The Real Peter Pan: J. M. Barrie and the Boy Who Inspired Him

by Piers Dudgeon

Illustrated with 47 photographs, this is the captivating and ultimately tragic story of the boy Michael, the one whom J. M. Barrie loved and filled with his fantasies before filleting him to use for his classic work, Peter Pan . All while Michael's parents looked on.

Arthur, the boy’s father, deeply concerned, dragged his family out of London to sidestep the writer’s cynical charms and controlling presence. But with Sylvia, Michael's mother, bathing narcissistically in the reflected glory of this most successful of rising playwrights, Barrie would not be kept at bay.

Here, then, is the heart-rending, real-life kidnap story behind the classic J. M. Barrie Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t grow up . Nor would Michael be allowed to. For even as Barrie made off to live with him at his smart apartment in London’s Strand, making him his teenage amanuensis, there would only ever be one way for Michael to break free…

As D. H. Lawrence, the celebrated novelist who knew both players, wrote at the
‘J. M. Barrie has a fatal touch for those he loves. They die.’

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Books About Books, Adult

432 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2015

Reviews

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before reading "The Real Story of Peter Pan," I really did not know much at all about J.M. Barrie besides what I saw in the movie, "Finding Neverland." I was very interested to see what his inspiration was in this book. What I found was an eye-opening account of who Barrie was and what his often extremely close relationship was like with the family that influenced his fantastical stories.

I didn't realize how sad the origins of the Peter Pan stories were! The book shed light on how dark some of Barrie's inspirations were and how dark some of what he wanted the book to represent (death, etc.) was. I had basically taken the Peter Pan tales as a love letter to childlike innocence and make believe but in many cases, that is not what Barrie meant to do at all. It was fascinating to see my understanding turned on its head!

It is clear that the author did extensive research in order to put together this very detailed book but sometimes the research got in the way of putting the facts into an interesting story. Some parts of the story felt very much like a laundry list of facts and while they did shed light on Barrie and the family, they did not seem to be very interwoven with each other. The research is meticulous but sometimes does not flow. Overall, this book gave me a new view of J.M. Barrie through many details.

[Sister Morticia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, but marred by the author's determination to portray J.M. Barrie as an entirely malevolent force of Machiavellian evil. Though it is true to say that he cursed each thing he loved.
Interesting points and connections, but it also relies mainly on the reseach and interviews done in the 1970s by Andrew Birkin for his book, 'J M Barrie and the Lost Boys' when he was able to speak to the remaining Llewellyn-Davies boys and consequently produced a more balanced book.

[Skye]

Never read much into Peter Pan, and this book goes into excruciating detail about the relationship of Barrie (author of PP) and Michael, one of the boys that inspired the play. The chapters grow darker and darker as the book plods on. More insinuation and perhaps blame surface, before the book ends with a tragedy.

I wonder what really went on in those days- was it really as innocent or as dark as we feat? But I guess we shall never know the truth. Nonetheless, consider my interest piqued and I’ll continue to read more PP related books.

[Cosette · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are some things better left unknown.

[Liz]

Don't read this book if you want to retain fond memories of Peter Pan. Such a tragic story for the Davies boys.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A look at the lives of J.M. Barrie & neighbours, the Llewelyn Davies family, whose five boys were instrumental in the development of the story of Peter Pan - especially Michael, their fourth son, on whom the main character was based. At first the friendships were thought to be of little concern but eventually Arthur Llewelyn Davies moved his family out of London to get away from Barrie's influence.

In this he was thwarted by his wife who facilitated Barrie's involvement. Unlike Peter Pan, Michael did indeed grow up, & as he did so he tried to break free of Barrie's influence, but only managed to do so in death. Accident or suicide? We will probably never know.

If events happened as they are laid out here, Barrie's presence was a wedge between the boys' parents, Sylvia & Arthur, who grew apart just before Arthur's tragic death of cancer at a relatively young age, & Barrie's continued influence fractured this family from within. Even after reading this, I'm still unsure as to whether it could be termed emotional abuse, but the dynamic between Michael & Barrie became unhealthy for both of them.

Even with this darkness at the heart of one of our best-loved children's story, there were points when my attention wandered. The writing style is quite rambling & the narrative sometimes went off on tangents instead of sticking to the main point. I found it a bit confusing at times, but I hadn't known about the link between the Llewelyn Davies family & the du Mauriers before reading this.

(Borrowed from local library system).

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The opening sections of this book, covering Peter Pan's creation and the growing relationship with the children, are nowhere near as fascinating as the second half, especially the impact of WWI and beyond -- to me this is where the more interesting inter-personal dramas occur. What starts off as a rambling Edwardian melodrama eventually transforms when it runs into the ugliness of human folly.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Dickens wrote of the years leading up to the French Revolution.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

The Real Peter Pan takes place in Edwardian England during the early 1900s. It was a time of class and culture. It was a time of war and peace. James Matthew Barrie was a man of the written word, yet his silence in the presence of others was taken as shyness, sneering aloofness, or presumptuous superierity. He was acused of trying to conquer by silence. (page 34 in the advanced uncorrected proof copy)

Though Eton College has taken pride in grooming nineteen prime ministers as well as others from the British aristocracy, during this period of history, it was a place where upper classmen, the socially elite, were allowed to flog those below themselves in stature. Homosexuality was rampant. Piers Dudgeon, the author of this biography, describes "favours" as being "emotionally quite expensive." (page 210)

It was a period of time in Britain and Scotland where escapes into the the countryside provided solitude and wonder. It was a time of rich homes, servants, and lives of advantage. The glamour of the period was underscored by darkness and tragedy. It was a time of personal and emotional war and peace.

Piers Dudgeon provides an intimate portrait of James Barrie and the geniological history of Michael Llewelyn Davis. He provides many references to writers and to the aristocratic powers that contributed to the culture of the time. The author's knowledge of the time is supported by quotations from authentic letters. Expect to set aside time to contemplate if you choose to read this well-researched biography.

[Jo Burl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not at all what I was anticipating. I thought this would be a sweet tale of how Peter Pan came to be, and it was how it came to be, but as seen through a Twilight Zone telling.
I don't think there was one person in this whole book that I didn't feel sorry for.

As for the writing, I had to reread parts because I wasn't sure of the point of the section. Ironically, there were times when I'd read a section and think, "what does this have to do with anything regarding Barrie or Michael," and the very next line the author would state, effectively, "in case you are wondering how this fits, it's like this...". Still, I felt like the author put facts in here that sometime obscured the story he was telling, or seemed to assume we knew the story so he didn't lay it out as effectively for why he was going there. I'm not sure if I explained that well. In any case, in the afterword I saw that he had already written a book on Barrie and this book was more about Michael, for whom my heart blead.

Gotta say, I didn't completely get the cover until the end, and then I thought it was one of the most effective covers for a book that I've seen. It can be "read" on a couple of different levels. It can be Peter and Michael, or it can be:
SPOILER



Michael and Rupert.
Plus, it sure foreshadowed Michael's end and the fact that he had a lifelong fear of water.

I've never really gone on before about a cover, but this one was so well done. I'd give it 5 out of 5 if you rated covers in relation to the content of the book. Majors kudos to whoever designed it.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I was 10 (1960) when I saw my 1st. Peter Pan at a fancy movie theater. I have seen all the sequels I guess you would call them since.
The stories you hear about the author/writers who write children’s fables might embarrass some of you.

Not only is there behind the scenes but also genealogy of the families that made up the actors for the Peter Pan movies & plays.

Fascinating book.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written autobiography book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great autobiography movie, college power point presentation or a mini TV series. A very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; MakingConnections; Thomas Dunne books (St. Martin’s Press); AUCP; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written but disturbing to say the least. I don't think I can ever enjoy the story of Peter Pan again. It's sad that those around this situation allowed this to happen... even sadder that situations like this are still occurring today.

[Manic Booksy Dreamgirl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abysmal attempt at telling a truly fascinating history. I despised this book.

[Madeleine Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is supposed to cover the life of Michael Llewelyn Davies but it's really a book about the whole family and JM Barrie because their lives were entwined it wouldn't be possible to isolate Michael enough from the obviously dark and melancholy influence Barrie had over him along with the deaths of his parents and elder brother.

He's a fascinating character and one you'd love to have met in real life. But the pall of gloom and fatality that fell over this family is really depressing to read.

I first read Andrew Birkin's book, JM Barrie and the Lost Boys and got totally hooked (no pun intended). There's a curse to Peter Pan. When you read these books it certainly feels like it.

[Matthew Akers · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I was underwhelmed by this book. I read his other book Neverland...before reading this which I should not have done. I would recommend this book ONLY if you read this before Neverland which goes in more detail about JM Barrie and the boys. I would love to see this on film because it's a story about JM Barrie a lot of people do not know about.

[Faith Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was telling the "true" story of Peter Pan. It was nothing like the stories of today. It was set in a time frame of a very long time ago. 1940's ish. The weird part on this book is there is no shadow. There are no lost boys nothing we've known since we were little is in this book. Is Peter Pan even real? Is it just a made up myth?

[Piper Pringle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was way to dark for me. I pushed myself to finish it, but honestly I should have just DNFed it.

[Danni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally appeared @ Reading Lark: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2016/...

Peter Pan, by J. M. Barrie, has been a childhood classic for over century. But if you’re only familiar with the Disney version, you haven’t gotten the whole story. Peter may be named after Peter Llewelyn Davies, but the character in the play and in the later books is actually a reflection of his younger brother Michael, with whom Barrie was obsessed. In The Real Peter Pan, Piers Dudgeon explains how the story of Peter Pan was created and played out in real life between J. M. Barrie and the five Llewelyn Davies boys, and in Barrie’s ongoing relationship with Michael Llewelyn Davies.

I confess I have divided feelings about this book. I loved learning about the inspiration behind Peter Pan and how it is a story that J. M. Barrie created with the input of the sons of the Llewelyn Davies family through playing in Kensington Park together. I always get a thrill seeing how different people’s creative processes work. But his relationship with the family was odd and not a little disturbing. Barrie would take the boys on vacation with their mother, Sylvia, though her husband and Barrie’s wife did not accompany them. Even given the Edwardian fascination with childhood innocence, Barrie appears to have spent more time with the Llewelyn Davies boys, particularly Michael, than may have been healthy for them.

I felt like Dudgeon had a real agenda with this book, but that he may have been afraid to come out and say what he really thought. Near the beginning, he uses the name of Michael Jackson’s estate Neverland as an example of how Peter Pan has permeated popular culture even today. The author can’t have been ignorant of the connotation that would bring of an inappropriate relationship between a famous adult and young children. That cloud of foreboding hung over the entire book, without Dudgeon saying anything definite about whether he thought there was a sexual relationship between Barrie and Michael. He made lots of little hints that something untoward was going on, but stopped just short of accusing Barrie of pedophilia and being the ultimate source of Michael’s (apparent) suicide.

The Real Peter Pan is a scholarly look at the relationship of J. M. Barrie and Michael Llewelyn Davies. Readers who like to learn about literary history and have a high-tolerance for ambiguity will enjoy this book.

[Marcie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Real Peter Pan is the story, both joyous and tragic, of a beautiful boy who was chosen by Barrie to be his gateway to the magical world of childhood, which he longed to recapture, and to the strange spiritual world of his later work."

Like so many others that have come before me and after me, I met Peter Pan as a child. Not the actual Peter Pan, mind you, but the Peter Pan Walt Disney so gladly bestowed upon the world. Neverland has become a place of mystic legend. A place where one goes when they don't want to grow up. A place where we as children and sometimes adults long to escape to.

J.M. Barrie managed to enthrall generation after generation of children, even to this day. How did Barrie manage to tap into the magic which he bestowed upon millions of children? He had a real-life inspiration in a boy named Michael Davies.

Piers Dudgeon has many talents, among them is bestselling author of biographies on novelists such as Catherine Cookson, Daphne du Maurier, and Edward de Bono, and, of course, J.M. Barrie. In this book Dudgeon explores the friendship between the Davies family and the famous author, even alluding to the possibility of unsavory acts that Barrie may or may not have been guilty of.

The Real Peter Pan gives you an excellent insight to the famous author and playwright. He befriended the family before Michael, the boy who would be Peter Pan, was born. Barrie was a true introvert that only a handful of people really got to know. His character was sometimes peculiar and at times downright odd. But to the Davies, he was like a member of the family and after the death of Michael's parents, he was even the children's guardian. This book follows Barrie's relationship with Michael until Michael's untimely death.

Before reading this book, I didn't know the story behind Peter Pan. A real person to influence the unforgettable characters. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read it. It will forever change the way I see this classic novel.
Read more at http://www.toreadornottoread.net/2016...

[Jennifer Gallman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being an English major, the story of Peter Pan has long since been beloved by me. Who can resist the tale of everlasting innocence? Though I will admit, as I have grown older, that same innocence does not seem as reachable as before. Perhaps Peter Pan realized that too, or at least Michael Llewelyn Davies may have. Peter Pan is one of those universal stories of childlike innocence and heroism, of escaping the real world and going to Neverland, where you never grow old. That is the story we know, but there is another story that we are not so familiar with. Dudgeon paints a picture of Pan in a way that I never imagined.

Dudgeon begins by illustrating the Llewelyn family in a way that it is impossible not to see the connection to the Pan story, specifically that of Michael, who maintains his innocence much longer than his brothers. Barrie is fascinated with Michael's aura that he paints him into the Pan mythology in such a way that you would never know without reading this book or knowing the history beforehand. Watching the boys in Kensington Gardens, Barrie is able to create Peter Pan and Neverland much like an artist observing his/her muse. That same artistry appears in Dudgeon's language as the history of Llewelyns and Barrie spills onto the page in brief chapters. Barrie was a strange person, there's no doubt about that, but Dudgeon suggests that the love that Barrie had for the Llewelyn boys was as pure as Neverland itself.

Dudgeon presents the history of Barrie's persona as well, especially his fascination with things otherworldly, and that may be why Peter Pan is still so beloved today. Readers crave the unknown, and Dudgeon portrays Barrie's passion for spirituality in a way that makes the writer even more captivating.

Like children who grow up and leave their innocence behind, the story of Barrie and the tragedy of Michael's life has dark turns; however, in the end, Dudgeon shows us that we always remember what it felt like to be completely free, to be a child looking at the world with ingenuous eyes.

[Lily · Rating 1 out of 5]

EDIT 18/1-22
Having read and educated myself on the subject I changed my rating to one star. Beware that this author lies and misquotes. A lot of times what he writes is fiction, for exampel the reason Michael's fears water is something he himself fabricated. He does that a lot, and he takes things out of context. If you want to learn more about J.M Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies boys read Andrew Birkin's book J M Barrie and the Lost Boys: The Real Story Behind Peter Pan or visit his website https://jmbarrie.co.uk/ where he has complied all of the letters, photographs, interviews etc.

3/4-21
This book gave me a lot of insight into J.M Barrie's life which was interesting, but I read it to get insight into Michael's life but he still remains an enegma.

Michael's life was tragic, and Barrie's possesivness over him is truly disturbing. It gave me a much deeper understanding of the darker aspects of Peter Pan.

What I didn't like was how the author meandered at several parts, and that the book in its entierty is very little about Michael. Of course Barrie's and the Llewelyn Davies' tales are entwined, but it could have focused a bit more on Michael. I did not like how the author pressumed to know Michael's thoughts and feelings when in truth it is just speculation, and how in the end he wrote both Michael and Rupert off as being self-centered and arogant. Despite that it was a very interesting read.

[Amanda Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When The Real Peter Pan was offered to me for review, I had to say yes. I have always really liked Peter Pan by J M Barrie and so I did not want to pass up the opportunity to read up on the historical basis for this wonderful children’s novel.

Let me say that this book covers a lot of historical details. We see Barrie’s life and his interactions with the Llewelyn Davies brothers, especially Michael. Michael was Barrie’s inspiration for the character of Peter Pan and the fantastical world of Neverland.

There were so many details in this book that really shed light on some of Barrie’s motivations and inspirations in the novel Peter Pan. The novel wasn’t really this happy-go-lucky story that Disney made it out to be in their adaptation. Rather, the story is darker, a lot darker than could be easily guessed.

In all, this book gave me a much deeper insight into Barrie’s work and I know that I will never read Peter Pan the same way again. If you are interested in the story behind the story Barrie wrote, I would recommend this book.

I received this book for free from the publisher for review consideration. This in no way affects my opinion of the title nor the content of this review.

This review first appeared at .

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Michael Llewelyn Davies and his relationship with JM Barrie. Michael and his brothers served as the inspiration for Peter Pan. It was an interesting read and the explores a number of other things such as the relationship of Michael's mother, Sylvia, and Barrie, and her family, the du Mauriers. While the book is organized into chapters based on timeline, chronologically. It is a good read but amazing. I would have preferred a bit more first hand exploration of some of the conclusions reached in the book.

I received a free copy from goodreads but my opinions are my own.

[Lekeisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is like a repeat of something already published. Not bad, but definitely not great either. I'm always looking to learn something new that was very much a part of my childhood, so it was nice getting some insight into the people who inspired Barrie. Full RTC!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a decent read! Pretty descriptive and slow moving. But if your interested in the before and sorry behind Peter Pan then you will enjoy it.

[Lea Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of historical background. Sad read