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Echoes of the War
Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM (9 May 1860 - 19 June 1937), more commonly known as J. M. Barrie, was a Scottish novelist and dramatist. He is best remembered for creating Peter Pan, the boy who refused to grow up, whom he based on his friends, the Llewelyn Davies boys.Born in Kirriemuir, Angus, the second youngest of ten children, Barrie was educated at the Glasgow Academy, Forfar Academy and Dumfries Academy, and the University of Edinburgh. He became a journalist in Nottingham, then London, and turned to writing novels and subsequently plays. He is also credited for the invention or popularisation of the name "Wendy", as only five records of girls named Wendy can be found before the 1910 United States Census.
116 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1918
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About the author
J.M. Barrie
2,385 books2,231 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 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 20, 2026
This book opens with the following paragraph:
Of course, as soon as I read that, I knew that I was in for a treat of a collection, and indeed I was. Trademark Barrie: hilarious, whimsical, witty, unfailingly British, and then suddenly, startlingly poignant. Reading about the Great War from the pens of those who lived in its periphery will never not make me emotional. I could have done without the seance angle in the last story, but it was still very sweet. There are one or two other issues, but on the whole, this is a gem.
Three nice old ladies and a criminal, who is even nicer, are discussing the war over a cup of tea. The criminal, who is the hostess, calls it a dish of tea, which shows that she comes from Caledonia; but that is not her crime.
Of course, as soon as I read that, I knew that I was in for a treat of a collection, and indeed I was. Trademark Barrie: hilarious, whimsical, witty, unfailingly British, and then suddenly, startlingly poignant. Reading about the Great War from the pens of those who lived in its periphery will never not make me emotional. I could have done without the seance angle in the last story, but it was still very sweet. There are one or two other issues, but on the whole, this is a gem.
April 17, 2020
From TIA:
Radio adaptation of two little remembered J M Barrie short plays on the subject of love, loss and remembrance in time of war:
A Well-Remembered Voice - A couple have lost their son in the trenches. The young man's mother tries to speak to him through a seance, while his father simply reminisces, by himself. And yet in the process it is Mr Don , and not his wife, who is finally able to talk to their son, in a way he never could when the boy was alive.
Barbara's Wedding - The Colonel is in his dotage, and as his memory fades, past and present become intertwined. He is visited by his beloved grandson and the young man's fiance, Barbara. But are they really there? And who is it exactly that Barbara is marrying?
Both are beautifully adapted, the stories poignant but not mawkish and the cast superb, with such as Derek Jacobi, Penelope Wilton, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Julia McKenzie (who also adapted and directed), Bill Patterson, Jim Broadbent & Joseph Fiennes.
https://archive.org/details/WellRemem...
Radio adaptation of two little remembered J M Barrie short plays on the subject of love, loss and remembrance in time of war:
A Well-Remembered Voice - A couple have lost their son in the trenches. The young man's mother tries to speak to him through a seance, while his father simply reminisces, by himself. And yet in the process it is Mr Don , and not his wife, who is finally able to talk to their son, in a way he never could when the boy was alive.
Barbara's Wedding - The Colonel is in his dotage, and as his memory fades, past and present become intertwined. He is visited by his beloved grandson and the young man's fiance, Barbara. But are they really there? And who is it exactly that Barbara is marrying?
Both are beautifully adapted, the stories poignant but not mawkish and the cast superb, with such as Derek Jacobi, Penelope Wilton, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Julia McKenzie (who also adapted and directed), Bill Patterson, Jim Broadbent & Joseph Fiennes.
https://archive.org/details/WellRemem...
July 25, 2024
ENGLISH: Of these four plays, three were new for me.
The old Lady shows her medals : This play, which I had watched twice in the RTVE version, is the best and longest of the four. In fact, in RTVE the performance lasted one hour and seven minutes.
The new word : A young second lieutenant has just enlisted and says goodbye to his parents and sister. The most important thing is the father-son relationship.
Barbara's wedding :
A well-remembered voice: Once again, the most important thing about this play is the father-son relationship.
ESPAÑOL: De estas cuatro obras, tres han sido nuevas para mí.
La señora Dowey luce sus medallas: Esta obra, que había visto dos veces en versión de Estudio-1, es la mejor y la más larga de las cuatro. De hecho, en Estudio-1 su representación duró una hora y siete minutos.
La palabra nueva: Un joven subteniente acaba de alistarse y se despide de sus padres y su hermana. Lo más importante es la relación padre-hijo.
La boda de Bárbara:
Una voz bien recordada: De nuevo lo más importante de la obra es la relación padre-hijo.
The old Lady shows her medals : This play, which I had watched twice in the RTVE version, is the best and longest of the four. In fact, in RTVE the performance lasted one hour and seven minutes.
The new word : A young second lieutenant has just enlisted and says goodbye to his parents and sister. The most important thing is the father-son relationship.
Barbara's wedding :
A well-remembered voice: Once again, the most important thing about this play is the father-son relationship.
ESPAÑOL: De estas cuatro obras, tres han sido nuevas para mí.
La señora Dowey luce sus medallas: Esta obra, que había visto dos veces en versión de Estudio-1, es la mejor y la más larga de las cuatro. De hecho, en Estudio-1 su representación duró una hora y siete minutos.
La palabra nueva: Un joven subteniente acaba de alistarse y se despide de sus padres y su hermana. Lo más importante es la relación padre-hijo.
La boda de Bárbara:
Una voz bien recordada: De nuevo lo más importante de la obra es la relación padre-hijo.
July 21, 2024
Four nice short stories with the background of war, but quite different from each other.
July 18, 2016
I've never been a fan of Peter Pan but I did see a wonderful ghost story play by J.M. Barrie a couple years ago and so when I found a lovely old 1918 edition of this book I decided to get it.
The book listed Four plays, but they were more prose than plays and definitely appeared to be meant to read rather than performed. The stories all dealt with human relationships that had been affected by the war. When we think about it in a historical way it's usually military history or politics, but this was the opposite of that. Little slices of life about the people who'd been affected by it. Three stories were brilliant, and one I forgot very quickly.
The first was about an old woman who pretended to have a son in the War. Though she based it on a real man, and when he came to London for his leave ended up meeting her. With unexpected results. The second play I forgot almost immediately. The third was a wonderful muddle about an old, senile and shell shocked old solider, his reality kept twisting and it was told in a very sympathetic and understanding way. The last one was a wonderful, beautiful ghost story about a father loosing his son in the war. While a ghost story it was so realistic and looked in such an honest way about how to deal with grief and things that seem beyond us.
An interesting and wonderful collection. A slice of history that still seems relevant today.
The book listed Four plays, but they were more prose than plays and definitely appeared to be meant to read rather than performed. The stories all dealt with human relationships that had been affected by the war. When we think about it in a historical way it's usually military history or politics, but this was the opposite of that. Little slices of life about the people who'd been affected by it. Three stories were brilliant, and one I forgot very quickly.
The first was about an old woman who pretended to have a son in the War. Though she based it on a real man, and when he came to London for his leave ended up meeting her. With unexpected results. The second play I forgot almost immediately. The third was a wonderful muddle about an old, senile and shell shocked old solider, his reality kept twisting and it was told in a very sympathetic and understanding way. The last one was a wonderful, beautiful ghost story about a father loosing his son in the war. While a ghost story it was so realistic and looked in such an honest way about how to deal with grief and things that seem beyond us.
An interesting and wonderful collection. A slice of history that still seems relevant today.
December 28, 2021
Wordless feeling
War is hardest on those who stay behind. My grandma held similar experience after my uncle Edward’s death in Korea. These stories are eye opening. 22 years in service and I too felt invincible and never thought about family and friends reaction.
War is hardest on those who stay behind. My grandma held similar experience after my uncle Edward’s death in Korea. These stories are eye opening. 22 years in service and I too felt invincible and never thought about family and friends reaction.
October 9, 2015
"We have a fine for speaking about the war.
And you know, those fellows we were fighting ...
I forget who they were?"
And you know, those fellows we were fighting ...
I forget who they were?"
September 23, 2021
There’s a sense of nostalgia in each story/ play. It tackles human relationships, particularly between fathers and sons, and the things that people go through and are about to go through when someone close to them is about to do something that you’ve no control over. Such is the case with the great war, where people were much obligated to be part of it.
Out of all the four stories, my favorite is the elderly soldier with dementia trying to make sense of what’s happening around him. It was heartbreaking. I was so moved by it for some reason. The other three stories were good and just as interesting.
Benjamin Alire Saenz once said, “We all fight our own private wars.” And somehow in life, it is always true no matter how and where you applied that sentiment. This was a great read. Get your copy, since it’s free and it’ll very much be well worth a few hours of your time.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Out of all the four stories, my favorite is the elderly soldier with dementia trying to make sense of what’s happening around him. It was heartbreaking. I was so moved by it for some reason. The other three stories were good and just as interesting.
Benjamin Alire Saenz once said, “We all fight our own private wars.” And somehow in life, it is always true no matter how and where you applied that sentiment. This was a great read. Get your copy, since it’s free and it’ll very much be well worth a few hours of your time.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
May 19, 2022
My rule is five stars if it makes me cry, so it gets five stars. This doesn't mean I think it's flawless.
These are short plays that, in format, almost drift between play and short story. I'd be curious to see them staged, though I doubt they're likely fodder for any of the local theater companies. Each is about a family dealing with the First World War, and they're all a little bit sad and marked by interpersonal tensions within the families.
It's very much a product of the time--published in 1918, the message of the final section is that the family of a young man killed in action shouldn't be so sad, because he doesn't want them to be and it's better for him if they continue life and are happy and the girl he never quite got engaged to moves on to have a happy life with someone else.
These are short plays that, in format, almost drift between play and short story. I'd be curious to see them staged, though I doubt they're likely fodder for any of the local theater companies. Each is about a family dealing with the First World War, and they're all a little bit sad and marked by interpersonal tensions within the families.
It's very much a product of the time--published in 1918, the message of the final section is that the family of a young man killed in action shouldn't be so sad, because he doesn't want them to be and it's better for him if they continue life and are happy and the girl he never quite got engaged to moves on to have a happy life with someone else.
November 1, 2024
Like all of JM Barrie’s works, the four short plays in this volume are nostalgic tearjerkers, which does not make them any the less charming or less profound. They underscore the loneliness of people whose husbands or sons have been killed – or, sadder still, have grown old and infirm, but remember their glory days as young soldiers in defence of their country. The plays are filled with tender reminiscences, forgotten hopes, and loss. But far from being bleak, they hold out the gladness of renewed youth, of an eternal joy, and of beloved figures from the past coming back to lead them to rest and peace.
And like all of Barrie’s works, a pleasure to read, though they are meant for the stage, and were performed to great success.
And like all of Barrie’s works, a pleasure to read, though they are meant for the stage, and were performed to great success.
October 1, 2014
This book is a collection of four short stories involving families affected by world war one.
Each of the stories takes place over a single scene, and the stories were so condensed and so well constructed. I really feel like these are bite sized masterpieces. (a la twilight zone or twelve angry men)
The first one was about an elderly woman with no family who spontaneously "adopts" a man who is about to go to war.
The second is about the relationship between a father and his son who is inlisting as an officer.
The third story follows an elderly man with dementia as he's trying to make sense of the changes that are happening around him.
The last is about a father and son and trying to move on after the son's death.
(^^These last two would definately make great twilight zone material)
An interesting theme in these stories is the relationships between fathers and sons. The culture in which this work was produced didn't encourage affection between fathers and sons. At first appears that the dads are dismissive of the relationship, and focus is placed on what the mother is going through. I thought it was kind of cool how the fathers and sons were reaffirmed their relationships without being demonstrative.
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in world war era history. Or twilight zone.
Each of the stories takes place over a single scene, and the stories were so condensed and so well constructed. I really feel like these are bite sized masterpieces. (a la twilight zone or twelve angry men)
The first one was about an elderly woman with no family who spontaneously "adopts" a man who is about to go to war.
The second is about the relationship between a father and his son who is inlisting as an officer.
The third story follows an elderly man with dementia as he's trying to make sense of the changes that are happening around him.
The last is about a father and son and trying to move on after the son's death.
(^^These last two would definately make great twilight zone material)
An interesting theme in these stories is the relationships between fathers and sons. The culture in which this work was produced didn't encourage affection between fathers and sons. At first appears that the dads are dismissive of the relationship, and focus is placed on what the mother is going through. I thought it was kind of cool how the fathers and sons were reaffirmed their relationships without being demonstrative.
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in world war era history. Or twilight zone.
February 11, 2009
I admit, I actually only read the first play in this volume. I beleive there are three or four total. It was witty and rather delightful. Hopefully I'll get around to reading the others some day.
October 2, 2016
Wonderfully moving simple book of four stories involving ordinary families during The Great War, published in 1918. Written by the author of the famous Peter Pan.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews