diavolo di Pan.
Peter non è un vero bambino, non più. Allontanarsi dalla mamma, dalla sua famiglia, significa rinunciare a un pezzo della sua umanità.
Quella che Peter vive nei giardini di Kensington, non è un'infanzia, è una vita da fauno col suo laghetto, il flauto e gli altri animali. Per questo la sua memoria vacilla o non sa cos'è un bacio o come giocano i veri bambini.
Il piccolo Peter fugge dalla culla per non dover rinunciare alla magia dell'infanzia. Questa scelta però comporta altre rinunce, perché perderà l'amore della madre.
Sono contenta di averlo letto dopo il più famoso Peter Pan (Peter e Wendy), perché mi ha permesso di cogliere gli elementi che hanno trasformato il dolce Peter in quel diavolo di Pan.
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.
August 26, 2015
Not quite what I was expecting. The story was decent enough but I feel like it was marred by the authors turn of the century british style. The prose definitely doesn't flow for the modern audience and that is unfortunate.
Taking into account that this is only part of a larger book, some of the narrative structure is lost. There are a few references to other parts of the original book and it's here that the reader will feel lost.
The stories themselves are a mixed bag. Some are quite good while others seem to go nowhere and add little to the overall story. There are frequent long passages of where Barrie tells smaller side stories and most end up only breaking the narrative pace causing the reader to lose interest in the main story.
This isn't the Peter Pan most know but it's still an engaging look at where the story originated. I plan on reading Peter and Wendy so it will be interesting to see how Barrie developed the ideas and scenes in this short into a larger structured story.
Taking into account that this is only part of a larger book, some of the narrative structure is lost. There are a few references to other parts of the original book and it's here that the reader will feel lost.
The stories themselves are a mixed bag. Some are quite good while others seem to go nowhere and add little to the overall story. There are frequent long passages of where Barrie tells smaller side stories and most end up only breaking the narrative pace causing the reader to lose interest in the main story.
This isn't the Peter Pan most know but it's still an engaging look at where the story originated. I plan on reading Peter and Wendy so it will be interesting to see how Barrie developed the ideas and scenes in this short into a larger structured story.
September 7, 2017
Nothing is more magical than the writing of Barrie. Another wonderful set of adventures about the beginning of Peter Pan. Wonderful to see all the original lore about fairies that we still see talked about today. Incredibly whimsical and inventive, sure to bring your inner child back out.
February 12, 2018
Una piccola (e divertente) parte della grande storia di Peter Pan.
October 26, 2021
brb watching the live action Peter Pan like I’m ten again
March 12, 2019
Il piccolo e paffuto Peter si trova nella sua culla, quando la finestra aperta della stanza lo attrae irresistibilmente verso l'esterno.
E' così che giunge ai giardini di Kensington, dove l'accesso è vietato di notte a tutti gli umani perchè piante, fiori e fate possano festeggiare. Peter è accolto dagli abitanti di Kensington e le fate paventano il momento in cui il piccolo, che ogni tanto sente uno struggente richiamo delle braccia materne, lascerà questo luogo incantato in cui è ormai perfettamente integrato.
Ma purtroppo Peter perde la sua occasione di tornare indietro e rimane nella sua barchetta e con la sua camiciola ormai consunta, però felice di essere un mezzo e mezzo, cioè un mezzo uomo e un mezzo uccello.
Poi un giorno incontra Maimie ed apprende cosa voglia dire provare affetto. Peter prova a trattenerla, ma non è possibile ingannare la sua piccola amica: non si può rimanere contemporaneamente nei giardini di Kensington e nel mondo meno fatato e più reale!
Tenerissima questa storia! A volte fa bene tornare bambini e immergersi in pagine che raccontano di mondi fatati!
E' così che giunge ai giardini di Kensington, dove l'accesso è vietato di notte a tutti gli umani perchè piante, fiori e fate possano festeggiare. Peter è accolto dagli abitanti di Kensington e le fate paventano il momento in cui il piccolo, che ogni tanto sente uno struggente richiamo delle braccia materne, lascerà questo luogo incantato in cui è ormai perfettamente integrato.
Ma purtroppo Peter perde la sua occasione di tornare indietro e rimane nella sua barchetta e con la sua camiciola ormai consunta, però felice di essere un mezzo e mezzo, cioè un mezzo uomo e un mezzo uccello.
Poi un giorno incontra Maimie ed apprende cosa voglia dire provare affetto. Peter prova a trattenerla, ma non è possibile ingannare la sua piccola amica: non si può rimanere contemporaneamente nei giardini di Kensington e nel mondo meno fatato e più reale!
Tenerissima questa storia! A volte fa bene tornare bambini e immergersi in pagine che raccontano di mondi fatati!
January 12, 2024
A sad, rather bizarre little book that has whimsy but lacks a lot of the adventure that makes Peter Pan such a classic.
Set entirely within the confines of Kensington Gardens, this prequel sort of tells us how Peter Pan came to be. But between the talking birds, annoying sexism (indicative of when the book was written, but still quite jarring) and fairly bleak chats about dead kids (of which there are surprisingly quite a few) the book fails to spark the real wonder necessary for a fantasy tale like this to succeed.
That being said, I still enjoyed this and appreciated some of the magic on offer, especially parts about fairy rituals and the story of the lost little girl waking up to find herself in a fairy house. I also quite liked the opening chapter about the gardens and how each part was named. The illustrations by Rackham were an added delight - as always they brought a whole new level of magic to this that otherwise wouldn't have been quite so apparent.
Worth picking up for Peter Pan fans.
Set entirely within the confines of Kensington Gardens, this prequel sort of tells us how Peter Pan came to be. But between the talking birds, annoying sexism (indicative of when the book was written, but still quite jarring) and fairly bleak chats about dead kids (of which there are surprisingly quite a few) the book fails to spark the real wonder necessary for a fantasy tale like this to succeed.
That being said, I still enjoyed this and appreciated some of the magic on offer, especially parts about fairy rituals and the story of the lost little girl waking up to find herself in a fairy house. I also quite liked the opening chapter about the gardens and how each part was named. The illustrations by Rackham were an added delight - as always they brought a whole new level of magic to this that otherwise wouldn't have been quite so apparent.
Worth picking up for Peter Pan fans.
October 29, 2024
The endings for both the Peter Pan books end on a sad note. It was an enjoyable adventure, would read again.
August 27, 2024
3.5/5 stars.
August 11, 2024
Peter Pan, you’ll always be famous to me
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