The Plays of J.M. Barrie: Shall We Join the Ladies and Other One-Act Plays

by J.M. Barrie

1918. Sir James Matthew, Baronet Barrie a Scottish journalist, playwright, and children's book writer who became world famous with his play and story about Peter Pan, the boy who lived in Never Land, had a war with Captain Hook, and would not grow up. This volume contains the following plays: Quality Street; The Admirable Crichton; What Every Woman Knows; Dear Brutus; The Twelve-Pound Look; and The Old Lady Shows Her Medals. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1928

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

[Carly Clem · Rating 4 out of 5]

J.M. Barrie... oh the cleverness of you! I must wonder if he ever married or had some great romance, the way he does go on about love and the like. His plays are extremely poignant and funny. Maybe one day I'll actually see one performed live. He had such an imagination about him. Tis a shame he lived so long ago...

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(Notes written when I began the book)

I've always loved the story of Peter Pan, and have seen several movie versions of the play. Interesting to read the original material. One of my favorite lines of all time: "To live would be an awfully big adventure". Looking forward to reading the rest of J.M. Barrie's plays. And with our impending snowstorm (12" and counting predicted) I have a feeling I'll be able to to do so.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually just read "Peter Pan." The play makes it very clear that Peter is living in an eternal "Now," with no future or past, which has its pluses and minuses. Interesting that the stage directions are so detailed as to what characters are thinking and what the audience should be thinking. Certainly more than could be conveyed by actors on stage. For example, imaginary dialog with Tinkerbell

[Victoria Yang]

Goodreads doesn't appear to have the precise book that I have (also titled The Plays of J.M. Barrie in its catalogue, and I'm not particularly eager to be the Librarian to add it. Thus, I'll just use this listing for my own purposes and upload a review here when I eventually read the book.

The edition that I purchased was published by Hodder and Stoughton and printed in 1929.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barrie's plays are surprisingly good, (and not just Peter Pan!) but not masterpieces. A little too fussy for my taste, but they have a sense of prettiness or innocence nicely off-set by creepiness. Barrie clearly has a wonderful imagination. Definitely worth reading!