Classic Starts®: Peter Pan

By J. M. Barrie, Dan Andreasen and Arthur Pober

“All children grow up. All except one.” That special child is Peter Pan, and since making his debut on the stage in 1904, this eternal youth has carried boys and girls off to magical, marvelous Neverland. It’s a trip that all kids want to make, and with this easy-to-read version of the classic, everyone can fly “second to the right, and straight on till morning” with Peter. Along with Wendy, John, and Michael Darling, they’ll meet the fairy Tinkerbell, the Lost Boys, and the menacing Captain Hook.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Union Square Kids
• Release date: Sep 18, 2009
• ISBN: 9781402772399

J. M. Barrie

J. M. Barrie (1860-1937) was a Scottish novelist and playwright. Born in Kirriemuir, Barrie was raised in a strict Calvinist family. At the age of six, he lost his brother David to an ice-skating accident, a tragedy which left his family devastated and led to a strengthening in Barrie’s relationship with his mother. At school, he developed a passion for reading and acting, forming a drama club with his friends in Glasgow. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh, he found work as a journalist for the Nottingham Journal while writing the stories that would become his first novels. The Little White Bird (1902), a blend of fairytale fiction and social commentary, was his first novel to feature the beloved character Peter Pan, who would take the lead in his 1904 play Peter Pan; or the Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, later adapted for a 1911 novel and immortalized in the 1953 Disney animated film. A friend of Robert Louis Stevenson, George Bernard Shaw, and H. G. Wells, Barrie is known for his relationship with the Llewelyn Davies family, whose young boys were the inspiration for his stories of Peter Pan’s adventures with Wendy, Tinker Bell, and the Lost Boys on the island of Neverland.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Famous Last Words

All children grow up. All except one.

Wendy learned this when she was playing in the garden one day at the age of two. She brought her mother a flower, and Mrs. Darling hugged her and said, Oh, why can’t you stay like this forever and ever?

Before that day, Wendy didn’t realize she wouldn’t stay the same.

Wendy had two younger brothers, John and Michael. They were growing, too.

Mrs. Darling stayed home with the children while Mr. Darling went to work in stocks. His stocks didn’t always work for him, however, and so the family had to scrimp and save.

They still had a nanny, of course, because all the other families in the neighborhood had one, and Mr. Darling cared very much about keeping up with the neighbors. But the Darlings were poor, and so their nanny was actually just a giant Newfoundland dog named Nana.

Nana was an interesting nanny, to say the least. She didn’t believe in all this newfangled talk about germs. Sometimes she would lovingly lick the children right after she licked her own foot. Mr. Darling was ashamed of Nana, and sometimes he was cold to her as a result. He shouldn’t have been. She was actually quite a treasure. If the children wandered or dillydallied on their way to school, she would bump them with her big head to get them back on track. She never once forgot John’s soccer uniform, and she usually carried an umbrella in her mouth, instead of a bone, in case of rain. And it did rain quite often in England.

All in all, the Darlings were a normal, happy English family. Until, that is, the arrival of a boy named Peter Pan.

Mrs. Darling had never heard of Peter Pan until one day when she was tidying up her children’s minds. Most good mothers do this after their children are asleep—as if minds are drawers and children’s memories are underwear and socks that need to be neatly folded and put away.

Oh, how Mrs. Darling would wrinkle her forehead sometimes at the sweet things she found in her children’s minds, wondering where on earth they had picked them up. These things, she would lay out and lovingly smooth on the bed for the children to slip on first thing in the morning. Other times, however, she found mean or ugly thoughts in her children’s sleepy heads. These she would shake out and quickly hide, like something pushed under the bed.

Children’s minds are a curious place. If someone could draw a map, it would be full of zigzag lines and squiggles. Eventually, however, all the lines and squiggles would lead to Neverland.

What is Neverland? you ask. It is the magical island in the middle of every child’s mind. It is a place children go to mainly in their imaginations, unless of course they have an invitation and a very special guide.

Every child’s Neverland is slightly different. Some are in color and others are in black and white. Some have ragged coral reefs with tiny smashed - up boats, lonely caves, and tiny huts on the beach. Others have hunchbacked little old ladies, turtles laying eggs, or gnomes who like to sew. Others still have scary first days at school, trying not to laugh at church, pop quizzes on grammar that you haven’t studied for, money from the tooth fairy, and chocolate pudding.

There are no rules to what one’s Neverland should be. John’s Neverland had a lagoon with flamingos flying over it, while Michael, who tried hard to be like his older brother, had a flamingo with lagoons flying over it. Wendy, meanwhile, had a pet wolf and a boat.

The island doesn’t appear on any map, because it never stands still. If you can find it, Neverland is a very fun place to visit during the day when it’s sunny. But in the two minutes before children go to bed, it becomes scary and full of shadows. That is why night - lights were invented.

Mrs. Darling didn’t know anything about Neverland. Or rather, she did, from her own childhood. But she had long since forgotten, and so was confused when she bumped into the island in her travels through her children’s minds.

There were other things that confused her, too. For starters, there was the name Peter, which came up again and again, in bolder letters than any other word in all of her children’s minds—especially Wendy’s.

Who is this Peter? she asked her daughter. Is he a friend of yours?

Well, Wendy admitted, not always.

You know I don’t like you talking to strangers, Mrs. Darling said.

But he isn’t a stranger, Mother. Don’t you remember him?

Why, I’ve never heard of him in my life! Mrs. Darling insisted, but as soon as she said this, she knew it was not quite true. She could not remember meeting Peter, or ever knowing him—no, she was too old for that. But in the back of her mind she recalled a story about a boy who kept children company so that they would not be scared. She was sure that she had believed in him when she was Wendy’s age.

Well, anyway, even if I did remember him, by now he would be grown up, just like me, she said and tucked Wendy in for the night.

I’m worried about this Peter person, Mrs. Darling told her husband later that evening.

Don’t be, he said. It’s probably just some nonsense put into their heads by that no - good nanny. It will all blow over, wait and see.

These are what are sometimes referred to as famous last words.

CHAPTER 2

Now, Peter! Now!

Children often find even the strangest events rather commonplace. For example, they might casually mention

Reviews for Classic Starts®

[benkaboo-51322 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Short punchy adventure story for kids and adults who want to remember what it was like to be a kid.

Things I liked:

* Perspective: I really loved the way he was able to really nail the way some kids look at the world (or at least it reminded me of how I used to see the world when I was a kid).

* The narrators voice. The charming English professor style reminded me of books like Narnia and The Once and Future King.

* The dark undertones: I definitely felt the author trying to share a few things outside of a kids adventure story, it made me glad to be reading a book versus watching a movie.


Things I didn't like:

* The perspective changed quite a bit quite quickly (made it a little hard to follow sometimes).

* Some of the characters felt a little boxed up. You got given a character portrait versus the opportunity to find out about the character from their words and actions (made it a little bit more like a comic book or a fairy tale then a novel.

Highlight: The end with Wendy and her daughter. The cumulation of the novel made me sad and happy. I think sticking to the character of Pan versus taking the easy option of having everyone live happily ever after was bold and effective choice. I loved the bitter-sweet feeling it left me with. . I remember about two pages into the book I had a great tingly feeling that made me already glad I was reading a book versus watching a disney movie.

[yuki7onna-681424 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is surely going to be an unpopular opinion and likely to give me some hate, but I didn't like this one much. Some social commentary, some 19th/early 20th-century racism, some platitudes, a crude story and a lot of wound up nonsense.3* for some thoughts and the literary and cultural merit it seems to have earned only.Edit: I've got to lower its rating down to 2*. The book is far too boring and not ok for me to get a neutral rating. 

[fingerpost_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Of course, I'd seen the Disney version many times before reading the original. I'd also read the delightfully adventurous Peter Pan and the Starcatchers series by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. No surprise that the original from 1911 was quite different from either - especially in the character of Peter Pan himself. In the original he is portrayed as much younger, more naive, selfish, and unable to focus on anything of import for more than a few minutes... just like a five or six year old child generally is. Wendy's portrayal seems slightly misogynistic by today's standards, as even in Neverland, she seems happy to stay home darning the boys socks while they go off on adventures. And the racist portrayals of the "redskins" is atrocious. Nonetheless, I was surprised to find a few tears slipping down my cheeks as I read the last couple of chapters. The book is, after all, about both the joys and the tragedy of growing up, and losing the magic of childhood.

[librolindsay · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Meh. This barely gets 2 stars--only for the gleefully inappropriate content like the mention of fairie orgies that wouldn't fly in today's kids lit. But the racism and sexism. Woof.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Peter is a terrible child. Wendy is forced into heteronormative mommyhood. First Peoples are made into racial stereotypes (time context obviously, BUT STILL). Basically, this is all the things I don't like packaged into a "children's book." It seriously lacked Christopher Walken's drunken acting, which added some needed hilarity to the 2014 live production.

[jguidry-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to like this more because Tinkerbell is my favorite Disney character, but this story was just okay. Tinkerbell was the selfish witch that I love, so she withstood the test of time. My favorite characters were the pirates because they were supposed to be unlikeable. The rest were mostly just annoying. I think the story fell victim to the time period in which it was written. I'm glad I read it, but I doubt I'd read it again.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie was originally a play written in 1904 that the author adapted to novel-form in 1911. It is truly a children’s classic with the play still being performed, the book read and the movies made about Peter Pan still being watched. This is a children’s adventure story that encourages children to dream and use their imagination. The author included pirates, Indians, mermaids and fairies in the story as well as an endearing group of lost boys that Wendy looks after when she arrives in Neverland.This original story enchants with it’s magical plot and rich descriptive writing. There is also a dark undertone to this story of a little boy who never wants to grow up and tries to keep Wendy and the others from growing up as well. The idea of one’s children being stolen away is not a happy one, but I don’t believe most children understand the pain that this causes the parents. The fact that Peter continued to visit Wendy until she was an adult and then turned his attention on her daughter was quite creepy to me.I wasn’t sure if I had read this book before, but once I got into the story, I am convinced that it was read to me when I was young. This is a much darker story than the Walt Disney version but certainly deserves its place on the shelf of children’s beloved literature.

[merlucito · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought this was going to be a fun and cute read. It wasn't. This was more dark and creepy that I suspected.
Still a good world, that's why is 3 stars.

[kerilynned · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have found now that I am older I usually don't enjoy most middle grade books. It was interesting to see the difference between this and the Disney version but it just wasn't one that I couldn't put down. I found myself skimming through and just wanted to get it finished. They just don't hold my attention.

[linyarai · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not what I expected, was more weird than the Disney version.

[alanteder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good Fun in an Updated AdaptationReview of the Audible Original audiobook (Dec. 2019) adapted & dramatized by Paul Magrs from the original play "Peter Pan" (1904) and the novels "Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens" (1906) and "Peter and Wendy" (1911) by J.M. Barrie.Paul Magrs adaptation updates the standard Peter Pan story from early in the 20th century to a time during the Blitz in World War II. I'm not quite sure what purpose that serves except that it makes for a better excuse for the children to want to escape from their real-life world? The other main change is that the canonical Indian tribe of the J.M. Barrie original has been PC converted to a "Lost Girls" tribe with Princess Tiger Lily intact, although they still beat on tom tom drums. There was also a bit of mild cussing that I'm sure was not present in the originals. Was that actually Wendy saying to Captain Hook to "stick it up his bum"?Slight shock elements aside, this was a lot of fun. The outstanding performances were definitely from Rubert Everett as Captain Hook and Adeel Akhtar as Smee, who were gleefully over the top in their roles. Peter Pan was one of the free Audible Originals for members in December 2019. It is available to everyone for a standard price.

[basilsbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As an adult going back through books I read as a child, this books has grown so much more heavy. I know from people that have been in my life they are not the biggest fan.
I have remained deeply attached to this book but maybe not the light hearted lines but the more so the in-between the lines part.

As a mother myself with a little one of my own who regularly searches for fairies, I believe the book has just become that much more sentimental.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although the story was very familiar to me, I don’t recall ever reading the book before. I saw the Mary Martin version on TV as a child. It struck me this time around how odd the plot is, with everyone expecting Wendy to assume the role of mother to Peter and the Lost Boys. Things have changed in the century since this book was written. Infant and child mortality was a lot higher in the early 20th century than it is now. Women’s mortality from childbirth (or other causes) was also a lot higher then. Children who had lost their mothers, or who had friends or relations who had lost their mothers, might see themselves among the motherless children of Neverland. The story may not resonate with 21st century children in the same way, and that’s a good thing.

[danielstj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5

This was better than I expected. The ending brought it all full circle. A nice little touching piece with the theme of childhood intertwining with the yarn.

[angelarenea-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've always loved the story of Peter Pan and finally got around to reading the book. I think that it brought out the character of Peter more than I was used to and I really enjoyed that.

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Maybe I would have enjoyed this book more if I'd read it as a child, but as an adult I found it just annoyed me, tremendously, especially the character of Peter. I think this is one case in which the Disney adaption was better than the source. Seriously.

[sprainedbrain · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I knew the basic story of Peter Pan; still, I was a little surprised at just how dark the book is. I loved the writing style, and the adventure and excitement, but the ending and Peter in general made me sad.I tried to read this with my 6-year-old, but had a hard time keeping his interest. He loved the illustrations and interactive elements of this gorgeous edition.

[benuathanasia · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was pleased with how close this is to the stage play (a favorite of my childhood). After Peter Pan in Kensington Park, I expected this to suck. Color me pleasantly surprised.

[matesewiggns · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie is the classical tale of Peter Pan that boy who could not grow up and his adventures in Neverland with Wendy, lost boys, Tinkerbell and Captain Hook. The book have beautiful illustration throughout and is written like a beginners chapter book The first chapters of Peter Pan begins with Peter Pan visiting Wendy, John and Michael Darling, later with Tinkerbell who help the children fly with the help of fairy dust to Neverland . In Neverland the children met the Lost Boys, the Natives and Captain Hook and set sail on a fun adventure. The theme of this book is childhood and imagination which is shown through the character Peter Pan.

[hmlasnick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Peter Pan, written by J.M. Barrie is just one variation of the well known Disney classic Peter Pan. The story is about a little boy who didn't want to grow up and lives on an island called Neverland. He has adventures and a well known enemy called Captain Hook. The story is about a girl named Wendy and her two brothers who fly off to Neverland with a boy named Peter Pan and they go on many awfully big adventures.This story is a classic and one of the older chapter book versions of Peter Pan. Its story is slightly different from the well known Disney Peter Pan and one that I believe students would love to read. I hope to someday be able to teach a middle school English class and have them read this book for many reasons. It is a story that I love and am passionate about and I believe I could easily show and share that passion with my students.

[jscape2000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'd never read Peter Pan before, and coming to it for the first time as an adult, I found it to be wonderful. It straddles that old world line of horrible old children's stories. It has moments that are far more Brothers Grimm than Disney; the Lost Boys are unrepentant killers and they are killed in turn, while Tiger Lily, Tinkerbelle and Wendy are winkingly far more away of romance than Peter. I was less charmed by the relentless patriarchy of the only female characters being shoehorned into a mother role by every boy or man in sight. I would have liked one adventure where Wendy was her own hero.

[pepperwings · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this *after* reading about how sad J.M. Barrie was, and his mother, after losing his teenage brother. It puts a weird spin on the entire story, and it already seems quite dated ("redskins" "Indians") and surreal even without the fantastic elements. Why was the dog the children's nanny?It's a fun story, but there were just sad and odd undertones throughout, it was hard to forget the psychology and sadness around it.

[beammey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this edition of the story. The illustrations added so much to it and kept me so intrigued with what was happening. Minalima did a GREAT job and I can't wait to see what book they come out with next. That said, this is a children's classic and if you're looking for the Disney version of the story this is not it, though they didn't stray too, too far from the original. I would recommend this story to anyone. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[lukerik-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Don't be fooled: this is the novel reprinted under the title of the play. If you're looking for the play try OUP's Peter Pan and Other Plays.I am given to understand that Barrie tinkered with the story over a thirty year period, so that although the play premièred before the novel, the text as published in 1928 represents Barrie's final conception. The novel is a snapshot of an earlier vision. There are distinct differences. In the play Peter is clearly dead. There were a couple of suggestions here that Barrie had that in mind, but Neverland appears to be more a place of the imagination. The play is crystallised and the novel more fluid. Which you prefer is very subjective. I prefer the play, but don't want to underrate the novel which is written with great charm and real moments of magic.

[themulhern · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Hilarious, satirical, wierd. The reviewers who complain about the stereotypical Indians, pirates, etc. seem to have failed to notice that what Barrie was describing was an Edwardian boy's fantasy of adventure. It is called Neverland for a reason.

[terris-7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the original Peter Pan story written in 1911. It is so funny, and I really enjoyed it! After seeing all the movies and stories over the years, it was interesting to read the original author's words. I would recommend this one!

[lilyroseshadowlyn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A delightful tale for the young and young at heart. Adapted and retold many times in film and other books, the story of Peter Pan is one that will live in our hearts forever. If you've enjoyed any of the adaptations, I highly encourage you to go back to the source and read the original.

[lydia1879 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this as a child, and then again as a teenager and still really liked it.

I think the original story is a lot different to what we remember as children, but Barrie writes well. I love that he donated all the proceeds to a children's hospital and I believe that's still being done to this day. I think it's important to remember that this book was of a certain time, though, and his depiction of First Nations people or natives is... uh, a little colonial. :|

So it might be important, if you want to read this book to your child, to actually talk about that and bring it up. (Or it's something I would consider.)

But Barrie is very good at creating worlds and an atmosphere and Peter Pan, as a novel, feels a little like C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. You can read it as a child, but enjoy it as an adult just as much, if slightly differently.

[thebookmagpie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this, a long time ago, but I don't remember much about it. Definitely deserves a reread.

Also, I loved the Disney Peter Pan, and Finding Neverland, but what in god's name was that horrendous live action effort they made a few years ago? Cheesy is not the word...

[linenandprint · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a necessary read if you care about fantasy, children's, British or coming of age literature. What happens when our " gay, innocent and heartless" children leave the nest? What happens if they don't? What does it take to survive childhood? This is vastly different than the Disney movie. Peter is villainous himself and somewhat demented. And so is Tinkerbell more than just stubborn. This is worth a read. On a side note, I think Johnny Depp may have used it as inspiration for Captain Jack Sparrow, as Barrie writes that "pirates have a touch of the feminism in them".