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Peter Pan

J.M. Barrie

4.04 · Rating details · 290,165 ratings · 11,822 reviews

'All children, except one, grow up.'

It was Friday night. Mr and Mrs Darling were dining out. Nana had been tied up in the backyard. The poor dog was barking, for she could smell danger. And she was right - this was the night that Peter Pan would take the Darling children on the most breath-taking adventure of their lives, to a place called Neverland, a strange country whe ...more

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Paperback, 160 pages

Published June 7th 2018 by Penguin Classics (first published 1911)

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Aug 21, 2009 K.D. Absolutely rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to K.D. by: 501 Must Read Books

Shelves: childrens, 501

A story of a dead child and a mother who is missing him.

Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937), a Scottish, wrote this book in 1902 for an older brother, David (his mother's favorite) who died in an ice-skating accident the day before he turned 14. Thus, in his mother's mind, David always stayed as a young boy who would not grow up. J. M. Barrie, a middle-child and then only 6 years old, tried to assume David's place in his mother's heart by wearing the latter's clothes and speaking and sounding l A story of a dead child and a mother who is missing him.

Sir James Matthew Barrie (1860-1937), a Scottish, wrote this book in 1902 for an older brother, David (his mother's favorite) who died in an ice-skating accident the day before he turned 14. Thus, in his mother's mind, David always stayed as a young boy who would not grow up. J. M. Barrie, a middle-child and then only 6 years old, tried to assume David's place in his mother's heart by wearing the latter's clothes and speaking and sounding like him. Barrie was 42 when Peter Pan (the character) first appeared in his other novel, The Little White Bird but the emotion of longing (the child missing his mother and the mother missing his son) can be felt by the readers as if the death only happened recently. For me, this attests to Barrie's brilliance as a novelist.

They say that losing one's child is the most painful grief that a parent can have. A parent burying his child is in contradiction to the natural cycle of life. Thus, it is a lifelong journey of grief for the parents. The very young Barrie saw this pain in his mother's heart and so he tried his best to act, speak and sound like his brother. A mother missing her child. In the story this is symbolized by the open bedroom window waiting for Wendy, John and Michael to return. When they finally do, Peter tries closing it but when he sees the tears in Mrs. Darling's eyes, he says "we don't want any silly mothers'"; and he flew away. making it a triumph of a mother's unconditional heart. A child longing for his mother's love. This is symbolized by Peter asking for Wendy to be his mother and probably Tink and probably even Mrs. Darling. This is the moral of the story: we all need mothers especially those whose windows are and will always be open for us.

A beautiful book. Mesmerizing prose. A fantasy adventure children's book on the surface. But a sad emotion-filled story of a mother and her son somewhere inside. It has the ethereal beauty of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's Le Petite Prince and the subtle meaningful cycle-of-life lesson in E. B. White's Charlotte's Web, two of favorite children's books. My only regret is that fathers like me are sidelined. We fathers have hearts too and we would like to be part of that love. Why did Barrie depict Mr. Darling as crazy feeding Nana his medicine and has to sleep in the kernel?

You see, my windows are also open.

...more

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Apr 13, 2017 Luca Ambrosino rated it really liked it · review of another edition

ENGLISH (Peter Pan) / ITALIANO

«All children, except one, grow up.»

The incipit of Peter Pan of J.M. Barrie is the perfect synthesis of the book. I will try to make the point using as inspiration the words of a child, namely three phrases from my daughter Arianna while in the evening she was listening in her bed my reading of Peter Pan (seventeen chapters read on as many nights with the emphasis of a talented narrator):

1 - "Peter Pan is a bad guy" Yes, my daughter did not like to the protagonist o

ENGLISH (Peter Pan) / ITALIANO

«All children, except one, grow up.»

1 - "Peter Pan is a bad guy" Yes, my daughter did not like to the protagonist of the novel. I did not investigate the reason for her grudge. Probably she didn't like the fact that Peter doesn't want to grow. Not strange, when you are a child usually you want to grow because several tings are forbidden, etc. It is only when you realize that those years are forever lost that you regret for the lost childhood. Everything normal.

2 - "But why Hook have to die?" My daughter almost burst into tears in the solemn moment of the pirate's death. The bad guy of the novel is not that bad after all? I like James Uncino too (it is obvious that the question was asked by the blood of my blood). Actually, it is the death of a central character that shakes the mind of children, a character they started to know and whose presence they are used to. And punctually the tremendous question arrives: "Why do we have to die?" (dear Arianna, if I exactely explain it to you, maybe you also become like Peter Pan, a child who refuses to grow). I buy time and go further.

3 - "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The scream is thrown by my daughter when Peter Pan closes the window of the children's room to prevent their home return. I think that one of the things that terrorizes more a child is to stay without their loved ones. The strenght and especially the desire to break away from the family is perhaps the best indicator of the lost childhood.

I instinctively associate Peter Pan with the The Little Prince of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. However, although speaking the same language (that of children), and dealing with common themes, I enjoyed more Peter Pan and its sad and sweet conclusion. Imagination is a powerful ability, but it is consumed by time. You just have to use it as long as you can. Thereby children fly with their minds and their hearts:

«It is only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly»

Surely, being all three things at the same time when you are an adult is impossible.

Vote: 8

«Tutti i bambini crescono, meno uno»

L'incipit di Peter Pan di J.M. Barrie è la perfetta sintesi di tutto il libro. Vista la tematica, cercherò di fare il punto della situazione utilizzando come spunti di pensiero le parole di una bambina, vale a dire due frasi pronunciate da mia figlia Arianna mentre la sera ascoltava nel suo letto la mia lettura di Peter Pan (diciassette capitoli letti in altrettante serate con un'enfasi da narratore rodato):

1 - "Peter Pan è un cattivone" Ebbene si, mia figlia non ha preso in simpatia il protagonista del romanzo. Non ho indagato a fondo il motivo del suo rancore. Probabilmente è stato il voler rimanere bambino a tutti i costi che a mia figlia proprio non è andato giù. Non c'è nulla di strano in questo, quando si è bambini si vuole crescere, parecchie cose ti sono proibite, etc. E' solo quando ci si rende conto che quegli anni sono persi per sempre che si rimpiange la propria fanciullezza. Tutto nella norma.

2 - "Ma perché Uncino è dovuto morire?" Mia figlia è quasi scoppiata in lacrime nel solenne momento della morte del pirata. Il cattivo del romanzo dopotutto non è poi così cattivo. A me James Uncino è sempre stato simpatico, difatti (è evidente che a formulare la domanda è stato il sangue del mio sangue... tesoro di papà!) In realtà è la morte di un personaggio centrale che scuote l'animo di un bambino, un personaggio che hai cominciato a conoscere e alla cui presenza ti sei abituato. E puntuale arriva il tremendo quesito, La Domanda con la D maiuscola: "Perchè dobbiamo morire?" (Cara Arianna, se te lo spiego per bene, magari diventi anche tu, come Peter Pan, una bambina che si rifiuta di crescere). Tergiverso e vado oltre.

3 - "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" L'urlo di disappunto viene lanciato da mia figlia quando Peter Pan chiude la finestra della camera dei bambini per impedire il loro ritorno a casa. Credo che una delle cose che terrorizza di più un bambino sia il rimanere senza i propri cari. La capacità e soprattutto la voglia di staccarsi dalla propria famiglia è forse il principale indicatore per la perduta fanciullezza.

Istintivamente mi viene da associare Peter Pan al Il piccolo principe di Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Tuttavia, pur parlando la stessa lingua, quella dei bambini, e trattando tematiche comuni, ho apprezzato di più Peter Pan e il suo finale triste e dolce. L'immaginazione è una capacità potente, che però va affievolendosi col tempo. Non resta che sfruttarla appieno fin quando si può. E allora volano con la mente e con il cuore i bambini.

«Solo chi è allegro, innocente e senza cuore può volare»

Una cosa è certa: da adulti, essere contemporaneamente tutte e tre le cose è impossibile.

Voto: 8

...more

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Nov 29, 2015 Mark Lawrence rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I read this to Celyn. It's a short book. Google tells me 47,000 words but it felt shorter than that.

Many of us know the story second hand through cartoons, Hollywood adaptations, and picture-books. The original item is not that dissimilar, though it's a fair bit more brutal that the cartoons and having been published in 1911 it's 100 years out of date when it comes to Native Americans!

The first thing to note is that it's not just the Never-Land that has a surreal, imaginary feel to it. The Darli ...more

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Jan 15, 2018 Chelsea Humphrey rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: library

Oh boy. I'm not sure what to say other than I cannot think of one aspect I enjoyed about this book. I tend to gravitate toward dark, disturbing, and twisted stories (~~what does that say about me???~~), but this was just sad with no pay off. Each page felt like a chore to get through and I didn't even find the illustrations redeeming. I'm clearly in the minority, but I may have possibly been bit by the old "heard the story so many times that the original feels like a rip off" bug. Definitely not my ...more

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Oct 20, 2013 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-young-readers, fairy-tales, british, literature, 20th-century, classics, fantasy, adventure, scottish

‎Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, interacting with fairies, pirates, mermaids, Native Americans, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside Neverland.

The story has a special language; The author is always present in the story, c ‎Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie

Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical island of Neverland as the leader of the Lost Boys, interacting with fairies, pirates, mermaids, Native Americans, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside Neverland.

The story has a special language; The author is always present in the story, commenting on the characters, and their actions, and this adds to the sweetness of the story; Finally, the question arises, can everyone fly to the imaginary world of "Peter", and to "nothingness"? The answer is, "Only happy, innocent, and imaginative people can go there; Only those who want to remain a child; Those who have good and beautiful thoughts, and with them they rise into the air; Listen, can you hear the jingle? This is the sound of a "fairy" ringing; You can take yourself to the fantasy world with his bell; Or not, stay here; The choice is yours. "Peter Pan," by James Matthew Berry, is a popular children's classic, first written in 1901; "Barry" also staged a play of it in 1904; Since then, the same play has been performed over and over again.

عنوانها: «پیتر پن»؛ «سفر به سرزمین خیالی»؛ نویسنده: جیمز متیو بری؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز بیستم ماه اکتبر سال 2003میلادی

عنوان: پیتر پن - خلاصه شده؛ نویسنده: جیمز متیو بری؛ تلخیص: جان کالینز؛ مترجم: امین اظهری؛ تهران، حنانه، 1380، در 39ص؛ شابک ایکس - 964596130؛ موضوع داستانهای کودکان و نوجوانان از نویسندگان اسکاتلندی - سده 20م

عنوان: پیتر پن؛ نویسنده: جیمز متیو بری؛ مترجم: مهدی غبرائی؛ تهران، نشر مرکز، کتاب مریم، 1381، در 208ص؛ شابک 9643056686؛

عنوان: سفر به سرزمین خیالی؛ نویسنده: جیمز متیو بری؛ مترجم: زهرا حصارپرور؛ بازنویسی جواد داعی؛ مشهد، جام آپادانا، 1381، در 12ص؛ داستانهای تخیلی برای کودکان سنی الف و ب؛ شابک 9647728069؛

عنوان: پیتر پن؛ نویسنده: جیمز متیو بری؛ مترجم: رامک نیک طلب؛ تهران، قدیانی، 1389، در 240ص؛ شابک 9789645365231؛

ماجرای سفر سحرآمیز کودکان، به جزایر خیالی است؛ جزایری که به گفته‌ ی «بری»، نویسنده‌ ی همین کتاب، هر کسی ممکن است آنجا را ببیند، «پيتر» پسری است، که هرگزی بزرگ نمی‌شود؛ شبی که خانم و آقای «دارلینگ»، از خانه بیرون رفته بودند، «پیتر پن»، به خانه آنها فرود آمد؛ چیزی نگذشت، که به «وندی»، «جان» و «مایکل»، کودکان خانم و آقای «دارلینگ»، پرواز کردن را یاد داد، و آنها، در هیجان انگیزترین ماجرای عمرشان، به پرواز درآمدند، و به «هیچستان» رفتند

بچه ها در «هیچستان»، به «پریان دریایی»، «دزدهای دریایی»، «سرخ پوستها»، «خانه ی زیر زمینی»، «تالاب پری دریایی» و «کاپیتان هوک» برخوردند؛ «هوک» که فرمانده «دزدان دریایی» است، در یک حادثه، یک دستش، توسط یک «تمساح» بلعیده شده است؛ «هوک»، «پیتر» را دوست ندارد، و همین، ماجراهای عجیب و غریبی، برای «پیتر» و بچه ها میآفریند، که تنها، با خوانش داستان برای شما گشوده میشود

داستان زبان ویژه ای دارد؛ نویسنده، هماره در داستان حضور دارد، و راجع به شخصیتها، و کنشهای آنها، اظهار نظر میکند، و همین، به شیرینی داستان میافزاید؛ در پایان، این پرسش پیش مبآید، که آیا همگان میتوانند به دنیای خیال «پیتر»، و به «هیچستان» پرواز کنند؟ پاسخ این است «تنها آدمهای شاد، معصوم، و خیالپرداز، میتوانند آنجا بروند؛ تنها آنهایی که، دلشان میخواهد کودک باقی بمانند؛ آنهایی که، اندیشه های خوب و قشنگ دارند، و با آنها به هوا بلند میشوند.؛ خوب گوش کنید، آیا صدای جرینگ جرینگ را میشنوید؟ این صدای زنگوله ی یک «پری» است.؛ میتوانید خودتان را، به زنگوله ی او آویزان کنید، و به دنیای خیال بروید.؛ یا نه، همینجا بمانید.؛ گزینش با شماست.؛ «پیتر پن»، اثر «جیمز ماتیو بری»، از آثار کلاسیک، و محبوب کودکان است، که نخستین بار، در سال 1901میلادی، نگاشته شده است؛ «بری» در سال 1904میلادی، نمایشنامه ای از آنرا، بر روی صحنه نیز بردند.؛ از آن هنگام، همین نمایشنامه، بارها و بارها اجرا شده است

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 27/08/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

‘all children, except one, grow up.’

perhaps i could call it a quarter life crisis, but i am definitely experiencing a little bit of peter pan syndrome lately. and this story is that wonderful adventure through childhood nostalgia that i am desperately needing.

a bit old fashioned, for sure, but this so perfectly captures what it means to be a child - to long for grand adventures, comprehending how belief alone can allow you fly, and how wishing on dreams will always be the greatest pastime. ...more

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Sep 24, 2008 Melissa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My children wanted to do our read aloud outside this evening. So we went on the patio and I began reading "Peter Pan." I read about how the mermaids would play with the bubbles, but when the children would come they would all disappear, but they would secretly watch. Pretty soon I hear over the fence our 11 year old neighbor boy say, "Is that Peter Pan?" "Yes," I say, "Would you like to come listen?" "I've been listening from here," he says. So I go on and read about Wendy's rule that all the bo ...more

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Sep 22, 2015 Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned, classics, childrens-classics

Read for school*

Really enjoyed this!!

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Feb 17, 2018 Val ⚓️ Shameless Non-Snowflake ⚓️ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-stars, children-s-and-middle-grade, classics-challenge

Not gonna lie, I had to push myself to get through this.

I just didn’t find it enjoyable in the slightest, which makes me feel like a loser since it’s such a beloved children’s classic.

But at least I’m an honest loser?

I didn’t really like Peter.
Wendy annoyed me.
And the humor and tone just fell flat for me.

But, on the plus side, at least I can count this as my first completed classic for the year. This was supposed to be my January read and it’s now February...but who’s counting.

Me, that’s who. On ...more

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May 06, 2017 Merphy Napier rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, five-stars

Reread #2
This is still my favorite book. It's whimsical, beautiful, heart-warming, heart-wrenching, dark... it's wonderful. I love it so much.
---------------------------------------

Upon Reread:
It's even better the second time. I will never stop rereading this book. It's so important to me and I don't even know why. Walt Disney, I've always loved you, but I'm never touching merch that reflects your version of this story. Nothing can compare.

----------------------------------------

This is one of m ...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Ariel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

INCREDIBLE! SO WEIRD AND GOOD.

Things that are great:
1) All of these tiny details that Barrie added in that just make everything feel really intricate.
2) Peter Pan is the most bizarre and interesting characters ever.
3) The whole concept of Neverland being fact of fiction? Fascinating.
4) The parents. WOAH SO INTERESTING.
5) I listened to an audiobook version while reading along which was read by Jim Dale and OMGSOGOOD.
6) The magic.
7) The pirates.
8) Understanding why Tinker Bell is called Tinker Bel ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, young-adult, audio, audible, classic, fantasy

4 to 4.5 Stars

Peter Pan has never really been one of my favorite classic stories. I know that some people have a lot of nostalgia from childhood for the Disney movie. Also, there have been so many spinoff and retellings of this story and the actual life of the author, that you know that it means a lot to a lot of people. As we are preparing to watch this with our kids for the first time, I figured I ought to check out the original so that I could get a real feel for where the story started.

At fi ...more

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Jan 02, 2009 Nicky rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, fantasy, children-s-and-ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 11, 2017 James rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-fic-fantasy-and-scifi, 1-fiction, 2-fic-childrens

Before I get into the review... it took me forever to go through all the editions of Peter Pan listed on Goodreads. While I suppose it's not too important to get the right version, I was shocked at how many there were, as well as that this was a longer series with multiple books. I guess I always knew that, but when I read it, it was just the Peter Pan book, which I believe was the third in the series. I could be wrong... nonetheless... wow... and it's review time and let's do some soaring...

The ...more

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Jun 04, 2008 Brad rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: better-as-a-movie, children

I am not sure I can see why Peter Pan is such a beloved "classic." J.M. Barrie's story of the boy who wouldn't grow up just didn't reach me. And I read it aloud to 4 year old boy-girl twins.

Oh, they enjoyed it, and I may have bred a love for the story in them that will last (which could be exactly why the story has endured -- parental readings), but no matter how much they liked Peter Pan I could not see the appeal.

Wendy drove me crazy; Peter grew increasingly annoying; Hook bored me stiff; ther ...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: coverartgraph, reviewed, 5-star, maritime, fairy-tales, childhood-nostalgia, movie-seen, fantasy, mermaids, sad

“I suppose it's like the ticking crocodile, isn't it? Time is chasing after all of us.”

Beautifully written, hauntingly nostalgic, and adventure filled, Peter Pan is not a story that can be forgotten and that has made itself live on in childhood literature since its conception.

So many are familiar with the Disney version, a book and movie which highlights the fun and joyful adventures of youth as they escape a bedroom window and fly in the night to a hidden world rich with adventures. The origin ...more

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Aug 26, 2008 Andrew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club

Third read: Still wonderful. A reflection on the child’s relation to Faërie and the evolution as you age. But more. This may be in fact a five-star but I am ever so stingy with fivers.

First read: I was surprised by this book in many good ways. I was expecting something that glorified the Child and its imagination, and perhaps cursed the unstoppable destruction of our Childinity. I was surprised to see this was not truly so. Barrie loves the Child, but he does not hide its foolishness, its selfis Third read: Still wonderful. A reflection on the child’s relation to Faërie and the evolution as you age. But more. This may be in fact a five-star but I am ever so stingy with fivers.

First read: I was surprised by this book in many good ways. I was expecting something that glorified the Child and its imagination, and perhaps cursed the unstoppable destruction of our Childinity. I was surprised to see this was not truly so. Barrie loves the Child, but he does not hide its foolishness, its selfishness, its ignorance. The Child in this is almost pre-moral. They have some understanding of villainy, but do not grasp the virtue of a hero. Barrie deems a key attribute to being a child as being heartless. All of this raises many points for potential argument and discussion and this is why this book so impressed me. Because I am still thinking about it.

It is interesting to think that Barrie was mostly a playwright because I highly enjoyed the playful narrative voice he employed and would mark it as one of my key delights of the book. I love a remarkable narrative voice, though I can't say it is entirely unique. However I may be judging it by its followers as opposed to its peers or master. Regardless, I was entertained and thus I applaud.

It should be noted that the sensibilities of this book are not those of today's children entertainment. Most notably, Barrie does not sidestep the fact that the lost boys actively seek to kill pirates. This goes back again to one of my earlier comments, but it may seriously affect the reader. This could bring up many discussions of its own: the place of killing in the imagination of a child, how a child views the struggle between good and evil when they perhaps can't properly discern the two, the distinction between our modern censorship and older standards and they why of all of that, and plenty of other things. However if a parent is looking for a book to read to their child, I just figured this should be brought up.

As an aside: for those who know the premise behind the comic series Fables, the writer originally intended for Peter Pan to be the Adversary only to find out that they didn't have rights to the character if they published in the UK. After reading this book I can totally see the interpretation he was going with. It makes for a fun idea. He would have obviously had to constructed the means of the Adversary differently, but Pan as a villain is not unbelievable after this book. ...more

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Jun 22, 2017 Sean Barrs rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-star-reads, children-of-all-ages, fantasy

I’ve never really thought much to Peter Pan. I read it when I was very small and again in my late teens, though each time it didn’t particularly interest me. Sure, it was entertaining enough but that’s about it.

I’ve recently read Lost Boy by Christina Henry and the genius nature of her plot has made me reconsider the original work a little bit. She very cleverly tells the story from the perspective of Peter’s nemesis Hook. And coming from his point of view, it is Peter who is genuinely the one ...more

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Apr 02, 2015 Kai rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

“To die will be an awfully big adventure.”

I didn't love this book as much as I wanted to. Peter Pan's world is this magical, wonderful, dangerous place full of adventures. One of those places every child wants to visit, exactly like Wendy and her brothers. Just open a window and fly away.
I read this book because 1. it's a classic and 2. because it's my friend's favourite book of all times. It was my duty to pick this up. But it wasn't completely what I imagined. The book wasn't as exciting, the ...more

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Jun 25, 2014 Lisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: children

"You need not be sorry for her. She was one of the kind that likes to grow up. In the end she grew up of her own free will a day quicker than the other girls."

I loved Wendy when I was little - I was a bit over two when I got to know her, so I probably knew I was going to grow up at some point too. And knowing what she chose, it was a deliberate choice in my case as well. Peter Pan is one of those many childhood classics I devoured, loved and cherished, only to put it aside and - seemingly - for ...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Steph rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Firstly, let me make it clear that there is actually more than one J M Barrie 'Peter Pan' story (something that I did not initially realise). There is 'Peter Pan and Wendy,' which is the story we are all familiar with (immortalised - inaccurately - by Disney); there is 'Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens,' which tells the story of him as a baby with the lost boys when he was originally abandoned, (which I have not yet read) and then 'The Little White Bird' (which I have not read either), but is a s ...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sweet-old-fashioned, favorites-all-time, read-2011, juvenile

Of course in the end, Wendy let them fly away together. Our last glimpse of her shows her at the window, watching them receding into the sky until they were as small as stars.

Reread in preparation for Neverland this coming weekend! ...more

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Aug 18, 2017 Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-star, year-2017

Ever since I was a young girl, I've been obsessed with the musical performance of Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby (which you can view here on YouTube.) I don't think I've ever seen Disney's adaption because my mother & friends could not convince me that any other version in existence was worth watching.

As I've grown up (boooooo) I've really enjoyed the movie Hook, & didn't mind the concept behind the mini-series Neverland. However, nothing has ever stuck with me the way the musical did, and so I ...more

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May 04, 2018 Leo . rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I suppose we never really grow up. We all have our imagination just like we did as children. Fantastic fantasy tale is Peter Pan.👍🐯

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Jun 26, 2013 Bionic Jean rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-1900-1919, read-authors-a-b, classics, fantasy, 19th-century-ish, children-s-and-ya

This edition of Peter Pan contains the text of J.M. Barrie’s 1911 novel, “Peter and Wendy”, which he wrote from his earlier play of 1904. The character of Peter Pan, the little boy who wouldn’t grow up, had already made an appearance in an earlier work by J.M. Barrie, “The Little White Bird” (1902). There continue to be many retellings of this magical story, and Peter is himself a timeless figure; one of the best-loved characters in children’s literature. There is maybe a little of Peter in ever ...more

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Feb 09, 2016 Jasmine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: movie-based, realism, beautiful-stories, magic, highly-recommend, immortals, practical-methods, positive-ideas, happy-ending, light-read

Not until I heard this song, Ruth B's Lost Boy did I realize how much I miss this story. Peter Pan was and is and will always be my most favorite fairytale of all time because I used to watch its cartoons, movie adaptations, and read the story books when I was little. It's such beautiful memory I have and I even dreamt of him as my boyfriend(well, I didn't know what "book boyfriend" was at that time) and waited for him to appear at my windowsill or sneak in my room at night. Just all kinds of sw ...more

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Oct 26, 2019 Michelle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Michelle by: Ammara

'There is a saying in Neverland that every time you breathe a grown up dies'

This book was never on my radar however during a conversation with Ammara about me having never read Peter Pan she said, you should as it's not like you would expect. And so I did. And it wasnt what I expected at all.

As this book is way old you can now download it for free and with it being around 150 pages it's a very quick read.

This is the story of Peter Pan and Wendy and it is nothing like the Disney movie at all.

I r ...more

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Mar 28, 2008 Janene rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: picture-book

This was such a treat! Three things: 1. It made me realize what a perfect Pan-type Peter I married, so many similarities, some that made me laugh out loud. 2. It made me want to look into my 4-yr-old's imaginitive eyes a little longer. 3. I also occasionally picked up my 20-month-old while sleeping just to rock and enjoy him for extra minutes.

This book just so fully captures childhood and the problem of growing up, in a witty way. If you've never read it, really you must! The edition we own is ...more

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Dec 25, 2019 Mike (the distracted librarian) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Great audio production for children!

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Dec 27, 2016 Lyn rated it liked it · review of another edition

A timeless children’s classic.

I’ll concede that the biggest reason why I read this was because of Brom’s 2009 illustrated novel The Child Thief. In an afterward, Brom had said that he was struck by the disparity of the original 1911 work and the later Disney and Hollywood adaptions. Brom highlighted that Barrie’s original work was darker and more violent.

While this is technically true, much of the somber tone Brom noticed was reading between the lines in ways that many younger readers will eithe ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: Same book, different editions	3	19	Dec 22, 2020 01:31AM
Play Book Tag: Peter Pan - J.M. Barrie (2 stars)	1	9	Sep 15, 2020 06:58PM
Brentwoodlibraryn...: June 2020 - Peter Pan	8	4	Jul 04, 2020 09:57AM
Play Book Tag: [PB]Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie, 3.5 stars	2	11	May 27, 2020 01:43PM
Play Book Tag: [Poll Book Tally] Peter Pan by JM Barrie 3 stars	1	7	Apr 11, 2020 10:32AM

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About J.M. Barrie

J.M. Barrie

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Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan.

The son of a weaver, Barrie studied at the University of Edinburgh. He took up journalism, worked for a Nottingham newspaper, and contributed to various London journals before moving to London in 1885. His early works, Auld Licht Idylls (1889) and A Window in Thrums (188 ...more